《The Story of Hero Among Heroes ~The Founding Chronicles of Arestia》 CH 1 An order of knights slowly walked in the middle of a thick, dense forest. If you look at their faces, you can sense their fatigue, yet despite that, their faces were full of pride in their sense of accomplishment. If you look even closer at the order of knights, you can then see that it¡¯s composed of various races. Beginning with humans, there were even beastmen, elves, and dwarves. At the helm of said order are two knights. One is wrapped in a pure white war costume while his black hair hangs over it. At a glance, he looks like a gentle teen with a well-ordered facial expression, but you can sense some kind of strong force behind his eyes. Riding on glistening white horse, he puts forth the image of a hero from the legends of old by his appearance. Only slightly behind him is a man of large build, whose head is covered with a black helmet and body clad in matching armor. He straddles on a horse covered in blood-red hair and puts forth the image like that of a God of Death. ¡¸We can finally see the townscape of Romaria. ¡¹ The young boy who rode in front on horseback called out to the black knight behind him. ¡¸This time it wasn¡¯t just thieves but violent demons. However, to even subjugating the dragon-kind¡­.. if this was only a simple opposition, then I wouldn¡¯t have had the intention to spend so many days on it!¡¹ Saying that in agreement, the black knight laughs sarcastically. ¡¸For example. if I had rode on Zephyr, then even if the dragon-kind appeared, it still shouldn¡¯t have taken this long¡¹ ¡¸Even if we shrink them with magic, even thieves would run away from just a glance at something as ancient and divine beasts as Dragons. Furthermore, it will even frighten the villagers. This time, it served as practice for the order, so everything worked out alright. Above all else, the villagers around that area can live with peace of mind¡¹ The young boy said with a smile, and called out in a loud voice to the knight next to him and the soldiers. ¡¸Only a little farther until the castle gates. Let¡¯s properly return with pride in our chests!!¡¹ ¡¸Ooo!!¡¹ After the dazzling view of the young boy raising his voice, the black knight turned to face the knights behind him. With only just one cry, the faces of the soldiers who couldn¡¯t really hide their exhaustion all changed into tight smiles. Sigurd, the black knight who seen the boy since he was very young, thought to himself ¡®This boy can sway soldiers with a single shout. Although the content was plain and simple, anyone who follows him won¡¯t ever doubt those words.¡¯ Those words, that appearance, that behavior¡­.. moves the hearts of the soldiers. This is, ¡¸The Proof of a Ruler¡¹ surely. ¡ô The Continent of Arcadia is presently divided into large countries and several smaller states. The Strongest and most Renown of all, situated in the center,¡¸The Holy Arcadia Empire¡¹ The Head of the North, the country governed by the Empress and her ¡¸Wolfgarte Empire¡¹ Situated in the Southern part of the Continent with warm climate, the wealthy national power ¡¸Sindra Kingdom¡¹ In the Continent¡¯s Western regions, advocating a military state and aiming to expand their influence with vigilant eyes on their prey ¡¸Thracia Empire ¡¹ Many countries intermingled and were competing for leadership such as, the one said to have the strongest soldiers in the East of the Continent ¡¸The Grants Republic¡¹, the one aiming to unify the East ¡¸The Baizeld Republic¡¹, the richest and peaceful country in the East ¡¸Istrea Kingdom¡¹, and the emerging nation surrounded by mystery ¡¸Dormadia Kingdom¡¹. Many other countries such as the Powerful¡¸Torsden Kingdom¡¹ and the Leader of the West ¡¸The Toranberg Republic¡¹ owner of various lands. And such an Age is also a troubled one. A time where each nation worked out conspiracies and competed each other for leadership. Troubled times call for a Hero and the such times produced Heroes. The one who is meant to dominate the continent and inspire Armies, ¡¸Thunder Emperor¡¹ Sephiroth Arcadia The Name of the prime minister who exercised her shrewdness in Wolfgarte Empire, ¡¸The White Wolf of the North¡¹ Lady Alfreed The One who exhausts the very limits of tyranny with overwhelming military force, ¡¸Usurper King¡¹ Zakkard the Duke of Baizeld The Commander of the unrivaled navy that dominates the Continent¡¯s seas, ¡¸Pirate King¡¹ Rocknado The One who leads the strongest order of knights in the Tharacian Army, trampling countless nations, ¡¸The Death God¡¹ Sir Zaitel And in the middle of this contest amongst an innumerable amount of heroes, the times brought forth a star who sheds a remarkable and prominent light. This is the one who subdued the war that spread throughout the continent and would be later called by people in the future as ¡¸The Hero of Heroes¡¹ This is the story of ¡¸The Hero Emperor¡¹ Ares Schwarzer. CH 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Romaria Territory After completing the magic beast subjugation mission, Ares triumphantly returned to the city of Romaria. Waiting for the returning party were the cheers from the townsfolk. [Thank you! Now we can continue trading with confidence!] [Now I can bring medicine back for my father in the neighboring village!] [The crops won¡¯t be destroyed anymore! Now we can sleep peacefully!] [Ares-sama might be young but he¡¯s the real deal!] [That¡¯s right!The position of the Schwarzer family is secured!!] [All hail Ares-sama!] [All hail the young lord!] At first the cheers was directed at the knight brigade. But when it was gradually turning to him, Ares had a slightly frustrated face. [It wasn¡¯t only me who deserve the credit¡­..] Sigurd replied among the noises of the crowds. [Now the fact that everyone always looks up to a hero had never changed. It¡¯s also a fact that Ares-sama was the one who led the subjugation forces. It was also Ares-sama who thought up the measures to complete the mission. It¡¯s Ares-sama, too, who personally raised his sword and defeated more bandits and magic beasts than anyone.] [Even so, it¡¯s also the same for those who fought with their lives on the line. They are the real heroes.] Looking at Ares¡¯ composed face while saying so made Sigurd smile a little. [Perhaps so¡­Ares-sama. Why don¡¯t you give a word or two to everyone here? They are probably waiting for a speech from their real hero who has subjugated the magic beast. And¡­ you can also use the chance to make them see who the real hero was¡­. If the young lord thinks they deserve the acknowledgement, that is.] A lot of people stared at Ares as they praised and honored him. Ares saw this situation, looked back at the men behind him and sighed. He then gently raised his hand. With that gesture, the crowds who were fussing about before quickly calmed down as they put their focus on the boy. That area was covered in silence. [Everyone, I thank you for coming all the way here. I¡¯m honored to have you here. But I couldn¡¯t possibly complete this mission on my own. It shouldn¡¯t be only me; everyone here should be praised too. It¡¯s not me, but all the knights here¡­.were the real heroes who defeated the magic beasts.] The street that was calm just a moment ago began to be filled with muttering and whispering among the townsfolk. However. Clap clap clap Applauses could be heard from here and ther, and soon turned into a booming sound. And in the end, it turned into a loud enthusiastic cheering; this time directed to the knight brigade. Ares looked back and saw that the knights and soldiers were smiling and laughing hard. Their face was full of pride. Laughing in satisfaction after seeing that scene, Ares left the hustle along with Sigurd. ===== Romaria is the main city of the Schwarzer territory. It¡¯s said that it was decided from back when Gerald Schwarzer became the first generation archduke of the Schwarzers. The [Archduke Clans] are the families that were founded by the 4 closest retainers of the 1st emperor. The emperor married his daughters to the 4 houses and through that, it gave the [Archdukes Clans] the greatest influence/authority. And as one of [The Four Archduke Clans], the Schwarzers, developed through many generations after Gerald¡¯s, made Romaria one of the major cities in the Holy Arcadia Empire, if not the whole continent. The Schwarzer territory, no, mostly the town of Romaria, is well known for its active agriculture and commerce as well as being the most peaceful town in Arcadia. But more than Romaria itself, the whole Schwarzer territory was famous for one thing. That there is no prejudice or discrimination between various races such as humans, long-eared elves, beastmen and many others Originally, the demi-human races such as beastmen, long-eared elves, dwarves and the like were subjects of discrimination by the human races nearly everywhere. They are even treated as slaves in several places. It¡¯s said that this act came from human¡¯s fear of their potential and that one day, they¡¯ll rise against the humanity. Beastmen have superior muscle strength and explosive power compared to the humans. They are far above the humans in term of combat ability. The long-eared elves are proficient in magic, especially the rulers of the forest, the high elves. The dwarves aren¡¯t as strong or as dextrous as the humans but they can forge excellent weapons and armors. Therefore, the humans despised them, repressed their power by the humans¡¯ sheer numbers, and delegated them to the lowest class of civilians. It¡¯s also stated in the religion that the Holy Arcadia Empire had set. The church teachings are also full of prejudice towards the demi-human races. They are the subject of discrimination and prejudice thanks to this. However, those kind of things are invalid here in Schwarzer territory. It was something that the first archduke Gerald had decided and has been Schwarzer clan¡¯s policy ever since. It¡¯s difficult for the church to stand out because its opponent is a body which holds strong imperial power. For that reason, a lot of demi-humans gathered in this territory, further improving its prosperity. Even the military, starting with the beastmen, also recruited other demi-human races into its forces. ===== Many vassals and servants awaited Ares at the castle gate. [Young lord, welcome back.] [ [ [ [ [ [ Welcome back!] ] ] ] ] ] [Yes, I¡¯m home.] Ares confided to Sebastian after saying that. [Where is Esteemed Father?] [Yes. Master is waiting for young master¡¯s return.] (I want to spend time by talking leisurely to everyone but I need to make a report first¡­..) Ares then gave instructions to everyone else. [Everyone, I¡¯m sorry but I have to make a report to Esteemed Father immediately. I leave the rest to you all. Sigurd seems tired so please rest properly. Be sure to instruct the soldiers to be dismissed.] With that done, Ares entered the castle and started climbing the stairs. After watching him leave, Sebastian and the other quickly went to work as instructed. Ares eavesdropped it for a bit before continuing to ascend the stairs while putting together the report in his head. CH 3 Subjugation Part 1 [Thank you! You all are our pride!!] Surrounded by the smiles of many people, the feelings simply sinking in¡­..the new recruit couldn¡¯t help but to feel his chest heating up. (Yes, I¡¯m working to protect these smiles!) Protecting the people was the pride of a Schwarzer soldier. Roku¡¯s chest was filled with a sense of accomplishment and confidence. The subjugation mission was Roku¡¯s first real battle. Even though the famed brave general Ares was the one who led the troops¡­..it¡¯s still his first real battle after all. It was something he never had experienced before in his life. A nearby boy called out to Roku. [Ne~ ne~ soldier-sama. Tell me, what kind of battle was it?] [Oh, I wanna ask too. Tell me the story about Ares-sama] Listening to the boy and the other townsfolk nearby, Roku¡¯s memory of the battle the other day resurfaced. Also, about that exceedingly immense power and knowledge of their master. I should tell them. About the battle that day. Of our lord, Ares Schwarzer, along with who seemed to be one of his servants, Sigurd Dragonia. (Even now¡­..those two¡­.were too amazing¡­..) Thinking that, Roku unconsciously swept his gaze toward the castle. ===== It was a week before Ares headed out for the subjugation mission. 800 soldiers had been gathered for this mission, and most of them were recruits. Schwarzer territory is a mostly secure place and lacked bandit. However, this time the defeated bandits actually banded together and became massive in number. The size was about 1000 strong bandits. It was an extraordinary amount for Schwarzer territory. [They must be completely annihilated. That ways, there won¡¯t be any bandit appearing for a while.] As he said so, Ares explained his strategy. A surprise attack, followed by total obliteration. [For the sake of the future, we must annihilate them thoroughly. Tell this message to everyone.] Ares¡¯ purpose was not only to annihilate the bandits¡­.it was also to give actual experience to the recruits. This was his first large-scale battle after a long while, so his forces were initially to be comprised of veteran soldiers. However, Ares said: [The new soldiers must be given a proper experience since they¡¯ll be the one supporting the Schwarzer in the future.] The plan was drastically changed with that one sentence. 100 veteran soldiers were fielded alongside an unbalanced amount of 700 recruits. ===== [Ares-sama. The recruits don¡¯t seem to have the appetite to eat.] Ares nodded a little to what the captain of the 100 veterans reported. [Well it can¡¯t be helped. Even if their enemy was bandits, it¡¯s the first time for them to take others¡¯ lives. Everyone goes through the same thing at the beginning.] He replied with a gentle smile. [However, this is a necessity. In a larger battle, experience will determine life and death. Schwarzer territory is mostly stable, so excluding those at the Northern Fortress, the battle experience of our troops is actually quite low.] Sigurd beat Ares in saying that. He said so while reviewing the subjugation battle. Just as Ares¡¯ predicted, the enemy fell into confusion upon being struck by the surprise attack. After that, Ares, along with the 800 soldiers, fought with their life on the line. Ares cut down the bandit leader himself, along with several other bandits. Sigurd followed up, moving left and right, as many lost their lives to his spear. The veterans followed closely behind. They toppled the opposition easily with well-coordinated teamwork. The recruits, inspired by the performance, desperately swung their swords and spears while shouting loudly. The real battle was different from training. Even some with advanced combat training would still experience cold feet. [Don¡¯t back down! Young men! ! When hesitation clouds your mind¡­..remember the people we need to protect! !] Whilst shedding tears, a veteran soldier called out to the several recruits who were still trembling in hesitation and fear. But these new soldiers still couldn¡¯t move their feet. Another veteran added afterward. [If you still don¡¯t understand¡­..then take a look at our master who rides at the very front! !] After hearing those words, the recruits turned their sights on Ares¡¯ back, who was riding ahead. That back was still that of a boy¡¯s. However, that figure, who charged into the enemy ranks swiftly¡­..seemed bigger than it actually was¡­.. Ares suddenly turned around and roared. [Soldiers of Schwarzer! What was the purpose of your daily training that you all bled for? It¡¯s to protect everyone¡¯s home!] Ares swung his sword as he said so. Following that, a bandit¡¯s head flew in to the air. Ares then turned to the recruits once more. [Soldiers of Schwarzer! My band of heroes!! Burn the fire in your heart brightly! And¡­.lend me your power to protect our home!] And with that, Ares turned around and brandished his sword forward. [All forces, charge!! Show them the might of the Schwarzer Soldiers!!] One of the soldier who previously had lost his will rose up to his feet. A new light flickered in his eyes, heat spreading in his chest as if there is a fire burning inside. [All forces¡­..follow me!] [ [ [ [ [ [OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!] ] ] ] ] ] The new recruits shouted loudly. The bandits were frightened by the intensity of their voices. It was the soldiers of Schwarzer¡¯s victory, anyone could see it already. ===== After the battle ended, Ares continued to give instructions. Cleaning up the remaining bandits, burning their fortress, and going to the forest of evil at once. It¡¯s been decided that they will camp at the center of the forest. Sigurd suddenly asked Ares. [Then, Ares-sama. How about tomorrow¡¯s route?] There were some who listened to this conversation. Aside from Ares and Sigurd, there were the 100 veteran soldiers nearby. [When the sun rises, we¡¯ll proceed as planned and return home through the forest of evil. Well, since Sigurd was raised here, we won¡¯t have to worry about getting lost or being attacked by magic beasts.] Ares laughed a little as he said that. [So the recruits don¡¯t have the appetite to eat? I hope that they at least have a good night¡¯s sleep today.] This was the first time for new recruits to actually kill someone else. It¡¯s an indispensable part of being a soldier and one should prepare themselves to do it¡­..however, the impact this time was quite immense, and made them lose their will to eat. [Everyone is like that for their first time. There shouldn¡¯t be anything special happening tonight. Let¡¯s have a good rest.] A hundred veterans smiled and nodded at Ares¡¯ words. Right, at this time, everyone thought that they¡¯d be able to return safely to Romaria without a hitch¡­.. But an incident happened. [E, enemy attack! ! I, it¡¯s a dragon¡­..!!] The soldier¡¯s report broke the silent atmosphere. However, Ares and Sigurd quickly headed out, followed by the veterans. [A dragon? Here?] [Impossible¡­.this is the den of an ancient dragon, you know¡­.? To think an other dragon dared to come¡­.] A draconic creature is the highest rank of magic beast. There were many kinds of dragons such as the Fire Dragon [Salamanders], Winged Dragon [Wyverns], and the Land Dragon. Regardless of what type it was, if you wanted to beat them, you needed a big group of people, as everyone knew¡­ Exceptionally stronger than all other draconic creatures was the Ancient Dragon, which possessed intelligence surpassing that of humans¡¯. They belonged to the category of¡ºDivine Beast¡». Originally this forest of evil was an ancient dragon¡¯s den, and thus no other draconic creatures dared to enter the area. However, ¡º¡ºGrooaaaaAAAAAAARRR£¡¡»¡» Those were unmistakably a dragon¡¯s roars. Listening to that sound, Ares, Sigurd, and the 100 veterans ran out in haste, armed and ready. It¡¯s clearly the roar of a dragon. And more than one of them. The worst case scenario crossed Ares mind. They rushed to the source of the roar¡­. The already armed veterans quickly enclosed the perimeter around the two dragons while protecting the recruits. There were several victims already, but fortunately none of them had fatal enough wound to cause death. The recruits were actually holding up pretty well. [Earthen Land Dragons?] [It couldn¡¯t be. And two adults at that?] Earthen Land Dragon was one kind of adult draconic creature. Its size was enormous, and it was said that it could trample through a town with ease. A Land Dragon¡¯s wings degenerated as it grew up, but in exchange, it gained sharp claws and huge limbs that could tear apart nearly everything. Its scales were exceptionally hard, and it¡¯s near impossible to hurt it with normal weapons. Whilst listening to the veterans¡¯ captain, Ares carefully observed the figures. [Ares-sama, I might be able to persuade these fellows. Allow me to¡­..] [No, it¡¯s no use.] Ares cut Sigurd¡¯s words. [They will still attack you, Sigurd, even if you were raised by the ancient dragon. In fact, I think they¡¯ll still attack even if the ancient dragon still lingered here.] Saying that, Ares drew his sword. At the same time, several magic beasts also jumped into the fray. [A saber Liger too?] (TL Note: Not sure if this is typo, but a Liger is possible in reality when a lion mates with a tiger) [Why are the magic beasts attacking here¡­.?] [No, look around!!] The veterans shouted. Sigurd turned to look around. [Wha¡­] He inadvertently muttered. While they were focusing on the dragons, they had been surrounded by a group of magic beasts. After assessing the situation, Ares sighed, and pointed at the Land Dragon¡¯s shoulder. [Look at that part. That¡¯s¡­.the proof that they are infected with the power of darkness.] Something was visibly lodged in the shoulder of the land dragon, and its color changed starting from that area. [Judging from that. It¡¯s probably¡­..a sign of¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifact¡»] After he said so, Ares immediately gave out instructions. [Tell this to the hundred veterans. Combine the formation and intercept the magic beasts. Don¡¯t leave any single soldier behind, attack in unison just like during training. The magic beasts are attracted to the¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifact¡», so their numbers will continue to increase. But do not be discouraged.] [Yessir! But what about Ares-sama¡­.] [Sigurd and I will handle the two dragons. Focus on yourself and the people around you. Don¡¯t interfere with our fight.] Ares turned his gaze to the earthen land dragons. [One more thing¡­.please hold tight. It¡¯ll end once we defeat those two dragons. I won¡¯t let you die so easily. If you can endure¡­..then it¡¯ll be our victory.] After telling that to the soldier, Ares took off the sword-shaped crystal pendant hanging around his neck. He held it in his hand and clasped the crystal inside his palm. [Answer my call. O sword of God. Defeat the evil, and cut through the darkness] As he stretched his hand forward, a pale light shone from his palm, slowly forming the shape of a sword. [Divine Sword Oldeus!!] After Ares grasped the manifested sword, he spoke to his most trustworthy subordinate who stood at his side. [Sigurd will take the dragon on the left. I¡¯ll play with the one on the right. Alright?] [As you wish] Ares and Sigurd put their sights on each of the two land dragons. After confirming their targets, the two smiled as they kicked the ground towards their respective targets. CH 4 Subjugation Part 2 Roku listened to the veteran captain, and doubted his own ears. Ares¡¯ order was to ¡ºhold the line against the magic beasts¡¯ encirclement¡»while he and his subordinate handled the two Land Dragons. [That¡¯s¡­.isn¡¯t it said that at least one army division is required to subjugate a Land Dragon!?] He cried out unconsciously. The same thing also happened to the other recruits. [Does Ares-sama want to kill us!?] [We are working for him for god¡¯s sake!!] The new recruits spoke to each other while desperately defending themselves from the magic beasts. In contrast, the hundred veterans handled the situation calmly. [Focus on what lies in front of you!] Then. [You can leave the two land dragons to those two. But it¡¯s important to not let any of these beasts to get to them. Also¡­.Ares-sama ordered us¡ºnot to die¡». Don¡¯t be discouraged. If you dare to die, I¡¯ll kill you myself!] The veteran laughed while saying so. The recruits observed the veterans. They didn¡¯t even bother to check on Ares, and instead continued killing the magic beasts one after another with a stunning three-pronged attack. However, the magic beasts continued to appear endlessly. [Eeei! We¡¯ll also go! Don¡¯t let ourselves get left behind by the seniors!] Roku told that to the recruit next to him, worked up his courage and charged at the incoming magic beast. ===== Sigurd stared at his target. The Land Dragon was one of the largest types among the draconic creatures. He gave a quick glance at his master Ares. His back was the only visible thing¡­.as well as the anger that he rarely showed to others. Ares said. [The¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifact¡»has completely taken over¡­¡­there¡¯ll be no helping them. It will be forever stuck inside their body¡¹ Then. All traces of expression disappeared from Ares¡¯ face. [These Land Dragons are adult draconic beings. Someone else has forcibly embedded the artifact in them. How evil.] Ares brandished his sword whilst saying so. [There is only one way to set them free¡­Sigurd, I know it¡¯s painful for you since you¡¯ve been raised by the draconic creatures¡­.but I beg of you] While he was speaking, Ares is already charging toward one of the Land Dragons. (Who on earth did this¡­.no, I shouldn¡¯t be worrying about that now. I need to focus.) Dragon scales are harder than steel. Ordinary attacks wouldn¡¯t work and would only serve to further anger them. Sigurd poised his spear and took a deep breath. Then [HaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAA!!] Magical power began to surge out from his body. Enveloping his whole body with pale light. (Aim for the head. End it with one decisive blow!!) Once the target was set, he ran up to the dragon at full speed. ¡ºBody Strengthening¡»was done by enclosing one¡¯s body with magical power, and it improved Sigurd¡¯s speed by leaps and bounds. When the dragon¡¯s claw reached out to him, he simply dove right under it, [TeeeyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAA! !] He jumped into the sky. The land dragon could only follow his movement with its eyes. Once he was far beyond the land dragon¡¯s reach, Sigurd set his speartip downward. [Don¡¯t feel bad. Rest in peace¡­.!] Sigurd focused his magical power onto the tip of his spear. [Secret Technique!¡ºSoaring Dragon¡»!!] (TL Note: Final Fantasy Dragoon-class¡¯s ¡°Jump¡±) With that, he fell down toward the land dragon with tremendous momentum¡­.aiming for the dragon¡¯s head. An explosion occurred, dust billowing up from the ground. The force was so extensive that it also knocked the nearby magic beasts down. After the dust settled¡­..there was Sigurd standing there, and a land dragon whose head had been pulverized. ===== [He did such a showy move¡­.] Ares muttered in the middle of a smile as he turned toward Sigurd. [Well then, I¡¯ll have to finish my part too..] He returned his sight toward his target land dragon. In contrast to Sigurd, Ares approached the dragon in a slower manner. Although the dragon attacked with its claw, he simply avoided it by moving his body slightly. This somewhat confused the land dragon. [Now then¡­¡­I know it¡¯s painful¡­..but at this state, there is nothing else I could do¡­..So I¡¯ll end it in a flash.] Ares stopped right under the dragon¡¯s neck as he said that. [I promise you. The guy who made you be like this¡­..I..will¡­definitely¡­kill them] Ares showed a saddened expression for a moment, before swinging his sword. ¡ºDivine Sword Oldeus¡»blade sped up in the air upon the use of¡ºInvisible Slash¡»technique. The land dragon¡¯s movement stopped. As if time was standing still. A moment later, the head started to shift from the body. Only after the head finally fell down on the ground did the blood start gushing out from the severed neck. Ares watched the aftermath¡­..with a face that showed both anger and sadness. ===== Roku could not believe his own eyes. Those dragons were swiftly slaughtered¡­.with the strength of a single person each. [Am I seeing a dream just now?] While he was thinking about it¡­.the situation around him had also started to shift. The magic beasts began to retreat all at once. [What on earth¡­] From behind the amazed Roku and co. [Everyone¡­.well done.] Then the captain of the hundred veterans shouted. [Well, the magic beasts have retreated. This is our victory! Now count the personnel. Is there anyone dead? If anyone dares to, I¡¯ll kill them myself.] [Captain¡­.I don¡¯t know if I should laugh on that or what¡­.] Everyone smiled upon hearing that random reply. Relieved expressions¡­.. And confidence from having survived the situation could be seen in each of their faces. The recruit training this time¡­. Had also allowed the recruits and veterans to forge and deepen their bond. Again, Ares couldn¡¯t help but to smile upon looking at the veterans¡¯ and the recruits¡¯ interactions. CH 5 Ares Schwarzer I, Ares Schwarzer, was the first-born son of the current generation of Schwarzer family. The whole of Romania rejoiced since I was the long-awaited successor to the family. I¡¯m thankful for the blessing and kindness I received from everyone ever since I was born into this world. The Archduke of Schwarzer is one of the highest existences on the Holy Arcadia Empire, a member of the Four Archduke Clans. Originally, the clans were officially recognized after the First Emperor married his four daughters to the four most prevalent retainers involved in the founding of the Holy Arcadia Empire. They, including the Schwarzer family that I was born into, held the greatest influence within the empire. Thus, I, as the eldest son, grew up with everyone pouring their love in me. But when I was eight years old¡­.I was afflicted with a fever of unknown illness. The doctors gave up as the cause of the sickness remained a mystery. While I was in a lot of pain one night, yet another mysterious event struck me. And that was¡­.. Various kind of memories flooded into my head Those memories belonged to three people. These three were prominent figures in the history of Arcadia continent. Even the eight-year-old me had heard about them. The first one was the [Alchemy King] also known as the [Great Sage], Gilbert Goraye. The individual who had invented various items through alchemy, which had a great influence on many countries. Moreover, not only did he revive a lot of long-lost magic, but also found the [Non-elemental] Magic which was said to have not existed before. He obtained the title of [Honorary Aristocrat] from his achievement as an alchemist and was a black-haired smooth talker in sweet mask on his private life. With his skillful conversation techniques combined with his excellent insight in grasping the hearts of others, he boasted a great popularity among not only many uncourted women of the empire but also of other various countries, which was said to have enabled him to exercise great influence far and wide. Fearing for his powerful magics and his ability to woo any woman he wanted, the head of countries often sent assassins after his life. He had hid himself to protect his own life, and his location had remained a mystery until now. The second one was the [Sword Saint] and the hero Shin Oldeus, a child who was said to be born alongside a sword in an island country in the far east. With that sword, said to be a gift from the God of Swords, he slew many monsters single-handedly, and it was believed that his battle prowess wouldn¡¯t lose to a country. He was unbeatable in a sword fight. At that time, the most devastating demon king in the history, [Galgain], who could bring countless demons together, was defeated by the power of this lone sword-wielding hero. Afterward, he went to the demon island and was said to have spent his life there to both recover himself and to keep guard of the place. Finally, the third one was the renown [God of War], the Heroic King Leon Arcadia. No one would not know about this person, as he is the most famous in history. He was the champion who ruled the continent before the time of the Holy Arcadia Empire, the first emperor of the Great Arcadia Empire. Originally just a king of a small country, he fought thousands of battles in his lifetime, the legendary commander who boasted many victories. Said to be also exceptional in political affairs, this individual pushed the Great Arcadia Empire to be an unprecedented superpower. In the present days, he is deified as the [God of War]. ¡­.. ¡­ . When the memories of those three flooded my head, I was struck by so much pain, fatigue, and nausea that I felt like I almost went crazy. My eight-year-old brain couldn¡¯t handle so much information, it¡¯s as if the nerves on my brain burned out. I couldn¡¯t get up from the bed for a year, unable to do anything¡­.Only suffering, since all I could feel was pain. I could hardly even eat my meals, the eight-year-old me couldn¡¯t understand any of this, and not even able to ask for help¡­.the only thing I was able to do was to endure it all. Then the end of my suffering came. About a year later. It disappeared, just like that, as if it was just a lie. I had barely eaten anything, and I had stayed in the bed all the time¡­.yet strangely my body and head felt light. At the same time I also felt that I could take on the world. Yes. I came to an understanding that day. The enormous memories of the three individuals. I had come to possess all of them. It¡¯s as if I¡¯d obtained a pair of large wings that¡¯d help me soar high in this world. The three [Memories] taught me various things. And even more strangely¡­..I found that I could converse with the three inside my dreams when I¡¯m sleeping. Gilbert Goray said. [Take your time, and try to make use of our memories. It¡¯ll definitely be a great help for you, boy.] Shin Oldeus said. [Among the memories, there is my established way of sword. Try to revive it. Once you do, you¡¯ll obtain the strongest power in this world. If you want a sparring partner, I will always be here to help you.]. And Leon Arcadia opened his mouth. [A few years from now, there will be a turning point. You are destined to change the world as the main driving force. A great country, not unlike the Great Arcadia Empire, will be founded¡­.by your very own hands.] ¡­.. ¡­ . It¡¯s been ten years since then. I¡¯ve been training myself according to their instructions. Not relying solely on the [Memories], I also read various books. Unbeknownst to me, I¡¯d comprehended the memories of [Alchemy King] and the [God of War]. Steadily, I¡¯ve made their [Memories] as my own knowledge. Not just reading books, I also trained my body. In order to be able to use the swordsmanship of the [Sword Saint], I would sneak out at night to train alone. I¡¯d practice the method taught by Shin before going to bed. Several times I felt my muscles tear or cramp to the point of being unable to move. But I would wake up stronger on the next day. And Shin would spar me one-on-one and thoroughly beat me into shape inside my dreams. I¡¯m still only a chick now. But one day, somehow, with the companions who follow me, I want to make the world a safe place for everyone, where they won¡¯t have to fear of being hungry. ===== Later on, there will be no one in Arcadia continent who does not know about the name of [King of Heroes] Ares Schwarzer. With the [Six Heavenly Generals] as his right hand and under the guidance of the [Seven Wisemen], and more, starting with [Iron Duke], [One-eyed Dragon] ¡­¡­ Heroes from all over the continent who had sworn their allegiance to him, he will rule over this war. That¡¯s right, in order to create his ideal world, [A world where everyone can live safely and equally]¡­¡­ CH 6 Sigurd Dragonia¡¯s Story of the Past My name is Sigurd. I serve Ares-sama as his guard. But to be honest, even without such a title, I could still pridefully consider myself as his servant. Now then, what should I talk about? Should I tell you about my first meeting with Ares-sama? ===== I was told that my parents abandoned me in the forest of evil before I had any understanding or knowledge about the world. It was the ancient dragon, Zephyr, who had kept me from becoming the food of the magic beasts and raised me afterward. Why the strongest of the draconic creatures, an ancient dragon, considered as a divine beast, was willing to help and even raised me is still a mystery for me. I did ask about it several times, but they were futile attempts. [It¡¯s just the wayward nature of a dragon] I only received such an explanation. But Zephyr is not only a father to me; he¡¯s also a brother, a mentor, and a partner. He taught me magic, the basics of the arts of combat, the language of humans and various other knowledge. He¡¯s an irreplaceable existence for me. Thanks to Zephyr¡¯s teaching, I was able to interact with nearby village¡­.and begin my own life. And I was able to continue living without much trouble. I arrived at a turning point when I was 18. It was the day when Zephyr had to leave to meet up with another dragon. A short moment after Zephyr left, the forest of evil started to become noisy. It was both the noise of humans and magic beasts alike. Apparently, the troops from the capital actually had bothered to come here, and were here for magic beast subjugation. I just happened to encounter these people, be considered as a [Monster¡¯s child], and was captured by them. Then I was taken to the capital, at first as some sort of attraction for others to see, then sold as a battle slave afterward. The basic of the arts of combat that Zephyr taught to me had greatly benefitted me during my stay in the arena, as I soon became one of the top gladiators. Three years after my capture, I became famous as the undefeated gladiator. And again, during those days, I made yet another friend. His name was Arnold. As a gladiator, his name was worth more money than mine did. He was in his late twenties. About the same height as me, bulging muscles, and a horizontal scar crossing his nose, further emphasizing his fearsome look. Although he was older than me, we got along pretty well, and we used to cook and eat together. [But you are really strong¡­.I¡¯m really surprised] Arnold told me while picking at some meat. [I¡¯ve never seen anyone beating that fire dragon salamander before.] My previous fight was against a fire dragon salamander. The more victories I earned, the harder the next fight would become. And since neither any human nor demihuman opponent could defeat me thus far, they started to pit magic beasts against me. [That fire dragon salamander, was nothing compared to an ancient dragon.] (Sigurd) [Ha! As if there is someone who could survive a meeting with an ancient dragon.] (Arnold) When I laughed at that, Arnold carefully whispered something to me. [Hey, you know what to do, right? We can¡¯t afford to fail now. If we do, we¡¯ll be bound here forever. It¡¯ll be a problem if you do something too noticeable.] I could tell from Arnold¡¯s eyes that his determination was faltering. [I know. I will not endanger your life.] I nodded as I said that. Arnold was both a magnificent gladiator and someone with good brotherly sense. He speaks kindly to others, encourages them, and his smile had influence over¡­.basically almost all gladiators on the capital. Arnold was planning something. It was to escape the royal capital. That part, I¡¯ll tell you later about it as it was [The Gladiator Insurgence] Or so they call that particular event as. [Gladiators are human beings too. Entities that want to enjoy freedom. Sold without permission, turned into attractions for the citizens of the empire¡­¡­.isn¡¯t that just strange!?] Arnold said that when he was starting to get drunk. [Hell, even those demi-humans¡­..beastmen and long-eared elves. They also have the right to feel freedom!!] There were many gladiators sharing similar thoughts with Arnold. Especially those who were beastmen themselves¡­. They were, after all, subject of prejudice and discrimination in the empire. [Yosh, we are sure to succeed. The plan must go on flawlessly. And this time we have¡­. Some powerful ally.] Arnold showed a refreshing smile as he drank more liquor. Then two days later¡­..it began. ===== The insurgency began with nearly every single gladiator on the first stadium revolting and escaping all at once. [Next is the second stadium, then the third stadium, after that we¡¯ll escape through the royal capital¡¯s south gate!! Anyone who wants to escape can follow us!!] [Oooooooooooo!] Many gladiators responded to Arnold¡¯s voice. As for me, I was merely focusing on defeating the enemy before me at my front. Using the magic that was forbidden for the gladiators and took down my opponents one after another. The soldiers patrolling the royal capital were in a panic. [Buy some time until the regular army arrives!!] [Even if you say that¡­some of them are actually using the forbidden magic¡­.] [You fool! There is only one who uses magic the¡­.guheee!!] [Uwaaaa, the captain is killed!!] After cutting down the guard captain, I shouted out loud. [Your captain has been killed. Do you all want to follow suit?] [Wwwaaaaaaaa, he¡¯s a monster! !] With that said, all other soldiers escaped like scattering spiders. Good, that¡¯s fine. That way there will be no need for me to throw away their precious lives. [We have the¡ºUndefeated Gladiator¡»Sigurd on our side! Follow him!] That was Arnold shouting while pointing at me. To be honest I didn¡¯t really like that name¡­..but the gladiators¡¯ morale rose up due to that shout. Then, at that moment. One boy appeared on the deserted road When did he get there? He was probably still in his early teens and was younger than me. His attire was that of the Imperial Academy. But as soon as I¡¯m able to see the boy clearly¡­..I felt like I was struck by lightning. (What the, this pressure¡­.my legs!) He was unprotected. Standing there with his sword full of openings. However, my instinct screamed like an alarm in my head. That¡¯s the real monster. He¡¯s someone you shouldn¡¯t fight. Seeing the unmoving me, the boy smiled nicely and suddenly attacked me! [Guhh!!] I rushed into my stance at the unspeakable speed of the swinging sword. I hurriedly blocked it. However, at the end of that speedy swing was a very heavy attack that I¡¯d never imagine coming from his kind of stature, and it wasn¡¯t only one attack, as he quickly followed up with yet another swing. [Guh! Guh!!] I was forced into a defensive posture. After our weapons met for several more exchanges, the boy softly whispered something to me after we complimented each other. [The regular soldiers are already at the South Gate¡­the heavy infantry is also coming. Proceed as is, but to the east, and escape through the East Gate.] After telling me that, the boy separated himself from me, and threw away his sword. He then slowly walked away. What was that just now¡­¡­Even so, I immediately turned around and cried at the others behind me. [Give up the south gate, and proceed to the east gate. Follow me!!] Why did I believe that guy so easily¡­.that question lingered in my mind. Will Arnold complain about my sudden decision¡­.? That¡¯s what I thought at first. [To the East! We will head to the East Gate!! Follow Sigurd!!] He¡¯s already shouting at the other gladiators. He didn¡¯t seem surprised at the boy¡¯s appearance, unlike what I had thought. Perhaps Arnold knew about that boy? When this matter is over¡­..I¡¯m going to hear the story from him¡­..thus I headed east while thinking as such. ===== We passed through the east gate and successfully escaped the capital. But I couldn¡¯t rest assured yet. There was still a possibility that the army will switch from heavy armor for city battle into cavalry for pursuit. [We¡¯ll head north now] It was Arnold who decided the direction. [There is a way to get through if we head north. Trust me.] Of course, there is the forest of evil where I was from if we head north. So I had little to no objection. The others also didn¡¯t show any objection, as they followed Arnold¡¯s words. [I¡¯m sorry, Sigurd.] That night, Arnold tapped my shoulder while we sat around a bonfire. [If you weren¡¯t with us, I don¡¯t know if we¡¯d ever make it. Thanks.] [No, isn¡¯t it because of your strategy that we ended up here?] [That¡¯s not it, indeed, there was that too¡­.but that¡¯s not the only factor.] Arnold threw in a piece of wood to stoke the bonfire. Then he continued talking. [I haven¡¯t told these guys where we are heading to¡­.but they silently followed¡­because you are here with us.] He looked at me with a grin on his face. [¡ºUndefeated Gladiator¡»¡­¡­that rumor about you has spread throughout the whole capital. Moreover, you were able to show them your valor. People naturally follow a hero. I could bring people together for sure. But, I wouldn¡¯t be able to accomplish such a big thing on my own.¡¹ [No, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ve done something like that¡­.] [Even if you do not think so¡­¡­the fact, is right in front of your eyes now. Everyone here including me followed you. So¡­..] Arnold¡¯s face turned serious, then he continued [You are our leader. And, we are willing to move according to your will.] He turned to stare at the bonfire after he finished saying so. On the other hand when I tried to open my mouth [¡­!!] A strong pressure hit me. ===== [Hi there, I finally found you] That pressure came from the boy who appeared from the darkness of the night. Yes, he was the boy I crossed swords with earlier today. [You are¡­..!] I quickly drew my sword and entered a battle stance. But a voice came from an unexpected direction [Wait, hold on! Sigurd!!] Saying that, Arnold who was just next to me held my arm back. [This person is not an enemy! Not an enemy!!] [¡­¡­would you tell me who he is then, Arnold?] The thought of Arnold betraying me never crossed my mind. Although, there was indeed strange things with how the plan worked. I stared at Arnold as I put my sword back on my waist. [You might end up dying if you are careless.] I already knew after exchanging swords with him once. There is a huge difference in ability between myself and that boy. But¡­I couldn¡¯t simply keep silent and obey in this situation. If there is something weird¡­.I¡¯ll resist with full power. That¡¯s what I learned during my stay in the capital. Seeing my resolved look, the boy sighed before starting to explain. [Arnold, it¡¯s fine. You can tell this person everything. I also have something important to say to him.] [Bu, but¡­¡­] [I didn¡¯t expect him to react excessively¡­..so it¡¯s my fault. I should¡¯ve contacted you in a different situation¡­.but it can¡¯t be helped.] At the boy¡¯s words, Arnold nodded as he turned toward me. ===== Then Arnold started to explain. The story behind this insurgency. [It began, with a chance meeting between me and this Ares-sama.] That boy¡­.Ares Schwarzer was accompanying the Archduke to see the battle between the alumnus of Imperial Academy at the stadium, that¡¯s when he accidentally met Arnold. [He helped me when I was trying to cover for the other slaves from a beating.] There are various people within the ranks of battle slaves. Some of them are weak people waiting to be killed off. Arnold often protected them. At that time, the upper class tends to use violence without any mercy. [I thought that it¡¯s a chance. It¡¯s rare to see an aristocrat who actually cares. So I told him about the gladiators¡¯ predicament on the stadium. And¡­.he came up with this plan¡­..] All the plans seemed to be proposed by this boy Ares. It was just the words of a young boy¡­..yet it was so convincing. And in fact, the insurgency was a success. We managed to shake off the army¡¯s pursuit, and we were still standing here. [And by heading north¡­¡­] [Yes, everyone has accepted to live at my Schwarzer Territory.] ¡ºSchwarzer Territory¡» The story about the land on the north where the Archduke of Schwarzer reigns was also often told about at the capital. It was a story about a place where everyone could live free of discrimination and prejudice¡­.I never thought that such a place truly existed at a time like this. [I see, that indeed sounds convincing. However, I¡¯ll be taking my leave along the way then. Where I¡¯m heading for is not the Schwarzer Territory.] [Is it to the¡ºForest of Evil¡»at the north?] [!? How did you know!!?] That Ares boy didn¡¯t seem to be surprised and showed me an even more amazing thing. [Thi, this is¡­¡­.could it be¡­¡­] [I knew that you¡¯d recognize it. This is¡­¡­] The boy continued to talk with a refreshed smile on his face. [The scale of an Ancient Dragon.] ===== [¡­..How, did you get it?] Yes, it was really surprising for me since that scale belonged to my father, sibling, mentor, and partner Zephyr. And this It was infused with magical power. And then. To see that it¡¯s infused with magical power, and the holder is free of punishment. I thought that it was an impossible thing. [The forest of evil has been incorporated into Schwarzer Territory] [What do you mean?] [That means, that the forest of evil is now part of Schwarzer Territory as well. Well, it was thanks to Viscount Trustar¡¯s deeds. Now the forest has been merged with our territory which is right next to it.] He then told me that the Viscount Trustar who previously managed the forest of evil was allegedly involved in a massive rebellion that caused unfortunate things to the people. Apparently he wasn¡¯t satisfied with having to manage the forest of evil, and chose to rebel. His family was completely vanquished thanks to that. [So, in exchange for [suppressing the rebellion] and to [help develop the forest of evil], it was decided to merge the forest of evil with our territory.] The boy giggled and then laughed. [It was easy to suppress the rebellion. The other side actually surrendered immediately. The problem is the forest itself. When I went to explore it¡­¡­who would¡¯ve thought that an ancient dragon actually appeared. I was really surprised by that.] [You! You¡¯ve met Zephyr!?] [Ah yes I have. We fought once¡­..so I guess that can count as having understood with each other, right??] The boy¡¯s face then turned serious. [He allowed my family to develop the forest under one condition¡­..that is his son, and also his disciple¡­.it means that I have to find you first. He already knew that you are in the capital by the trace of your magic power. But Zephyr himself can¡¯t afford to go to the capital. If an ancient dragon appeared on the capital, a fight with the army will be inevitable. If that were to happen, each side will only end up regretting it¡­.. That¡¯s why, he can only ask me. And, with that said¡­..] The boy extended his hand as he talked. [Will you come with me to the Schwarzer Territory?] ===== After that, in order to blindside the pursuers, we headed north by taking separate paths, and I managed to arrive there. The revolt of thousands of gladiators had seemingly caused big chaos at the capital. A lot of people were punished, many aristocrats and individuals connected to it were persecuted. Naturally, that also included the merchants who were involved in slavery. However, it¡¯s strange that the main culprits, Ares Schwarzer and Arnold¡­.were never mentioned. With this revolt, the stadiums at the capital became unused, but that¡¯s not something I need to worry about. The most important thing to me right now¡­.. was that I could return to my hometown. and¡­ [I still have a lot of things that I want to do in the future. In order to do that, would you be willing to lend your power to me?] The boy asked me such. [What you are going to do, I do not know. However, you have helped me. And I do need to repay you. Let this life of mine be your wings and sword in your endeavors. I¡¯ll dedicate my sword to you.] ¡­..that was the moment when I finally met the lord whom I felt that I could dedicate my sword to. ===== Among the subordinates of the King of Heroes Ares Schwarzer, there were six generals who came to be his right hand. They were called the [Six Heavenly Generals] and acted as his [Sword] in his many battles. One of them was [Heavenly Dragon General] Sigurd Dragonia The Hero who had continued to serve him from the earliest years, and was one of the most trusted Generals for the King of Heroes. Sigurd organized a dragon knight brigade, the [Arestia Dragon Knight Brigade] which was known as the strongest active military force of their time. It¡¯s said that their overwhelming power was a valuable game-changer in many situations. The King of Heroes had prepared a lot of gifts for his meritorious deeds, but he only sought for one thing. That [Until the day I die, I want to remain as a Knight of the King of Heroes] was what he said. CH 7 Edgar Schwarzer [¡­..and those are the details regarding the bandit and magic beast subjugation mission.] [Hmm, I see] Sitting calmly on the chair was the Schwarzer Archduke, Edgar, who listened to the report and quietly nodded with closed eyes. [Subjugating numerous magic beasts, hundreds of bandits, and including two Land Dragons¡­.while only taking minimum damage of a few injured soldiers¡­¡­as expected of Young Master. Truly skillful] The one who talked just now was the old man who was standing next to lord Edgar and had been serving under the Schwarzers for years, Rouen. He was originally one of the generals who defended the northern fort from the Wolfgard Empire. He¡¯s another elder who, alongside Alberto, are known as the [Schwarzer¡¯s Twins] and as the [Northern General]; someone the Schwarzer family can boast about. Ares had considered Rouen his immediate family as the old man had taken the role of teaching him of various things during his early years. He was visiting Romaria when Ares is about to make a report by chance, so he also attended the reporting session. [Normally, when a land dragon makes appearance¡­.we would¡¯ve sacrificed hundreds of soldiers to defeat it. Beating two with the power of only one person each¡­.I¡¯ve never heard of something like that before.] Nodding at Rouen¡¯s comment, Edgar asked one question. [However, why did the magic beasts, who have remained silent all this time¡­ not to mention the land dragons, who supposedly won¡¯t attack people, suddenly attack?] [That¡¯s¡­..] Ares showed to them a dirty gray piece of item as he said that. [This is?] [It was an artifact of Galgain, once feared for its violence.] [Ha?!] Edgar and Rouen took a deep breath. Galgain. The name of the legendary demon who created a country of demons in the far north. He was famous even among demons. It¡¯s said that he was reborn as a powerful existence after being swallowed by the power of darkness. He wielded his dark power and led the other crazy demons to war against the people of the races. The story of the carnage he did was all too famous. But then, it was said that he was defeated a by lone hero. [You can still feel the traces of the demon king¡¯s power from within this shard. The magic beasts in the forest of evil were Zephyr¡¯s subordinates and attacking Sigurd would be considered a breach of his order, but they still won¡¯t listen. And the Land Dragons don¡¯t even like fighting in the first place. Moreover, they simply don¡¯t dare to approach the lair of a top-class being like an Ancient Dragon. But instead, they crazily charged in¡­..I had to advance with the plan so I had no other choice but to kill them.] Ares kept talking with signs of bitterness in his voice. [They¡¯ve turned crazy and started to see themselves as someone stronger. This is¡­. one of the same symptoms that had been observed from the demons that were controlled by Galgain¡­] [¡­.does the Hero¡¯s memory say so?] [¡­.yes, Galgain was Shin Oldeus¡¯ nemesis¡­.his irreplaceable friend that had fallen victim to the demon king¡¯s magic. There is no mistaking it.] The story of Shin Oldeus the hero has been told by bards and in theatres all over the continent. However, the story about his friend who defected to the demon king¡¯s side was omitted. Edgar gave his son a gaze as he never knew that there was such a story before and sighed. ===== It¡¯s been 10 years since the time when my son was struck with that mysterious disease. At that time, I could only hate myself for my powerlessness as I could only watch my son suffer. No famous doctor and healer knew of the cause, making me spend my days in worries. When the pain finally subsided and my son became healthy again, not only me, but also all the people on the whole territory were rejoicing. But at the same time, I was troubled. By that¡­. I heard from my son that he bore the memories of 3 persons. At first, I didn¡¯t know how to handle it. I laughed it out as a mere dream he had due to the fever and that it will vanish soon after but upon seeing the changes in my son, I decided to change my mind. His calm temper didn¡¯t change, but the way he acted was no longer that of a child. Most people got scared of this change and chose to stay away from him. But that was nothing. The changes in my son actually appeals to me since that¡¯s exactly what I wanted him to be. [I want to read books. I want to know all of the contemporary knowledge.] [I want to swing a sword. I want my physical strength to be in balance with my knowledge.] When I saw such a situation, I was forced to re-evaluate my thoughts. Even if he bore the memories of others, he¡¯s still my son. If he got the memories of a Hero, then it only means that the Gods had their own designs for him. So I just let my son do what he wants. My son read and learned from many books and absorbed the knowledge like a cotton absorbing water. I let him to study abroad so that he can obtain the knowledge to the highest degree. As for swordsmanship, he already had what I could say a godly skill. However, I still felt that his experience in real battle was still lacking so I asked Rouen as one of the best warrior in our family to refine that part. With his increasingly vast knowledge, his refined fighting prowess and his original gentle temperament kept intact, people naturally gathered around him again. Looking at this situation, made me think¡­. What I can do now is to wait carefully until this son of mine gathered enough power before I let him off to face the world. I have a feeling that he is the child of destiny that will bring changes to this vicious world¡­. ===== Edgar took a deep breath, and asked his son once more. [Are there more other like this¡­?] [I don¡¯t know. Why did an artifact of Galgain even appeared in the forest of evil in the first place I can only think that someone had done this intentionally. And this requires a thorough investigation.] [Understood. This matter can¡¯t be overlooked. I will try to investigate this.] [Thank you very much.] To his son who was bowing his head, he had to tell him what he has to say. [You must be tired. Go get some rest. By the way¡­..Sharon came barging in here yesterday, angry because you broke your promise.] [HA!? The-then what did Esteemed Father say¡­.] Looking at his son¡¯s look, a mischief sprouted in his mind. [What did I say back then again¡­..anyways, won¡¯t it be better if you go apologize now?] [Haa¡­. I completely forgot¡­.that I promised Sharon to be her swordsmanship instructor¡­does Father know where she is right now?] Whilst looking back and forth between his son and Rouen, Edgar gave a subtle reply while laughing heartily. [She¡¯s next door.] [WAA! Why didn¡¯t Father say so earlier! Please excuse me!] Edgar laughed and said silently as he watched his son leave in a hurry. [The memories of the Hero are also useful at times like this. Troublesome you are, my son.] ===== Edgar Schwarzer was known as the father of the King of Heroes Ares, who, although not affiliated to the throne, was widely mentioned as [Grand King] inn history books. He was the first to notice his son Ares¡¯ talent, supported him from behind and kept him safe during his early years. The first and foremost, who understood Ares the best. Despite mostly hidden under the grandeur of his son, he was a very capable monarch and was loved by his subjects. ¡­.however, he loved to tease his son, which was probably the only thing that frustrated Ares regarding his father. Not many people know about this little fact. CH 8 Elder Rouen¡¯s Story of the Past I am Rouen Beluga. Once a knight of the Clifford family before I went to serve the Schwarzer family. I¡¯ve served for decades since the predecessor Roberto-sama. Now pledging my life under the current lord Edgar-sama, I was entrusted with protecting the land in the North. The northern part of the Schwarzer territory directly clashes with the Wolfgard Empire. Thus, it was also an important stronghold for the Holy Arcadia Empire. Feeling worthy of being given such a great responsibility, I spend most of my days there. ===== It was¡­ about 10 years ago during a stormy evening. At that time, the Wolfgard decided to launch a huge offensive. The north has always been in tensions. Fortunately, I was able to repel them owing to the success of our own army and reinforcements from the capital, but should they come again¡­.I doubted that we could repeat this victory. And then I¡­.even though still working as the guardian of the North, was recalled back to Romaria all of a sudden. Such a sudden order¡­..has something happened in Romaria? Or is it because the Imperial capital issued a seemingly impossible task for the lord¡­¡­either way there was no other for me to find out other than to return. Hurriedly, I rushed back to Romaria and headed to Edgar-sama¡¯s mansion. Entering the mansion, there were Edgar-sama and his wife and the already gray haired, old knight with well-trained body and well-kept beard. Alberto, a childhood friend of mine who works as the guardian of the Romaria, was also seen there. [Ho, Alberto, you are also being summoned. What is this all about?] I was uncomfortable with such a heavy atmosphere. So I tried to lighten the mood. However. Alberto, who would usually respond with an equally cheerful tone, merely stared at me while keeping a serious face this time. From that, I realized that this was something really urgent. He didn¡¯t even have the will to think about anything else. And true to my thoughts, what Edgar-sama told us afterward¡­..was an important thing concerning the survival of the Schwarzer house. On that day, Alberto and I received new orders. The order that was entrusted to Alberto¡­.no, from what I understand, I shouldn¡¯t talk about it. Cause even a slight mistake could make his head fly off from his body. And the order I received¡­..was to become a confidant to Ares-sama who was still an adolescent at that time. I was told by Edgar-sama that Ares-sama possessed the memories of three different spirits. Therefore Milord told me to provide Ares-sama as much practical experience as possible, as this was also what the young lord wanted. Ares-sama was 8 years old at that time. I was told that he¡¯ll go to the Imperial Academy at the age of 12. I didn¡¯t know the details about the memory of the spirits yet, but the young lord should be nothing but a little chick at this time. I questioned Edgar-sama¡¯s decision on why would Milord want his son to see real battle. I couldn¡¯t understand no matter how I think about it. An 8 year old seeing a real battle¡­isn¡¯t that too cruel? Edgar-sama is a thoughtful lord. But I couldn¡¯t help but to doubt¡­.his judgment this time. However, Milord¡¯s order is absolute. Therefore, during the four years until young lord would leave for Imperial Academy, I thought of giving him various kind of experiences as much as I could. And yet, at that time, I only thought to give the young lord [experiences fitting for a normal child]. But the first time I met the young lord was when he was doing a sword training¡­..and I knew how wrong I was when I became his training partner. (Wha-what the¡­..? This pressure¡­.is this really coming from a mere 8 year old¡­.??) I¡¯ve been a knight for decades. At one point, I¡¯ve led thousands of soldiers and I have been through a lot of obstacles. I¡¯ve fought with many fierce opponents. But, those can¡¯t even compare. (My, my body won¡¯t move¡­!) In the end, I was the one being played with. No, Ares-sama was an intelligent person. He trained at a place that people rarely visits so when I lost, I was spared from the shame of being witnessed by others. Such a thing didn¡¯t even cross my mind. It was my complete defeat. Well then, I decided change my approach. No, I had no choice but to change my approach. Rather than treating the young lord as an 8 year old child, as much as possible, I should treat him as one of the knights and give more emphasis on letting him experience actual warfare. Even the soldiers¡­..convinced by the young lord¡¯s attitude, surprisingly started to obey him. A charisma that naturally attracted people to him¡­..it¡¯s like I was witnessing the rising of a ruler. Ares-sama was really outstanding¡­no, I could go as far as saying that he¡¯s already fitting to become our future lord. Overwhelming vigilance, accurate instruction, and intelligence that could make any enemy looks like a joke¡­. In order to do that, after actual warfare, the young lord will always go as far as asking others for opinion and advice. He said that there is no definite way to [Truly understand what others really feel] so doing so would be a great way to learn¡­..of course, there were times when I also wanted to know. Yes, I didn¡¯t only show him the experience unique to this land only. I let Ares-sama experience what it¡¯s like to be a soldier by letting him live among the soldiers and not just war strategy and political affairs. When a heavy snow peculiar to the northern area fell, we shoveled the snow together with the soldiers and local residents. We learned a lot. To let him understand the life of a commoner, I made him stay at one of the knights¡¯ or soldiers¡¯ home. I personally felt that it was exciting everyday. Ares-sama also seemed to enjoy it. Even though he¡¯s born an aristocrat, he actually enjoyed the hard black bread that the commoners eat. Now then, from what you hear so far, you¡¯d thought that Ares-sama is a brilliant person¡­.but he¡¯s still a human. And is still but a boy nonetheless. On our free time, we would go catching some insects together or taking a walk around the town¡­.that¡¯s right, Ares-sama loves the snacks sold by the street food stall. We used to eat some together. He often visited my house. And he seems to like my wife¡¯s stew as he always ate it merrily. He also sometimes helped with taking care of my grandchildren. Also, this can¡¯t be said loudly. But when we went camping, Ares-sama asked me to sleep alongside him since he couldn¡¯t sleep. Our young lord surprisingly has a cute side. ¡­ Ares-sama is no different from my own grandchildren. Beyond my duty¡­¡­I want to keep watching over him as [Family]. ===== Guardian of the North, the Schwarzer clan. When talking about the generals they can boast about, then the names of Rouen and Alberto would come to mind. Rouen was famous as a great swordsman while Alberto was a master of twin daggers. Both are warriors worth a thousand soldiers, bearing great talent as commanders and have a great deal of achievements under their belt. The two were known as [Schwarzer¡¯s Twin Generals] and were feared by many including the Wolfgard Empire at the North. But only few knew about their day to day appearance¡­..and that they prefer to live on the countryside far from luxury. CH 9 Northern Fortress¡¯s Soldier Marco¡¯s Story of the Past It was¡­.how many years has it been? It was when I was still an apprentice soldier. During the usual morning gathering from the Fortress¡¯ head chief Rouen-sama, I heard that there would be an introduction of a new squad leader. Although Rouen-sama said so, everyone was nervous, fearing that it¡¯s someone horrible from the royal capital. Regarding Rouen-sama, he is an excellent general who had steadfastly defended the country from Wolfgard Empire for decades, even someone from another country would know his name. Previously, I heard that he¡¯s been invited to become a minister on the Royal Capital by His Majesty himself no less. But it¡¯s said that he turned down the offer because he¡¯s still duty-bound to the Archduke¡­..Well in short, he¡¯s an awesome person and everyone adores him. However, because the one being introduced was actually a ten-year-old child¡­..everyone was really amazed instead of surprised. Well, I can only laugh when thinking back about it. Anyways that child is apparently the young lord of the Schwarzer clan. But when he was first introduced, that important fact was hidden from us. [Squad Captain Alan] By the way¡­ I felt bad for him at first. Who the hell is that kid anyways? If not for Rouen-sama taking care of him, I would¡¯ve. That¡¯s pretty much what the less savory soldiers said. However¡­¡­no matter how much irresponsible that was, the soldiers of Schwarzer are not so incompetent that we became disturbed by such a thing. The order is absolute. However¡­..I wonder what I will end up like from following that kid¡¯s order¡­.that¡¯s the kind of despair I had back then. That was how¡­..Squad Captain Alan¡­.no, Ares-sama took charge of our squad. ===== Now then, after the rather abrupt introduction, Ares-sama¡­.no, let¡¯s use Squad Captain Alan since that¡¯s how we know him as back then¡­.captain Alan said that he wanted to see our sword training routine. That¡¯s not something a child normally likes to watch; at first I thought like that. But as I said before, orders are absolute¡­..we¡¯re quite used with training inspections for quite a while now anyways. But what¡¯s more, captain Alan also wanted to participate in it¡­.which kinda surprised me. Pardon me if he really wanted it. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s trying to make a fool out of all of us. That¡¯s why, on that occasion, I shouldn¡¯t be the only one thinking about going home as soon as possible. That boy was really a brat. But there are people out there that is beyond any expectation¡­.although it¡¯s rude for me to say that, I actually witnessed one right there. To begin with¡­we were just new recruits. I would be happy to take up the offer if it was coming from a veteran soldier, let me tell you this. As for me, I hate bullying the weak¡­..but I guess I don¡¯t have much of a choice. Anyways, we sparred¡­..and it was me who ended up falling on the ground in a matter of seconds. I had no idea what had happened. However, I was astonished when he apologized and helped me got back up, just like a veteran soldier would do. After that we continued our training session¡­but what can I say, we couldn¡¯t even beat him even we came at him en masse. All of our swords were evaded, parried¡­.and ended up only cutting air. Not even veteran soldiers could do that¡­..it¡¯s not us who were weak, the other party was just a monster. At the end of the day, the one who got bullied¡­..was us. After that¡­our attitude to him changed completely. If he can show that kind of power¡­..then, we have nothing to say¡­¡­it¡¯s pathetic for us, but the army has always been about power. Right, someone please tell me. That boy looks to be a young normal boy but the contents inside are worth many odd years, doesn¡¯t he? Just like the elves whose appearance doesn¡¯t change even after hundreds of years, I guess it¡¯s interesting to have someone like that in our squad. I couldn¡¯t come up with a better conclusion at that time. Well, we ended up working under captain Alan for a few years. In addition to regularly improving our abilities, we were sortied to maintain security then eventually, punitive assaults¡­.Captain Alan¡¯s orders were always precise. How to react when in a dangerous situation, when to attack at the most decisive moment¡­.no, it felt very easy in retrospect. Under captain Alan leadership¡¯s, the squad rarely, if ever, suffered any damage. On that regard, I really appreciated his presence. Before we knew it¡­..we¡¯ve become entirely compliant to captain¡¯s order. Now then, about captain Alan¡­.there are two memorable events etched in my head. The first was when the northern fortress was attacked by a large number of bandits. At that time, we only had 100 soldiers on our side. Meanwhile there were 500 bandits attacking. Their number was five times ours. To be honest, we were prepared to kill as many bandits as we can before dying. We have our pride as Schwarzer¡¯s soldiers after all. However¡­..captain Alan was different. When he saw the enemy, he laughed, and said this. [We will rout the bandits now.] He said. At first, I thought he said that because he went crazy out of fear. He¡¯s still just a brat after all. However, he devised a strategy and started giving us instructions. It was like this. [They¡¯re just bandits. Mere scavengers. They are no match for the trained Schwarzer¡¯s soldiers] He said. He then started issuing instructions. And how precise those instructions were. [Our opponent is not familiar with the geography here. If you hide in the bushes and lay in ambush for them, we can cut down their number considerably.] [They might think that we¡¯ll attack head on. So let¡¯s do the opposite and have the cavalry attack from their rear.] [Their cohesion is actually fragile and can easily collapse. We¡¯ll be able to rout them immediately.] Now, we basically considered captain Alan a god. Everyone calmed down upon hearing him speaking like that. Against such odds, I thought that I was going to die for sure. But now survival has become a certainty. And indeed, we managed to rout the bandits while only suffering minor injuries. I once thought, this guy is like the heroes written in history¡­..no, he can be something more than a hero. Everyone was already intoxicated by captain Alan. It¡¯s a mysterious sight. From veterans to youngsters¡­.us, the adults, actually honoring a ten year old kid. But for us¡­¡­he¡¯s a captain we can put our respect into¡­..and someone we can look up to as a hero. And the second memory was¡­¡­..his expressions. Captain who was like a god of war during battle¡­..acted like a normal kid during his leisure time. Eating snack at a street stall, swimming in the river, goes fishing¡­.. One day, it¡¯s been decided that he would be staying at my house. It¡¯s something new, but beyond that, it¡¯s an order for captain Alan to stay at my house. When I got home, captain actually talked with my mom as if they are a close friend. That surprised me. Other than that, he seemed to enjoy eating at home. We arranged our beds together in the evening. At night we talked about the girl I took a liking to, how we will spend our holiday¡­..just talking¡­..he really is still a kid after all. On my part, I enjoyed the sense of having a younger brother during those days¡­ it was kinda inappropriate when I think about it again now. ===== Later on I was told that captain Alan was actually the Archduke¡¯s son. I was amazed at that time. But, strangely¡­..I felt relieved. Yeah, that means there will be more in this world for the captain to achieve. That¡¯s what I, personally thought. But, I guess everyone was thinking the same thing, that is If one day that person will become the king of this continent¡­..that will probably be the happiest day in this world. And that¡¯s why. The Schwarzer¡¯s soldiers will be willing to put down our life just for him. Although, Ares-sama would not let us to. Even now after I¡¯ve become team leader of 10 member squad¡­..I still think the same. CH 10 Near the Northern Fortress, the town of Leonard. There were indeed a lot of small skirmishes that happened between the Holy Arcadia Empire and the Wolfgard Empire. But despite that, it can be said that it¡¯s just trivial compared to what happened on other places. Why, you asked? The answer is due to the existence of Schwarzer territory¡¯s Northern Fortress Leonard that directly faces the Wolfgard Empire. It¡¯s said that the generations of the Schwarzer Archduke have always maintained the status of being the bravest among the Four Great Clans. Then, with their best soldiers guarding the northern fortress, it¡¯ll be like playing with fire if someone were to stir up some trouble there. Especially on the recent years, with the rising of the [Schwarzer Twin Generals], specifically after Rouen Beluga took command of the fortress. And now, after many long calm days, the village on the vicinity of the Northern Fortress that was originally built for the soldiers to stay, had gradually grown into a town. ===== ©`©`Leonard Town square, the story of the popular tavern¡¸White Cat¡¹©`©` Yes, welcome to our tavern. Eh? Ares-sama? Ah, it¡¯s the [Captain Milk]. E? What do I mean by [Captain Milk]? Well it¡¯s young master¡¯ nickname in this tavern. He went to a tavern but will only order for milk. It was a source of laughter among the tavern¡¯s customers. It¡¯s just a joke of course. Young master himself also considered it as such and usually also laughed along¡­..Aa, don¡¯t get angry please? Don¡¯t worry, since I already know young master¡¯s real identity. I¡¯m not a fool¡­. He¡¯s really loved by everyone after all. He actually came to visit last year despite his business. A celebration was in order and tables and chairs were set even outside of the tavern. Both soldiers and townsfolk alike joined in the party regardless of age and gender. This kind of thing don¡¯t usually happen. Only when young master is in town. No, really. ===== Yes, here it is. Boiled mollusk innards. Eh, you ask if mollusk can really be eaten?? Don¡¯t be silly. Don¡¯t you know that this is the tavern¡¯s specialty? By the way, it¡¯s also captain milk¡­..no, let¡¯s just use his actual name already. It¡¯s a delicacy that Ares-sama taught me. How to make it? Don¡¯t tell this to other taverns, okay? ¡­¡­to make this, I need to extract all the blood from the mollusk first. Chicken is also okay, but mollusk is still better. The depth of taste is completely different. Ares-sama blew my heart away with this mollusk dish recipe of his. So, I cook everything except for the heart and liver. Eh? The heart and liver? Oh, I use it for another dish. I¡¯ll save that for later. Next, clean up the intestines and stomach and cut away the innards to be cooked just like that. I had this habit of carefully processing the ingredients after doing it so many times. Cook it for quite a long while. The innards will become soft and have a rubber-like texture. Isn¡¯t it strange? Lastly we put in some seasoning. Now, please have a sample. Isn¡¯t it delicious? And here is the liver. It has to be eaten raw. Try to eat it after dipping it in the sauce. Delicious, isn¡¯t it? Even so, it¡¯s a valuable delicacy, you know? I can¡¯t make it unless it¡¯s fresh ingredients. It¡¯s no good if you store the main ingredients even for a day. So, still thinking about cooking it by yourself? You can eat the heart after it¡¯s baked. Or do you prefer it served cold? That is the popular menu of this tavern. Well, it¡¯s all taught to me by that certain person though. ¡­¡­I have said this before, but please don¡¯t tell this to other taverns, okay? ===== ©`©`the story of a shopkeeper in Leonard town©`©` A story about Ares-sama? Why do you want to hear about it? ¡­¡­ Ha? You want to write an article about Ares-sama for the newspaper? Ah, I guess Ares-sama¡¯s name has started to spread in the capital¡­.. Well then, I guess it¡¯s fine. Try to eat this slowly, alright¡­¡­eh? What is this? It¡¯s potato [fried with oil]. Eh? You don¡¯t know what [frying oil] is? Hee, is there no [frying oil] in the royal capital? So much for a citizen of the imperial capital¡­¡­Oh, you only moved there recently? Well just enjoy it for the time being. ¡­..it¡¯s delicious, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s also Ares-sama¡¯s favorite if you ask me. There are plants called cold-resistant beets growing around the area. You can extract oil from its fruits. That¡¯s why, we call this thing [Flower Oil]. I heard that the imperial capital uses oil extracted from animals. That¡¯s why it¡¯s considered as a valuable commodity. But here we use the flower oil which is not as expensive. We can use the oil as we please since it¡¯s abundant in this area. Ares-sama often visits here and buys this [fried potato] for his journey back home. It become his habit. Is there any other menu? Fish fillet and meat¡­..all fried with [frying oil]. Well about the fish fillet and meat¡­..if you ask me¡­.it was Ares-sama who gave me the idea. Young master seems to be really interested in food¡­..and he¡¯s eager to eat something he hasn¡¯t eaten before. Good grief¡­..he¡¯s such an interesting fellow.. Since I¡¯m pretty keen on making it myself, do you think the people on the imperial capital would want to import some [frying oil]? ===== The story of a popular tavern on the southern part of Leonard town Ah, calling it day already? Eh? Ya want to hear about Ares-sama? Why do ya want to hear about young master anyways? But before that, let¡¯s drink this ale first! Ohh! That was a nice drink. Delicious. Eh? Are ya saying it¡¯s tad bit too cold? Why of course. It¡¯s the town at the north after all. Ee? Isn¡¯t this cup made of glass? Well, yes it is. It¡¯s made this way to improve ale tasting. Indeed people use wooden cups to drink ale in the Imperial capital. That¡¯s actually no good. Ya won¡¯t be able to judge the purity of an ale using a wooden cup. Ale is indeed best served cold. And in a glass, of course. It¡¯s enjoyable to drink during summer time, y¡¯know? Like, all yer fatigue will be drowned away after ya drink this. Well, it¡¯s all Ares-sama¡¯s idea actually. And not only in Leonard¡­¡­all of Schwarzer territory should also have this kind of drink too. Eh? How do I make this? You guys must be newcomers in Schwarzer territory, aren¡¯t ya? It¡¯s quite well known, y¡¯know? See that box over there? It has a magic stone that can cool things. Ya use that box to cool the ale and pour it on a glass. Eh? Ya think this glass is neat too? This isn¡¯t any glass, y¡¯know? It¡¯s a glass only for ale. It¡¯s called a mug. Well, by the way, want another swig? This is a limited menu for summer. Cause it¡¯s really hot here at the north during summer. Without this¡­.it¡¯s crazy hard to work, y¡¯know? It was Ares-sama who thought about creating this box. That young¡¯un is truly an exceptional fellow. ===== The King of Heroes Ares was a person with various interests and is said to be often absorbed in his personal research. Among all the things he¡¯s interested in, he¡¯s known to put more emphasis on [food]. The food culture shows the civilization level of the particular place That¡¯s what he said. It¡¯s said that he researched various recipes and ingredients, enriching the food culture with excellent delicacies. CH 11 Chapter 11 ¨C Sharon Roxietta Esteemed father and old man are terrible. If I knew about it sooner, I would¡¯ve gone to meet Sharon much earlier. Sharon is my childhood friend. She¡¯s of the same age as me. The only daughter of Earl of Roxietta. Rumors say that she¡¯ll be engaged to me once we are adults, but it¡¯s just a rumor. It doesn¡¯t really matter. Because unfortunately, I¡¯m not really sure about how I feel toward Sharon. I¡­just¡­.don¡¯t want her¡­.to hate me. Eh? Is there something about Sharon that I don¡¯t like? I don¡¯t think so. Because we are childhood friends who grew up together. She¡¯s one of the most important people in my life. But¡­..Sharon seems to prefer courageous man. But that doesn¡¯t mean that she likes rowdy people. It goes without saying since I¡¯m the heir of Schwarzer clan, who are blessed with courage from the start, but I heard that she¡¯s also interested in people who was rumoured to have shown courageous deeds like that person called Kaizer who is said to be the most courageous person in the Empire¡­. Well, to be honest, she¡¯s like a sister to me. I didn¡¯t dare to ask for more since it will only cause bad rumors to spread. And in fact, Sharon is pretty strong too. She¡¯s been swinging a sword since she was young and is a straightforward person to boot. That¡¯s why I think that she looked down on me who didn¡¯t really like to fight when I was younger, and whatever things that I tried to do. And I think that she still is. Even now, I only trained how to use a sword with either Sigurd or the old man and I never showed my capability to the people of Romaria even once. And there are not a lot of people in the northern fortress who know that I could wield a sword well¡­..I never really gave it any thought until recently. Nowadays, she doesn¡¯t seem to push me to wield a sword as hard as it used to be in the past¡­.but she might still send me flying if I don¡¯t show my face. In short¡­..she¡¯s both a person I cared for the most and also someone I feared the most. Ah, the complexity of a youth¡¯s heart. ===== I went to the room next door and gently opened the door¡­..ah, there she is. My childhood friend. With translucent skin and flowing blond hair, she¡¯s a beautiful girl with an impressive pair of blue eyes. She¡¯s dressing herself up as a knight in blue armor, but those bulges on her chest can no longer be hidden away. I heard that she¡¯s been receiving a lot of marriage proposals recently. No wonder about that. Although it¡¯s not something I enjoy hearing to be honest. I just hope that she¡¯ll act a little softer after all that¡­.. [Hi Sharon. Nice to have you here¡­] Looking at that terrible face¡­.ah, is she angry after all? [I want you to tell me what¡¯s the meaning of this¡­] Sharon quietly spoke. Ah, she is seriously angry, isn¡¯t she? [You promised to train swordsmanship with me today, didn¡¯t you?] [Aa©`©`©`, sorry!!] I lowered my head while saying so. Yep, a really deep one at that. [It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect that magic beasts would appear along the way. If we didn¡¯t subjugate them until later on, they will only bring trouble to other people in the future¡­.] [I don¡¯t care about such a thing!!] Sharon interrupted my excuse with a loud voice¡­..what a domineering girl¡­. [I understand what you¡¯re trying to do. You¡¯ll help when you see people in need. But can you worry about yourself a little more?! Not taking any day off, going to battle, moreover, I heard that there were dragons in that battle!] [Well, it¡¯s because I¡¯m already used with drastic changes in situations like that so¡­.] [That¡¯s not the problem!] Her gaze seemed like she¡¯s about to kick someone. Eh? Then why are you so angry at me? [~~~~!, Enough about that. Now then, how will you atone for this mistake?] [Eh? Atone?] [Isn¡¯t it only natural? You broke your promise] And then Sharon surprisingly started to speak with a smile on her face. [Because you broke your promise, you have to make up for it. Like perhaps, convince me to forgive you!] Saying that, while blushing a little, Sharon pointed her finger at me. [Take responsibility if you are a man! There, what is your answer?] [Ro, roger!] [Good.] Saying that, Sharon smiled nicely as she touched the door handle. And¡­ [Alright? You must absolutely do it within this month!] She left the room after saying so. Meanwhile, I was left there, still dumbstruck¡­. CH 12 It¡¯s been a long time ago since I was first introduced to Ares. I¡¯ve been a friend with him since then. The Earl Of Roxietta was the archduke Schwarzer¡¯s vassal, and was in a position to receive protection. There is this [Liege-Vassal] system among the nobles of Holy Arcadia Empire. All aristocrats swear their allegiance to the Emperor, but smaller aristocrats would also swear their loyalty to a clan with a stronger influence. The stronger clan who protect the smaller clans would be called the liege, while the clans receiving the protection would be called vassals. For the smaller clans, choosing the right clan to swear fealty is a matter of life and death. In exchange of being protected, the order from the stronger clan will be absolute for them. Also, having a lot of vassals is important in creating a faction. For example, the archduke Schwarzer and archduke Saxon who are both militaristic in nature. They both belong to the aristocratic clans with a huge influence over Holy Arcadia Empire soldiers. As the vassal of Schwarzer clan, the Roxietta clan, which is a clan with long tradition of warriors, is assigned to guard the north. And I was born as the sole daughter to the Earl of such clan. Our Liege, Edgar-sama, is someone who is easy to speak with, and has a very good relationship with my father Loyd since childhood. Therefore, as a result of me also becoming Ares¡¯ friend, we often visit Romaria Castle. Ares has a weak constitution and a crybaby when he was young. The adults won¡¯t let him out to play unless he¡¯s with me. However, I remember that he¡¯s loved by everyone because he acts gentle and polite without discriminating anyone. Roxietta clan members have always been warriors for generations. For that reason, I¡¯ve trained in swordsmanship since I was young. It might be hard for Ares who had a weak body constitution to train the way I did. But the way he always smile despite that had tugged me in my heart. One day, Ares was afflicted with a strange sickness of unknown origin. He was suffering from high fever, and his consciousness was hazy at best. When I went to visit, and saw his figure¡­..For the first time, I was frightened by the fact that Ares might be gone at any time. At that moment, I realized how big of a presence he was to me. After that, I would go to the church again and again, praying to the Goddess. For Ares to get well soon somehow¡­¡­ Later I heard that my wish came true, Ares was cured from his sickness. However, I was not allowed to meet him until the next year. I didn¡¯t get a clear answer even when I asked my father. A year later, when I finally met Ares again¡­I felt that something in him was changed. But I didn¡¯t know what at that point¡­.. Ares started to read a lot of books. The kind of difficult to read books that I won¡¯t understand no matter of how many times I read it. When I invited him for sword training, he would clearly decline. The previous him would¡¯ve followed obediently despite how bad he was at sword fighting¡­.even when I deliberately treated him harsher than I should have. To other people¡­.it may seem like I was making a fool of him by comparing him to Kaizer¡­. but all I want was just to inspire Ares more. Most people who loved him before also started to see the changes in him¡­..but most of them gradually left out of boredom. But I always know. Even if there are things about Ares that changed, his essence has never truly changed. His gentleness that doesn¡¯t discriminate, and also, his will to never give up. Ares hasn¡¯t changed that much. At least I thought so. Right¡­..until that day. ===== ¡ô It was when we were both 15 years old. Right at this time, it was when I temporarily went back home from studying at Imperial Academy for the first time after a long while. While riding on a carriage, an incident occured where another aristocrat¡¯s private soldier kidnapped me. From the east of the Forest of Evil, Baron Gordon¡¯s son seemed to have taken a liking to me, and he ordered the private soldier to do this. The Gordon barony has always had bad names surrounding them. For the right amount of gold, they would do anything including thievery. And I heard only bad things about their fool of a son who actually applied to the Imperial Academy to take the knight course. He was an arrogant and domineering man, who likes to exploit his people. He would seek happiness by enacting violence on the villages and towns nearly everyday. He also loved to drown himself in alcohol and kill anyone who he didn¡¯t take a liking. Also, in order to not let their deeds reach the Emperor¡¯s eyes, I heard that they¡¯ve been using force to hide their misdeeds. Now that I think about it¡­¡­.among the many aristocrats that sent their marriage proposal, he was one of the more persistent. That means, did he do this because I kept ignoring his proposal? Afterwards, I was taken to meet with Baron Gordon¡¯s son. He, as expected, threatened me to accept his marriage proposal. Such a fool of a son. Not to mention that Baron Gordon also demanded Earl of Roxietta to pay ransom for the hostage. [Now that you are here, there is no way out. How about marrying into the Gordon clan already?] I looked at the father and son¡­¡­giving them a stare as if I want to bleed them out. [I have said it for the several times already. Cease this folly. In the first place, if this become known, your clan will definitely be crushed. My parent is an earl. Do you really think that your clan¡¯s standing is above us? My clan definitely won¡¯t stay silent.] Normally, we couldn¡¯t resort to violence so easily. That¡¯s why Gordon barony hasn¡¯t disappeared yet from the Empire. [Nonono, that won¡¯t be the case.] Saying that, the baron and his son laughed maniacally. The laugh of scums¡­. It felt unpleasant and nauseating. [I remember that I recently met with the second prince¡­..and he asked me a favor. The second Prince said that he would like to meet you. Apparently you are quite famous in the Imperial Capital. The Knight Princess of the Imperial Academy. (So he colluded with the second Prince¡­.?) His Highness, the Second Prince, Joseph, is also someone with a bad reputation in the Empire. As the Emperor of The Holy Arcadia Empire, His Majesty Sephiros obtained the title of [Thunder Emperor] after many meritorious efforts. However, the [Thunder Emperor] always act too softly when it comes to his own family. (I guess they are indeed two of a kind¡­..) When the name of the Emperor was brought up, doubt begins to cloud my mind. It¡¯ll be easy for the second Prince to manipulate the situation. Forcing my family to give up on me in order to make me their sex slave. When it comes to the Second Prince, it should be possible to hide everything under a black screen. It will be hard even for the Archduke to oppose this. Not to mention an Earl. However, there is one thing that still left me with hope. Why, I was kidnapped¡­.yet still alright? Perhaps it¡¯s because the second prince that they hadn¡¯t done anything to me. But when the time comes, I still have a dagger concealed for self-defense. I¡¯d rather kill myself rather than be humiliated and bring bad rumors to my family. While trying to think up another solution, that pair of father and son kept pestering me. Can you people cut it out already©`©`when that thought crossed my mind, it happened. [O©`i, Sharon. I came to pick you up.] [Wha?] It¡¯s as if time had stopped ticking. Me and the parent-son pair looked up toward the source of that voice who didn¡¯t match with the atmosphere. Looking back, it was Ares, standing there with a smile on his face and a sword in one hand. However, his appearance was shocking. Blood splattered across his face, as well as on his clothes. [Ah, aren¡¯t you Baron Gordon? Greetings. But taking my friend away like this is no good, you know? You¡¯ll get yourself in serious problem thanks to that. But alright, you people only have one option. Let Sharon free and be silent about it. Or else¡­.] [What the hell are you talking about?] Baron Gordon¡¯s son interrupt Ares mid-talking. He seemed to be perplexed by Ares¡¯ sudden appearance. [What will you lot dare to do to me?] [No, I guess you don¡¯t get it, do you? I¡¯m talking to Baron Gordon.] [Are you kidding me! This is my house. If you do things as you like, you will..] Looking at the situation, Ares sighed and muttered without hearing what the other side was trying to say. [Shut up!] At the same time as Ares said that, the son¡¯s hand danced in the air. [GaaaaaaaaAAAAAAA!!!??] The baron¡¯s son screamed crazily. I held my breath in shock. [My hand! My haaaaand!?] [That¡¯s why I told you to shut up.] Right after Ares said so, the son¡¯s head flew this time. The head flew out the window, making a bloody arch along the way. [Hiiiiiiii!] Baron Gordon screamed and fell on his butt. I couldn¡¯t see the sword slash©`©`Ares probably used the sword he had on his right hand, but I didn¡¯t see him move that sword. [Well, even if he listened to me, I didn¡¯t plan to let him alive anyways.] Ares turned toward Baron Gordon after saying so. He talked to the baron who was still stunned after seeing what had just happened before him. [This matter has been brought into Emperor¡¯s attention through Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s report. Let me tell you the Emperor¡¯s judgment.] After taking a breath, Ares gave an extraordinary smile to Baron Gordon. When I saw that, just like Baron Gordon, I was unable to move even an inch of my body due to the pressure. ©`©`scary©`©` Is this©`©`still the Ares I know? The one who would listen calmly to everything I said©`©`? [Gordon Barony is to be crushed. Its territory will be reinstated to Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s territory and its lord is to executed.] [I, impossible!!] [It¡¯s not a lie, you know? Or do you want to see the written order from the Emperor himself that I bring with me?] [You¡­.how did you appear here all of a sudden!?] [Ah, I haven¡¯t introduced myself. I am Ares Schwarzer. The heir of Archduke Schwarzer. As a matter of fact, soldiers are supposed to be sent from our territory shortly. But since Sharon, my childhood friend over there is being involved, I just bid my time and came in advance.] [Do you think I¡¯ll believe those nonsense!] His loud voice echoed throughout the room. [Do you think how long will it take for them to get here¡­.how far the distance they will have to travel to get here¡­.] The baron trembled. [Get this little twerp!! Anyone!] After the Baron cried out¡­..several people who appeared to be mercenaries entered from the room next door. Probably hired bouncers. But I actually recognized one of them. (Could that be¡­¡­the¡ºThe Crimson Reaper¡»!?) A slim bodied, expressionless person appeared from behind the incoming mercenaries. The scarlet crescent-moon necklace hanging on that person chest became evident. (Why is the famous assassin of the Empire is here too!!?) Gordon screamed. [Ki¡­kill¡­..kill him already!] [Is it alright? He is an aristocrat, isn¡¯t he?] [Doesn¡¯t matter. He can¡¯t be allowed to live. Do it already!] Listening to the order, the men shouted. [Yosh, kill this boy. What about that girl over there¡­.?] At that moment¡­. The head of those men separated from their body and soared high in the air. [What a bother¡­.now rest there¡­..] What on earth had happened¡­¡­both the baron and I thought of the same thing. When Ares slashed his sword¡­..all of the mercenaries were decapitated¡­.except for one. Every and each one of the mercenaries died except the¡ºCrimson Reaper¡». But even the assassin looked shocked. Ares simply turned around to face the¡ºCrimson Reaper¡», and said. [And apparently you are¡­.someone that is hard to handle, aren¡¯t you?] Ares brandished his sword slowly¡­..and laughed after saying so. CH 13 Sharon¡¯s story of the past: The case of Earl¡¯s daughter kidnapping part 2 The¡ºScarlet Reaper¡»Kiel. A famous assassin even on the Imperial Capital. Has a long scar crossing his face, and deformed one eye. Because he always wear a scarlet, crescent-moon pendant hanging around his chest, he became known as the ¡ºScarlet Reaper¡» Rumoured to be a first class swordsman, it¡¯s said that his target never survived even if they are a famous warrior. [Do it! Do it already!] Baron Gordon shouted as he backed off. [It cost me a lot to hire you! So you must do your part] Oh? In contrast to the baron who is laughing maniacally, I was more surprised looking at the assassin¡¯s expression. This fellow, could it be that he doesn¡¯t enjoy killing? Kiel quietly drew his sword. Meanwhile, Ares, who apparently noticed the change in the assassin¡¯s expression, threw a question. [Why do you kill people?] [Because that¡¯s the only thing that I can do.] [Any other reason?] [I have no obligation to tell you the reason.] As he said that, Kiel dashed toward Ares with blinding speed. Ares merely stood there unguarded. He instead lowered his sword as I watched the scene unfolded. [Ares!!] I raised my voice so much that it almost resembled a scream. Kiel¡¯s ability was first class in the Imperial Capital. Anyone could see that Ares wasn¡¯t his match, let alone to scratch him. But what happened next was beyond shocking. ===== ¡ô Ares didn¡¯t even enter a stance and simply watched with a slight smile as Kiel approached. Kiel¡¯s sword swiftly moved to sink itself on Ares¡¯ neck. But Ares dodged that slash without any change in his expression. There was no unnecessary movement when he did so. So was Kiel. A surprised look appeared on his face briefly, but then he moved even faster with two, then three slashes, one after another. But Ares dodged them with ease all the same. [You actually don¡¯t really want to kill people, do you?] Ares kept speaking while continuously dodging. [There is a slight hesitation in your sword. Is there something that bothered you?] [¡­¡­..!] Kiel remained silent. Ares raised his sword in response to that, but Kill immediately retreated a great distance when he saw that. [I don¡¯t know what the cause, but you can always tell me about that problem of yours.] Ares said so and laughed. [Now, though¡­..I don¡¯t have time to listen to you yet¡­.so I need you to get some sleep for now.] At that moment¡­..Ares¡­..simply disappeared. No, he was moving so fast that it¡¯s as if he had disappeared. [Na¡­.] Then, he struck at Kill, utilizing the split second opening that he created just now. Kiel, unable to do anything, collapsed. [¡­..Now then] As he said so, Ares slowly turned back toward Baron Gordon. [Wha¡­what is going on? Am I dreaming?] Ares approached the bewildered baron. [How much pain have you inflicted to other people? How many evil deeds have you done up to this point? The current you is even worse than an insect.] [W-wait!] [I am someone who won¡¯t allow anyone to make the innocent cry, let alone killing them. Don¡¯t expect me to just kill you off so easily, okay?] Right after, the moment I thought I saw Ares move his sword, Baron Gordon¡¯s arms and legs separated from his body. [GaaaaaAAA!?] Ares then stepped on the fallen baron, and said in a low voice. [Until you ran out of blood, you can regret everything you¡¯ve done in the past.] ===== ¡ô I could only look silently as all that happened. Baron Gordon was on the floor, barely alive with both of his arms and legs severed, right beside the headless body of his son. Across them were the corpses of mercenaries, and the supposedly famous assassin, Kiel, who collapsed there seemingly dead. Ares open his mouth when I turned to him. [Did I scare you¡­.?] After letting out a lonely sounding laugh, Ares continued to speak. [Soon enough, the knights and soldiers will arrive here to protect you¡­. Please return back to Roxietta estate with them at once.] [¡­.and Ares¡­?] [I can¡¯t go with you.] He showed me his hands after he said that. [Look at my hand. It¡¯s drenched in blood. And¡­..I¡¯ll only get myself dirtied with blood from now on. I have no qualification to go with you now.] At that moment¡­. Ares had an expression that I¡¯ve never seen before on his face. When I saw his face¡­..I could neither move, nor speak at the same time¡­. [Bye.] He started walking away as he said so. On the way, he carried Kiel¡¯s body along. Right as he¡¯s about to leave, Kaiser and many other knights arrived. After Ares gave some instructions to the knights, he went further and further away¡­. But I could only look at his back silently. ===== ¡ô I could only think about Ares during the journey back to the Roxietta estate. Ares is strong. He¡¯s stronger than anyone I¡¯ve even seen before. And yet he never showed this part of him to me¡­. I like strong men. I admit it. But¡­.what is the real meaning of being strong? Is it just to freely show off your power? I gradually started to question it.. And, above all, Ares¡¯ last expression. Ares told me. [I¡¯ll only get myself dirtied with blood from now on.] His face at that time¡­..looked as if he¡¯s in pain. As if he¡¯s sad. Ares is strong. Definitely more than I thought. And for that reason, Ares will continue to fight. It¡¯s just his character to do so. Helping people who are need, like me earlier, and those who are suffering. But Ares dislikes fighting¡­.let alone killing people. However¡­¡­Ares will still have to do it even if he doesn¡¯t want to¡­.I could only assume that his expression must¡¯ve come from this conflicting feeling. How he truly feel¡­¡­I do not know. But when I thought about it, I felt pain in my bosom. When I looked outside, the rural view of Roxietta¡¯s territory came into view. Once arriving back on the estate, I requested to return to the Imperial capital as soon as I met with my father. Then, after I returned back to the capital, I resolved myself to study even harder. To be able to stand side by side with Ares. Also¡­ So that he can share his sorrow with me. ===== ¡ô Sharon Roxietta, one of the Queens of Arestia Dominion. Sharon Roxietta Schwarzer was a prestigious knight, and the only daughter of the Roxietta clan. According to the history books, regarding the kidnapping case, it is stated that she later graduated as one of the top rankers thanks to her subsequent diligence in studying after she returned to the imperial academy. She was known in the history of the continent, as one who took an active part under Ares¡¯ command in the future. Due to her outstanding military expertise and appearance during battles, she earned the nickname of [Golden War Maiden] that¡¯ll spread wide across the continent, and later on she¡¯ll etch her name in the history as [Arestia¡¯s Fourth Battle Princess]. CH 14 Kaizer Dollet¡¯s Story of the past. My name is Kaizer. Baron Dollet¡¯s son. Dollet Barony¡¯s territory is in the northern part of the Empire, thus making us the vassal of the Schwarzer clan. Being from a clan with generations worth of history as knights, I¡¯ve been trained in swordsmanship since my early years. And apparently I had a natural talent for it. By the age of 12, there was no one who can match me among my peers. After that, even with the many talented and excellent students on the knight course of the Royal Academy, I always ranked among the best. Just like at the Barony, I was quite famous in the Imperial Capital. Well if I could say so myself, I¡¯m quite confident with how I look too. Hence, I received many invitations from nobles¡¯ daughters, of whom I gladly play around with. In the imperial capital, my days have always been pleasant. However one day, when the Dollet clan visited the Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s residence, I met a girl. Her name was Sharon. The only daughter of Earl of Roxietta. Translucent skin with golden hair. And her soul-sucking big eyes¡­.she¡¯s beautiful. It¡¯s as if, she was a goddess from a picture that came to life. I almost lost my mind when I first saw her. She said that she likes [strong men]. Isn¡¯t that just what I am? Fortunately her family is also a vassal to the Schwarzer clan, and she even studied in the same Knight course. So I approached her furiously. Both in the Imperial Capital, and in the Schwarzer territory. I also visited her birthplace, the Roxietta clan¡¯s territory. Since we studied on the same course, I had many opportunities to approach her when we train together. She also¡­..didn¡¯t seem to be bored when talking with me. But her gaze¡­¡­I noticed that it was directed not to me but to another man. Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s young master Ares Schwarzer. Our liege, Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s first son. He didn¡¯t practice swordsmanship, just reading books¡­..truly a meager man. Sharon would go to his side in front of me and many other people. Approaching a son of the Great Clans without any hesitation. However¡­.when I looked at the situation, I realized that I was seriously wrong. There were certainly rumours that the two are fiancees. But rumors are rumors. I couldn¡¯t simply accept it. Sharon is the only daughter of an Earl. I thought that I should be able to match her since I¡¯m a son of a Baron. Even if it¡¯s against my clan¡¯s Liege, I couldn¡¯t just give up. To convince Sharon, I would challenge Ares to a match from time to time. But the answer was always no. The challenge was always refused. [I don¡¯t think the match will be necessary.] [Then do you want to train together instead?] [That too¡­.I don¡¯t want to burden you too much. So no, thanks] Those at the scene won¡¯t say anything right then, but in the shadow they would say the worst things. Weak, coward, a dishonor to the Great Clans name¡­..etc. He also denies me in front of Sharon a couple of time. What¡¯s the matter with this guy¡­.for real? Then¡­.that incident happened shortly after. ===== When Sharon was on her way back from the Imperial Capital to Roxietta Territory, I heard that her carriage was attacked by Baron Gordon¡¯s men, so I galloped with my horse quickly to meet the Earl of Roxietta. The Earl had actually organized a troop of his own, and was about to head there himself. [Kaizer-dono, thank you for coming all the way here¡­.but you are still only a student. Moreover this is Roxietta clan¡¯s personal problem. You don¡¯t have to trouble yourself with it¡­.] [No, if it¡¯s for Sharon, then I won¡¯t mind the bear the trouble.] After pressing the Earl for several times, I finally joined the Sharon rescue team. To rescue Sharon and to gain favor from the Earl. This is something really important. The situation is urgent. But when we were waiting for the signal to march out of the gate¡­.that Ares Schwarzer-dono appeared before us. I was annoyed. Why did this man appear at such timing? He didn¡¯t even need to bother to come at all if he couldn¡¯t be counted as fighting force. [Young master¡­..there is no time to talk with you right now. Would you please step aside?] [Kaizer. I also have not time for you right now. So could you move aside. Also could you call the Earl to come here?] [¡­.., the Earl is busy right now. Why did you even come at this time of emergency¡­.] I thought to shoo him away by force. At that moment I grabbed his arm, and tried to shove him away¡­¡­but it won¡¯t budge¡­¡­no, his body didn¡¯t even flinch one bit? [I also don¡¯t have much time. Please call the Earl immediately. This is starting to irritate me.] Ares emitted a terrible pressure. I could feel [fear] that I¡¯ve never felt before coursing through my body. Ares had a rather small body. How did such a small body produce this enormous strength¡­. [Ares-sama. Sorry for the wait.] On that timing, the Earl of Roxietta, Lloyd appeared from behind me. [Has their location been found?] [Up to where Baron Gordon held Sharon] [As expected. Then, where is the location?] [On his Barony, a mansion at the southeast. It seems that he has hired a large amount of mercenaries too.] [Is Sharon safe¡­..?] [I think they won¡¯t do anything to her until Prince Joseph arrived. That¡¯s why the time is precious.] [That¡¯s for sure. If they messed up, it¡¯s the same as if they inflicted damage to themselves.] Earl of Roxietta said with a hint of relief on his face. [This abduction is that fool of a prince¡¯s ploy. Those stupid clan only moved as per his order. With the purpose to bury Roxietta clan to the ground. That¡¯s what that foolish prince is aiming for. But Joseph is still in the Imperial Capital. It¡¯ll take a few days before he can do anything.] At what Ares-dono said, Earl Lloyd bowed his head deeply. [Ares-sama¡¯s arrival is truly a godsend. I was about to raid the wrong mansion.] [But at least you haven¡¯t¡­. Well, I¡¯m glad I made it on time.] Then Ares and Earl Lloyd laughed. Meanwhile I¡­¡­didn¡¯t have any idea what¡¯s this all about. How did that man even obtain such information? And why did the Earl of Roxietta readily believed him. [After hearing about this matter, His Majesty immediately sended a purging order to me. All that left is for us to do the purging.] [Young master really works quickly. Now then, what is our next action, Ares-sama?] [I¡­..] Ares kept smiling while resuming what he said. [I¡¯ll have you people clean up the rest. Because I¡¯ll definitely arrive there faster¡­.] And with that, Ares-dono passed a small paper to the Earl of Roxietta. [I made this map. I want you to go here. By the time you arrived I should be finished taking care of the matter. You can take Sharon back by then.] [Ares-sama will not go together with us?] [I¡­will not join you. I¡¯ll be too dirty with blood by then.] After saying that, he went out of the gate. ===== [Wait! Please wait!] I chased after Ares-dono. [What was that all about!? Please tell me!] I was frustrated. From how the two interacted, it¡¯s painfully obvious to me how the Earl of Roxietta put his absolute trust on Ares-dono¡­. Yes, to the extent that I can¡¯t even compare. In fact, his arrival even changed the initial plan to attack Baron Gordon¡¯s main mansion. When it comes to your own daughter life and death, and even if it¡¯s what your Liege¡¯s son said, will you still follow it so readily? [Do you have something to say?] That emotionless reply came to me in response to my action. [I¡¯m in a hurry here. I don¡¯t have time to play charades.] [Uh! The, then why don¡¯t we go together¡­.] [I don¡¯t actually mind¡­..but] As he said that, Ares-dono climbed up on to his steed. Ares-dono¡¯s horse¡­..it was a very beautiful white horse with equally pure white mane. He said quietly while stroking the horse¡¯s neck. [I think it¡¯ll be difficult for you to keep up with my horse.] ===== Talking about the conclusion, I really couldn¡¯t keep up at all. Ares-dono¡¯s horse ran at such a tremendous speed¡­.not to mention that it ran without even a hint of ever slowing down. The difference only steadily increasing¡­..until his figure was completely gone in the horizon. Just because Ares-dono had told us the location, I was able to get there on my own. I arrived shortly before the arrival of Earl of Roxietta¡¯s troops. [What? is this¡­..] I could only say so when I looked at the state of the mansion. It was terrible. Perhaps they were hired by Baron Gordon, but there were a lot of fallen mercenaries¡­..and neither of them had their head still attached. I heard a voice coming from behind the door, so I tried to peek. I was on the right moment to see Baron Gordon¡¯s son¡¯s head flying off of his body and that Baron Gordon is crying. Sharon was also there. (Sharon¡­..!) I tried to open the door without thinking¡­.but then I noticed the two who confronted each other with sword in hand. (That¡¯s¡­..that Ares boy and¡­..no way, the¡ºScarlet Reaper¡»!?) A famous assassin, a swordsman with a lethal sword unrivaled, that is the¡ºScarler Reaper¡». He¡¯s famous among the aristocrats in Imperial Capital¡­¡­yes, as a means to eliminate competition. You need a lot of money to hire him to kill someone. Just how big of a financial power the baron is to be able to hire him as a mere bouncer? Killing moves. But all of it were useless before Ares-dono. [¡­¡­¡­Amazing¡­¡­.] I had no choice but to groan. Those slashes came from a superbly honed technique. After exchanging a word or two, Ares knocked him down with the hilt of his sword¡­. I wouldn¡¯t be able to do the same thing unless there was an overwhelmingly huge difference in ability. I was rendered speechless¡­. Afterward, Ares delivered the punishment to the Baron and had a short conversation with Sharon¡­.. I only dared to enter the room when he¡¯s about to leave with the Scarlet Reaper in tow. [Take care of the rest. I leave Sharon to you.] Ares-dono left after saying that. A large amount of Roxietta knights passed through my sides¡­¡­But, I was left there flabbergasted. Yes, a huge defeat has already been carved inside my heart. The difference in sword skill as well as our insight. It¡¯s too huge. I thought that Ares-dono was incapable of using a sword and is a fool¡­..but, what about the fact? If I were to confront him¡­¡­Ares-dono would¡¯ve defeated me with ease. On the way back, I looked at Sharon. She also seemed to have plenty to think about. I¡¯ve made a decision myself. I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯ll be able to reach that height. But I¡¯ll continue to work hard at the Imperial Academy, in the hope that one day I¡¯ll be able to compete with him evenly¡­. ===== There is no distinctive record regarding Baron Kaizer Dollet¡¯s tenure in the history books. However, many people know his name. The reason being¡­.. He appears as a knight who bears a passionate feeling for Sharon in the famous drama¡ºthe Goddess of the Moon¡», on which The Dominion Queen Sharon is the main protagonist. He lost a duel against Ares, and later on, served as one of his subordinates. However when looking at the available records, and even the chart of military organization, there is no mention of ¡°Kaizer Dollet¡± at all. Also, since the Dollet clan had ceased to exist, there is no existing source that can accurately provide any information regarding the man. CH 15 Scarlet Reaper¡¯s Story of the Past. Evening. When I drew the sword under the moonlight¡­ I sensed a pressure. I wonder how much time I¡¯ve spent with this fellow. I knew every detail of this sword in my mind. I could talk with it as if I was one with it. Right, back then¡­..I was only called the¡ºReaper¡». And later, the red necklace I wear gave me another nickname ¡ºScarlet Reaper¡» It was such a fancy name¡­..but it wasn¡¯t wrong either. Because there is always [death] no matter where I go. I don¡¯t have many memories regarding my childhood. I don¡¯t even know who my real parents are¡­.I was found by a priest of a certain church and was raised by him. But he was nothing but a demon in priest¡¯s clothing. There were a lot more others like me. And all of us were put under unspeakable suffering almost all the time, including me. What kind¡­..just imagine it yourself. I think you can roughly tell by looking at my right eye. So of course, my first kill was the one who raised me. The day I lost my right eye¡­.was the same day that I killed that priest. Not a shred of emotion borne from that event. After that, I was put in to a certain orphanage for troubled children. But turned out it was a facility to breed and raise new assassins for a certain assassin guild. And there¡­.I met the [Sword] that become the half of my existence. I was so fascinated by it. It was funny. How this tool makes it so much easier to make someone else die. The guild also started to notice my skill. After staying in the facility for a while, I already began taking assassination orders. The orders mostly came from the aristocrats. Well, they are an even more rotten existences. Eternally locked in the struggles for more power. There were also orders from large merchants. Those people are also rotten beings. In any case¡­.I realized something. Humans are rotten creatures, indeed. Then one day¡­¡­ I met some kids. Even kids got caught up in this rotten power struggles between aristocrats. Weaker people always ended up suffering the consequences. I¡­..may have seen my old self in them. I don¡¯t mind if you laugh at me. A man called the reaper¡­..actually took care and feed the kids. But right there¡­..for the first time I felt myself free from rotten world, and it¡¯s comfortable. ===== ¡ô By living with them¡­..it¡¯s as if the humanity I once lost had gradually resurfaced. The guild didn¡¯t like this of course. Once, they attacked during my absence. However, thanks to me gaining the info about the attack in advance, I was able to thwart them. You couldn¡¯t stop once you enter this world after all But these kids, they got involved because of me. There was only one way for me to protect these little fellows. I decided to destroy the assassin organization. The guild I belonged to boasted the large number of members amongst the many assassin guilds. I supposed they expected me to come. But before me, no defence will be enough. I killed the assassin guild¡­¡­I killed them all. It was an unspeakable memory. But I was finally free. ===== ¡ô After that, I had to think about how to feed the kids. The only thing I can do¡­¡­is swinging my sword. And so¡­¡­.I did various kind of works ranging from assassination to being a bouncer. Thanks to my nickname¡ºScarlet Reaper¡»¡­¡­. I rarely met any trouble. Until¡­¡­today when I was hired to be a bouncer for Baron Gordon. Even as I worked as an assassin and bouncer, Baron Gordon¡¯s infamy was quite well known. A man who did all kinds of thing just to make himself rise in the rank. But that had little to no importance to me. What matters is¡­¡­I would be able to feed the kids. A few days after I started working for that man, I had a life-changing encounter with a certain guy. ===== ¡ô The job this time was to kidnap the daughter of the Earl of Roxietta¡­..and guard the mansion where she was held captive. It came with a considerably bigger pay than a normal job. So I thought, why not? The kidnapping was a cake walk. After that, we had a little conversation while returning to the mansion [The knights of Roxietta will surely come for us¡­.why don¡¯t you ambush them first, and get rid of them.] The Baron said that to the hired mercenaries. [You sure? It¡¯s the soldiers of Roxietta we are talking about. They are quite well known as warrior.] [There is the royal family backing me up. It won¡¯t develop into a large scale battle. No need to worry.] Gordon laughed. [2 days from now, Prince Joseph will give us a visit. There is nothing we should be scared about as long as everything is on time.] Baron Gordon and his son headed to the room where the daughter of the Earl of Roxietta was being held captive afterward. We, the mercenaries, were left waiting in a separate room. [But¡­that girl, she¡¯s really a looker. Don¡¯t mind if I can have my way with her.] [And that father and son will get to enjoy her. How envious.] [Perhaps we¡¯ll get a taste too after they¡¯re done] The mercenaries laughed merrily in between their conversation. Meanwhile I was just listening to them while closing my eyes and leaned myself on the wall. It was at that moment. A booming sound came from the gate¡­.followed by the frantic screaming of men. [What the¡­ what just happened??] The mercenaries were amazed. They tried to survey the surroundings whilst readying their equipment. While other mercenaries were busy with themselves¡­¡­only I could sense that a powerful monster had appeared. (What the, the sweat won¡¯t stop¡­..!) I heard a voice calling for us from the room where Baron Gordon was in. By then, I could still run away. An alarm rang inside my head. But beyond that¡­..the curiosity on what kind of monster it was got the better of me. Standing over there was a boy who barely reached adulthood. However, his clothes was soaked in blood. I could easily imagine how he came to this room. What they talked about, I didn¡¯t remember. All I remember was heads flying off from their body with one swing of that boy¡¯s sword. His swing was casual but full of power, something I thought to be impossible. And then¡­..I was knocked down outcold with a single blow¡­ ===== ¡ô [Oi, Kiel. Are you listening?] Apparently I was daydreaming about the past. The big guy in front of me offered me a mug.To be honest, I don¡¯t really want it. [Baran, please keep it quiet. Don¡¯t bother anyone while you are drunk. Good grief. Can you just leave Kiel alone? It¡¯s a hassle to tell you that every single time] [Shaddap! Karina! I¡¯m here to keep this territory safe from harm¡­.] [Hey there, please excuse Baran¡¯s attitude. He has a needlessly loud voice that tends to bother everyone else.] [I wonder if you can even drink quietly¡­.] Scolded by two more people this time, Baran¡¯s voice got even louder instead. [What the hey! Now Flick and Robin too!! You guys really misunderstood me, do you!?] [Also, didn¡¯t you merely tell what is already obvious? What Ares-sama envisioned is also our vision too.] Once Robin said that, Baran became quiet. [Well¡­.that¡¯s right.] Then, Flick laughed and patted the depressed Baran¡¯s shoulder. [Forget that. Let¡¯s drink for now. Boss! One more] Karina also laughed after seeing the mishap¡­. Looking at this myself¡­.I also smiled. I couldn¡¯t do this back then, smiling carefreely like this. Yes, these people are my companions now. There are still many others¡­¡­those who share the same ambition. ¡­.. ¡­ Back then¡­..after taking me out of Baron Gordon¡¯s mansion¡­..Ares-sama said. [Will you join me?] and [If you want to bring people in, I will take care of them too.] Now, the kids who I took care before are living well in a orphanage in Schwarzer Territory. Unlike me¡­..it¡¯s not the hellish facility, but a true orphanage that nurture the parentless children. I heard that they not only willingly take care children from Schwarzer territory but also those coming from all over Arcadia. And so I¡­¡­decided to work under him. What I¡¯m wearing¡­¡­this bracelet around my wrist, is a proof of my loyalty. All of my companions wear the same bracelet on their wrist¡­.without saying. It¡¯s our pride. We will be his sword¡­¡­to carve the world he wishes for. ===== ¡ô Immediately under the order of the King of Heroes Ares, was a group of people nicknamed ¡ºBroken Legion¡». They swore allegiance to Ares personally, instead of to the country. Their capability was proven later on by successfully routing the demon army, barbarian cavalry, and even the Aryan warriors which is said that even one was more than enough to defeat a camp of soldiers single-handedly. The¡ºBroken Legion¡»is consisted of several groups. Wearing a blue uniform was the¡ºBlue Legion¡»which excels in long range magic attack. Wearing a red uniform was the light cavalry boasting supreme mobility, the¡ºRed Legion¡» Dressed in uniformly black armor was the heavy cavalry¡ºBlack Legion¡»with their unstoppable charge. And then¡­.different from the three other legions, there was one without a proper uniform. These particular members of the¡ºBroken Legion¡»are the most loyal and are the greatest in terms of fighting prowess. Each one was a warrior that could match an army of other nations on their own. Each and every one of them are wearing white bracelets on their wrist, thus called the¡ºWhite Legion¡» It won¡¯t be inappropriate to say that one hundred of the White Legions were more than a match for ten thousand soldiers. According to the history books, it became a place where anyone aspiring to become a knight would aim to. However¡­..the King of Heroes himself once said. [They are strong. But they are also a bunch of weirdos.] CH 16 Archive Officer A general in the battlefield. A politician inside the country. And the youngest aristocrat in the world. With his calm disposition, there is rarely anything that Ares couldn¡¯t do. However¡­ [This is bad. How should I apologize to her? Sharon is too whimsical in the first place¡­how could I know that she¡¯s just next door¡­.] His childhood friend Sharon is angry at him. This is a common happening. It could be said to be a usual thing even. However, there is no escaping from the apologizing every single time¡­ Wonder if there is a good way to do this¡­. When he felt troubled, there is only one place he need to go to. Ares promptly headed to the Schwarzer clan¡¯s library. ===== ¡ô [Now that everything has been said, is there any good way to do it?] [Well, why did Milord ask me in the first place? Milord knows full well that I¡¯m not into that kind of problem¡­.] At the back of Romaria library, two youths were having a conversation. One was the Romaria young lord Ares. While the other one was a black-haired, glasses-wearing young man. He, Shion, served as a Schwarzer army officer and, during peacetime, as an archive officer. [Well, since Shion knows everything, I just wonder if you can help me in this matter.] [Is this a way to harass me?! Have I ever been seen being together with a woman before?!] Saying that, the glasses wearing young man Shion sighed with a slightly annoyed face. [Ares-sama¡­.there are things that shouldn¡¯t be told to others. Does milord think that such stories should be shared with others?] [No, but even so, what would a soldier do in this kind of situation?] [That¡¯s not the kind of fight a soldier would fight in. Please be quiet when someone else is reading books here. This is my greatest pleasure after all.] Shion waved his hand while saying that. [You are just as grouchy as ever¡­¡­well, I mean, Sigurd isn¡¯t here at the moment, and the other members are busy. I would¡¯ve thought about it myself if I actually could. So please lend me some of your wisdom] [Why don¡¯t Milord ask the memories instead? Isn¡¯t Milord able to meet them inside the dream?] [Nope, those three are useless in this kind of thing¡­.] Saying that, Ares made a dull face. [Gilbert immediately offered to teach me the¡ºArt of Persuading Women¡¹, Shin wasn¡¯t even interested in women while Leon simply said [Too soft! Go forth!] or something like that¡­..] [Well, that¡¯s certainly something those old men would do judging from their history¡­.] [That¡¯s why¡­..please, anything you could think of will do!] Ares bowed his head to Shion. At first Shion thought of just ignoring this, but seeing his lord bowing his head to him like that¡­¡­.it became difficult to do so. [Ah©`©`©`enough already! If Milord bows like that much longer it¡¯ll only disgust me. Really now.] Closing the book he read, Shion looked sharply at Ares. [Will it be okay? This is Milord¡¯s problem. Regardless of what I say, it¡¯ll be Milord who will have to act on it. Moreover, if after I lend my wisdom and Milord still failed¡­..I¡¯ll become the target of scorn of the whole household!] [No, I think you¡¯ve already become one somewhat anyways¡­..] Ares murmured. [What did Milord just say?] [No, it¡¯s nothing!] Shion sighed once more then, as if talking to himself, told Ares. [By the way, Arnold told me that he¡¯s quite pleased with how the Fire Dragon Salamander ranch is starting to be filled with more tenants. He said that with this, a squad of dragon riders will no longer be a fantasy story anymore.] [That¡¯s right. When I suggested this to Sigurd, to be honest, I thought that it¡¯ll be tough¡­.but we are managing somehow.] Hearing Ares¡¯ word, Shion then continued while smiling. [According to Milord¡¯s story, it¡¯ll be three weeks from now, right? By that time, shouldn¡¯t the fire dragon salamanders and the sky dragon wyvern be given a test ride? That way many more people will be able to enjoy travelling through air, am I right?] [Travelling through air¡­..ah! That¡¯s right! I get it now!! She should be be pleased if she can ride the dragon and fly to the sky! Thank you for lending me your wisdom!!] Saying that, Ares jumped of from his chair and set off towards the exit. [Good grief. To think someone who is usually so dependable and very good at sword fighting will be no good at this kind of matter¡­..] Saying that while watching Ares¡¯ back, Shion then grew silent. [Now then, I suppose I can read serenely now?] After letting out a small sigh, as if nothing had happened, Shion turned the pages and resumed reading. CH 17 Shion Tristan¡¯s Story of the past Part 1 ¨C The Eccentric Dominion¡¯s Number 1 Scholar I was born as the eldest son of a small aristocrat of the Arcadia Empire. The rank was baronet. The Tristan clan was formerly just a member of imperial knight but was able to rise to the rank of baronet thanks to their valor. Initially, my father had high hopes for me as his eldest son.. In order to raise the clan¡¯s rank, the quickest way would be by doing meritorious deeds in combat. In order to rise higher than baronet¡­¡­.my father tried to dump swordsmanship teachings onto me, but unfortunately I¡¯m not all that talented in that regard. Disappointed by my failure in swordsmanship, my father turned his effort to my brother Luke. Meanwhile, I was kicked out from the family mansion. Even though I was born from a family of warriors, I don¡¯t have any talent to become one¡­.. I couldn¡¯t blame my father and mother for acting like that. Many people were eyeing our clan¡¯s position after all. For that reason, I had to leave the family mansion. Away from my father and mother as well as the right to use family¡¯s servants. Starting with Luke, my other siblings also felt bad for me. In exchange I actually also feel sorry for making them worried about me. I knew full well that I cannot succeed my clan. And I¡­..to be really honest, didn¡¯t really care about losing the position. More than being unable to hold my position in the clan, there was something more important to me. A really important matter, which is¡­¡­ [Time to read some books.] I like reading books since I was young. I would read a book if I had nothing to do or before bedtime. Books are really nice. It¡¯s the condensed form of other people¡¯s knowledge. Everything that I want to know is written inside the books. My clan¡¯s territory can be considered the countryside of the Arcadia Empire and its size is on the small side too. That¡¯s why there weren¡¯t many good book available there, and I had to go to the Archduke Saxon¡¯s territory to buy some books. Even then, it¡¯s rare to find a really good book there. So I decided to find a place where I can read as many book as I want to. I¡¯ve been keeping my eyes on that place for a while now. It was to study abroad on the Imperial Academy. My father was willing to send me there as long as it can get rid of me. I was given a small amount of money then off I go to leave the mansion I had lived in for ten years. There was no such thing like going against my family¡¯s decision in my mind. ===== ¡ô I entered the Strategic and Political Science course on the Imperial Academy. The Imperial Academy is consisted of several courses. The Regular course is where the citizen normally studies. The Aristocrat clan member learns about land management. The Magician course is where magicians learn about magical techniques. The Knight course is where knights learn the path of chivalry and how to be a better knight. And the commerce and craftsmanship course is where merchants and craftsmen acquire their skill. And the course where I belonged to, the Strategic and Political Science, studies strategy and politic in general. In order to enter the Imperial Academy, anyone other than the aristocrats will have to pass an exam. By aristocrats, I mean those belonging to a clan with rank of Baron and above¡­¡­I, myself, am a member of a Baronet clan will have to join in on the exam. The exam was easier than I thought. It¡¯s all about what I¡¯ve read up until now. If it¡¯s not, an application of what I knew from the book would solve most of the problems. Several days later, I found out that I managed to pass the exam. Originally, I was supposed to enter the regular course¡­.but upon seeing my result, a professor made a special recommendation for me to enter the strategic and political science course instead. As for me, it did not matter where I would learn. The more important thing is my position as a student in the Imperial Academy. In fact, thanks to that, it was possible for me to read books at any time in the Great Library on the Imperial Capital. I found the best environment for myself like that. ===== ¡ô Three years had passed since I first enrolled to the academy. I never truly felt that the content of the lecture to be interesting to say the least. Because I already knew about most of them. Therefore, I often skipped my class. From time to time, I would even ignore the lecture, by either reading a book or dozing off. Because of my attitude¡­..naturally my daily grades were bad. However, I was able to keep my status as a student safe because I never failed during exams. Friends, I don¡¯t particularly care for it¡­.since I would leave them be unless they interested me. For instance, the horse riding games with chief George, helped me in regard to skipping classes. On one particular day. When I was about to doze off from listening to the lecture, I actually found something absurd in the professor¡¯s speech. He¡¯s saying: [A short spear is better than a long spear.] What the. I then pointed out while rubbing my eyes. [What teacher said is wrong.] The room became as if it¡¯s frozen over. [A¡­are you an idiot! This is what the ancient hero said!] [It depends on the situation. Indeed short spears has its advantages. However, it pales in comparison to the long spear in an open battlefield.] [You are just a class-cutting fool¡­..what on earth are you talking about!] [Then please tell something worth to hear so that I won¡¯t skip class.] The professor was a young honorary lecturer who was just assigned a few days ago. It seemed that he was very angry that I argued with him and deemed that it was a mistake on my part. However, the vice president of the academy, Professor Artorius who was also the honorary professor of the strategic and political science course heard about how he pushed me to withdraw from the course. When professor Artorius heard the story, [In that case, with other students¡¯ cooperation, why don¡¯t we judge which one is more beneficial in a simulated battle?] That¡¯s what he said. If the young professor won, then I¡¯ll be suspended. The young professor was delighted when he heard this. He immediately contacted the master of spear users and had him train his squad for 5 days and 5 nights. And then the day of the simulated battle arrived. The rumour about the battle was spread, causing a lot of audience to show up. Many people in the academy, even the general director, professors, students, and some aristocrats heard the rumour. They gathered in the knight course practice field to watch the simulated battle. Now then, in the meantime, the starting bell was rung. The short spear wielding students led by the young professor arrived a bit late. Meanwhile, the long spear wielding students already gathered and formed formation. Also when the long spear was brandished toward them, the short spear wielding students momentarily looked afraid. The moment I saw that situation, the bell was rung a second time. Following the signal, the long spear wielding students gave out loud shout, as they marched ahead with spear poised. The short spear wielding students were stopped on their tracks. At that point, the long spears were swung down. Countless stabs were launched within that short moment. The short spear wielding students dropped their spears and ran away. I saw in the distance, the young professor was shouting with red face. It¡¯s obvious to everyone that I¡¯ve won. ===== ¡ô The simulated battle became a hot topic in the academy. The young professor announced that he¡¯s retiring the very next day. I felt a little guilty and sorry for him somewhat¡­..but well, there was no other choice. About a week later, professor Artorius summoned me. He was the honorary lecturer of strategic and political science course and also the vice president of the academy. His lectures had many things not written in the books. Most of the contents were based on actual hands-on experience. [Why is there a lot of starved people in Arcadia; this is a difficult political problem] [Discrimination of status and all the disadvantages it brought.] [Looking at it from both the strategic and political views.] Although there were some contradicting contents in the middle¡­..it sparked my interest. I actually passed professor Artorius¡¯ lecture without dozing off nor reading other books. I headed to the professor¡¯s office. ===== ¡ô [Hi, sorry for being so sudden.] Professor Artorius motioned me to sit on the chair, which I did accordingly, albeit slowly. [I have something to tell you¡­¡­.Ah, do you like coffee? Drinking this has become a habit of me but¡­.] [Anything will do. Please don¡¯t worry¡­] Professor smiled widely upon hearing that, then started preparing the coffee with already familiar hands. Coffee is a kind of drink often drunk in the southern country Zarunagora. It tastes bitter, but has a deep flavor. Putting the cup in front of me, professor also sat in his chair and started speaking. [Lately, I heard you¡¯ve been skipping classes?] [¡­¡­¡­.] My expression turned sour upon that sudden question. [That¡¯s very much like you. Spending that time on the Imperial capital¡¯s great library?] While professor Artorius laughed, I raised my cup and sipped the coffee elegantly. My mouth was filled with bitterness. [Alright then¡­..I have something I¡¯d like to talk about concerning the simulated battle.] The professor lowered his sight a little as he spoke. [You seemed to only use 3 out 5 days to train the students, 1 day to rest, and 1 day to shout as loud as possible. Even on the training day, you only told them to thrust their spear forward.] He¡¯s probably reading the document about the event, all stacked there in front of him, then resumed his talking. [Why did you train them that way?] [So professor want to know why I did all that within those 5 days?] I put my cup back to the table and replied. [Indeed, it¡¯s more convenient for master spearmen to use short spears. But with regular soldiers¡­..the story is different, especially when they lack martial art prowess. And so, for this kind of amateurs to enter the battlefield¡­..long spears will be a better choice.] Professor Artorius listened to my explanation with interest. [I suppose the same thing also applies for actual warfare. It¡¯s impossible for everyone to be able to handle short spears like an expert after merely a year of training. Moreover¡­..if the movement is unified, even amateurs will be a threat when wielding long spears.] [I see¡­¡­.that¡¯s why you only asked them to do three things. But why 3¡­..no only 4 days of training?] [For regular students, do they really want to do something like this? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to keep them motivated by letting them train as they wanted?] Listening to my explanation, the professor was initially astonished, but then laughed loudly. [Well well. How enjoyable. You seem to have a bright future ahead of you.] After saying so, professor¡¯s face turned serious. [Now then. Shall we get to the real subject? There is someone who wants to meet you.] He then took out a piece of paper from his breast pocket. When I gave it a look, it seems to be an address. [You harbour a vast amount of knowledge. And you have a good talent too. However, you still lack actual experience. I want you to learn from that person. That is my recommendation.] [To tell the truth I¡¯m not really interested¡­..but since professor say that, I¡¯ll give it a try. Who is this person by the way?] The professor¡¯s reply to that question was particularly surprising to me who was still reading the address. [Kasim Sahid. People calls him¡ºWandering Great Soldier¡». Have you heard that name before?] ¡ºWandering Great Soldier Kasim¡» I¡¯ve heard of that name before and that he hailed from a faraway land. He¡¯s said to be a great soldier who brought victory no matter where he goes. Many aristocrats and even the emperor of this Holy Arcadia Empire seeks to employ him. But so far, none has seen his nodding head. After giving it a little thought, I asked professor. [Why did professor recommend me to meet him?] [The first reason¡­. Because there is something that you need the most.] The professor said so with a wide smile. [You see, your brain might contain vast amount of knowledge. But you also need to accumulate¡ºExperience¡»in order to use all of it properly. So why don¡¯t you try to fly around a little?] [Other than that?] [The second reason¡­.apparently that young professor still bears some grudges against you. It¡¯ll be dangerous for you to stay here for the time being.] [Aa¡­.I see. I can vaguely tell about that one already.] I did something that caused bad blood between us. In that case, it will be only a matter of time until that young professor attempts to get back at me. I let out a small sigh. [Lastly¡­¡­the other party wanted to meet you after hearing the tale about you. So I suppose it¡¯s not a bad arrangement.] Professor Artorius grinned while saying so, raising his cup to his lips once more. CH 18 Shion Tristan¡¯s Story of the past Part 2 ¨C Kasim Sahid With professor¡¯s recommendation letter, I went to sir Kasim Sahid¡¯s residence the next day. I supposed he¡¯s been informed in advance. [So you are Tristan? I¡¯ve heard the story from Artorius. Get in.] Sir Kasim allowed me to enter inside. Sir Kasim has sun tanned skin, but his hair was pure white. A turban was wrapped on top of his head, most likely the custom of his foreign country. Looking around the room¡­.it was sparsely decorated with only a small chair and table inside. He looked at my face which was filled with question. [I do not stay in one place for long. Therefore there is no need for more furniture.] He then smiled and laughed. [You are an interesting person. I¡¯ve heard about the simulated battle from Artorius. I wish to ask a few questions, do you mind?] Showing a friendly smile, we started talking. We first started with the simulated battle and later on, the talk developed into touching upon war stories and strategies. ===== ¡ô Sir Kasim questions were pretty much the same as what professor Artorius asked. So I merely replied him the same way as I did before. However, his responses were different. [I see. We have the same idea more or less. However, if it¡¯s me, other than shouting, and thrusting the spear uniformly, I would¡¯ve taught them one more thing.] [There is one more thing?] [That¡¯s right. It¡¯s ¡ºhow to escape¡»,] Sir Kasim laughed as he said so. I could only afford a [Ha] when I heard that. Looking at my expression, sir Kasim grinned. [Ho, you understand already?] [I see. Amazing. Indeed ¡ºEscaping¡»is also one form of strategy.] [¡ºEscaping¡»isn¡¯t something that we should be embarrassed about. I personally think that it¡¯s one of the important thing in warfare. If you are about to lose, you should still be able to escape, and only then you¡¯ll be able to rebuild and avoid the worst situation. We are dealing with people¡¯s lives after all. However, this is something that the more recent soldiers seem to lack¡­.they are too eager¡­.] Even forgetting to sleep, me and sir Kasim continued to discuss other topics. War stories, politics, history, heroes of the past both from the west and the east. Sir Kasim¡¯s stories were very interesting. Also, he was in possession of books I¡¯ve never seen before and even allowed me to read it. It¡¯s like we were meant to meet. One day quickly passed that way. Sir Kasim then said. [Say, Shion-kun. Your life is being targeted by that young professor who lost that simulated battle against you. Why don¡¯t we go look around the continent? We can ask Artorius to handle the academy matters.] Saying so, sir Kasim reached out to me slowly. [I¡¯ve been going on my own without taking any disciple so far. Because I never came across anyone that interested me. However¡­..at first I thought it¡¯s just Artorius¡¯ bragging, but after I talked to you, I¡¯m convinced. The Lord above has lined us up together¡­..no, I¡¯m such a¡ºBig Fool¡». This is probably destiny.] He finally laughed and said. [How about it? By formally becoming my disciple¡­..will you come along with me?] It was a proposal that I had no complaints about. Sir Kasim¡¯s story had been really interesting so far. I came to know things that I haven¡¯t before. In addition to that, we may come across rare books while travelling¡­.I truly had nothing to complain. Getting down on my knee, I accepted his hand and said. [I¡¯ve learned a lot from you in just one day. I would be pleased if you can teach me even more things in the future. Please show me the path, o¡ºGreat Fool¡». Master.] And that was how¡­..I became the disciple of the Wandering Great Soldier Kasim. ===== ¡ô I took a leave from the academy and wandered to various places alongside sir Kasim. Intervening with the conflict between aristocrats, joining the battle with a small country in the east and even taking part in the Zarunagora civil war on the South. Once sir Kasim picked a side, he¡¯ll devote himself to it and would lead his allies to victory. He would be awarded a prize, and most likely be offered to become an official. However he declined all of it. I once asked sir Kasim why he always did so. And to that question, sir Kasim replied: [I just haven¡¯t met a master that I should serve.] and laughed. His relation with a country would change once they know that they couldn¡¯t control him. He¡¯ll be a troublesome enemy if he is to go to the opposing faction. Some countries would try to persuade him while others would send assassins. Whatever the case, sir Kasim would handle the matter with a laugh then leave the country. There was nothing else to say about his attitude other than ¡®Superb¡¯. Everyday was really exciting. Moreover, I got to meet the leaders of various nations thanks to my position as sir Kasim¡¯s disciple and I got to read various books as well. Sir Kasim once said. Read books and study. Ancient wisdoms are sleeping inside books. Also, sometimes I also got to devise a plan in place of sir Kasim. Occasionally, sir Kasim would discuss with me during military councils. Each time, I would show off my strategy in front of many people. Sir Kasim would then look at me with satisfaction. Everyday was never the same. I was able to experience many things that I wouldn¡¯t be able to if I were to stay in the academy. ===== ¡ô I spent a few years with sir Kasim. I was also able to graduate thanks to professor Artorius¡¯ help. Apparently, he¡¯s forcibly persuaded other professors, forged some agreements with them or something else along that line. Not everyone accepted it of course¡­.well, considering I could graduate without even attending the academy, why should they accept it easily? Although I didn¡¯t really mind, there were still eyes looking at me in disgust. Of course I didn¡¯t attend my own graduation ceremony, it¡¯s already known that I¡¯m currently in a foreign land. Imperial Academy was already like a past to me now. And now, there were two letters. One was from my friend George. He seemed to be gathering officials in the imperial capital after retiring as a chief of the imperial academy¡­..he¡¯s a very sharp mind. Regarding political affairs, even I was no match for him. He¡¯s perhaps the greatest teacher in the history of the academy¡­. However he always had trouble suppressing his personality. Perhaps it¡¯ll cause a dispute later. Because he¡¯s the kind of man with not only a sharp mind but also sharp character at the same time¡­. His letter was immediately a complaint about the stance and motivation of officials in the capital, as well as a complaint about the aristocrats. And lastly, he also mentioned about my other friends¡­.it¡¯s been always his habit to do that. Apparently everyone was having a trouble there. I can only pray that¡­.they¡¯ll be safe while working. The other letter was from professor Artorius. It was the procedure I need to do before graduating as well as the recent happening on the capital. I still couldn¡¯t forget professor Artorius. Even now, I¡¯m able to learn under sir Kasim was also thanks to his recommendation and arrangement. Someday I¡¯ll have to pay the favor back¡­¡­I thought to myself. Enough talking about that. Now then. I kept wandering to various countries with sir Kasim after I graduated. Recently it¡¯s mainly me who devised the war strategy in place of sir Kasim. Age had started to get to sir Kasim. It became hard for him to move around too much. Therefore it¡¯s me who took over most of his duty. On a certain day, I saw sir Kasim with two letters. [Master¡­..those are¡­..?] [Let¡¯s first read the letters.] Both of them were letters requesting for cooperation as a military leader. The first one..came from the east of Holy Arcadia Empire, signed by Marquis Morlot. Up there¡­¡­.the territory of Baronet Tristan, my hometown, was included. The sender was Marquis Morlot. People, knights, and local lords were banding together to rebel. The request was for us to help suppress it. [Let them suppress the rebellion themselves if possible, I don¡¯t want to involve myself with the empire¡¯s matter for too much.] Currently the Arcadia Empire¡¯s rural areas were ruled with autonomy of the local aristocrats. Therefore they had huge power within their territory¡­.so what they fear the most is to have their territory confiscated. If rebellion was to happen, it¡¯ll be people who pay the price. If the main army of the Empire is being deployed¡­..half or more of the territory will surely be confiscated. The current emperor, Emperor Sephiros Arcadia has been trying to empower the royal family by directly commanding the increase of territory under the control of royal family and those connected to them. And he¡¯s been doing that mercilessly. [Marquis Morlot won¡¯t let such a bad rumor to spread¡­.perhaps it¡¯s due to his own trouble. But they have many warrior clans under their command. Also a large number of knights and soldier. Shouldn¡¯t they be able to handle the revolt by themselves?] [Well, they want to ensure their victory by relying on me.] That said, sir Kasim spread another paper on the table. It was a list regarding Marquis Morlot. [Highway robbery of civilians, plundering neighboring territory by working together with bandits, bribing the officials in the capital¡­.massacring the populace¡­..this is getting to out of hand.] Taking all that aside, he opened the other letter. [These are¡­..the request from the insurgents?] They didn¡¯t fare fairly well against Marquis Morlot. Also, about their current suffering under his rule. Apparently the rebellion army was formed spontaneously and is still figuring out their situation. [Marquis Morlot has three thousand knights and five thousand soldiers. Meanwhile¡­..the rebel only has two thousand farmers¡­.this will be tough.] Saying so, I was stunned upon seeing the rebel¡¯s letter. There was a list of people we can trust inside Marquis Morlot¡¯s territory, including several barons and baronets, knights that joined them, and among them: Imperial Baronet Luke Tristan Right. The name of my younger brother was written there. [Well¡­.clearly the rebel army is in a tough situation. Marquis Morlot came from a warrior clan, and his knights and soldiers are well-trained. The rebels in the meantime only has half the number of Marquis¡¯ army. Moreover, they don¡¯t have fighting experience¡­.at the very most they could only fight off several knights and soldiers¡­..well, which side you¡¯ll be taking?] Sir Kasim asked me. After giving it some quick thought, I raised my face and told sir Kasim my idea. This civil war¡­..was originally a revolt against the marquis. At first, it went unnoticed in the flow of history but later on, it become a well-known conflict in the history of Arcadia empire. The war became known as the [Slave War] ¡­¡­the conflict that started the aristocrats¡¯ discrimination against the beastmen. CH 19 Shion Tristan¡¯s Story of the past Part 3 ¨C Slave War I headed northwest where the territory of Marquis Morlot was located. When I first told my idea to sir Kasim, he was wide eyed in amazement. But then he laughed. [Well said. Then please do as you like.] That¡¯s all he said. Boarding the ship¡­..for the first time after several years, my mind was filled with thoughts of my hometown. ===== ¡ô My destination¡­.was Baronet Parom¡¯s territory which was the rebel¡¯s headquarters. Of course, I inevitably met with my brother. [Older brother¡­¡­it¡¯s been a long time¡­.] Meeting Luke again for the first time after several years¡­..his face hardened. I had ditched my responsibility as the first son, skimped swordsmanship and lived only by reading books. Thinking back about how I was the only one who got to study at the Imperial academy, I couldn¡¯t deny that I did have some feeling of guilt. [Luke¡­¡­it¡¯s been hard on you.] [No, it¡¯s nothing compared to the hardship that the people experienced.] Luke¡¯s attitude softened. We smiled to each other. But there was no time to rekindle our brotherhood. He¡¯s a clientele, and I¡¯m here to solve his predicament. Brought by Luke, alongside other barons and baronets, we entered the room of the leaders. There were 5 clans that caused the rebellion this time. The only baron among them, Baron Parom was the mastermind behind the rebellion. I was an acquainted with Baron Parom before. When he was still a baronet, he used to comfort me when I was troubled with something¡­..it¡¯s small things, but calming nonetheless. HIm becoming the mastermind¡­..I could only imagine what have driven him to this situation. [Oh¡­.to think that it¡¯ll be you who will come on behalf of Kasim-sama¡­¡­fate is truly strange¡­..] Baron Parom let out a little laugh. But I noticed that he had a subservient look in his eyes. It¡¯s hard to believe that he¡¯s the mastermind behind this rebellion. Comparing him to the figure of his past¡­¡­he looked like a different person now. [Why did you do something like this¡­.could you please tell me the reason?] Baron Parom curled his eyebrows to my question¡­.then began explaining. ===== ¡ô It appear that all of this started due to Marquis Morlot himself. This year, the northwestern part of Arcadia Empire kept having irregular weather, which in turn caused bad crops. Under that circumstance, the marquis actually raise the annual tax and procure materials to build his personal mansion. He also leeched on the other aristocrats who reside on the northwestern area. [The citizens had begun to starve. I heard the starvation was even worse for the slave servants¡­.it¡¯s like hell on earth.] Baron Parom then went to the Marquis to appeal for the plight of the people. But what he saw there¡­..was even more corpses of people dying from hunger. And only his mansion and lands remained fertile. [I voiced the complaints and plight of the people. But his answer¡­¡­was not what I expected¡­..] Marquis Morlot issued an order for Baron Parom to send his daughter, and as many women as possible to work as his slave servants. [My family is not a souvenir¡­.] Tears dropped from Baron Parom¡¯s eyes when he said that. [I knew that the whole area was suffering the same. I heard of how Marquis Morlot can be very unreasonable. Even if I reported this to the capital, it¡¯ll require power to crush the opposition. And so¡­.I gathered the like-minded clans around the area.] [Brother¡­..] Luke resumed the talking after Baron Parom was unable to endure his feelings and collapsed.. [It¡¯s not only Parom territory. Tristan clan¡¯s territory is also like hell¡­..would you please lend us a hand¡­..?] I observed Luke for a while. He had wrinkles on his forehead which didn¡¯t exist before¡­.probably due to a lot of hardships. After looking at the situation some more, I opened my eyes and replied. [My only condition is for all of you to follow my instruction unconditionally. If all of you can do so, then I will surely lead us to victory. Will you agree to that?] And naturally¡­there was none who opposed to my condition. ===== ¡ô My aim this time was quite simple. Isolate the Marquis capital, and take his head. [First of all, let¡¯s increase the number of our forces.] [No, it¡¯s difficult to increase the number as of now¡­.] [Set the slave servants free. I¡¯ll handle the rest.] Many of those slaves were beastmen and long eared elves. Both are actually highly capable of fighting. A strong troops can be formed by recruiting them. However, Baron Parom shook his head upon hearing it. [¡­¡­.but how would the church think about that¡­..] [Did the church have anything to do with all og this?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­.] Presently, the church is enforcing the discrimination against the demi-human races. The church has a particularly huge influence in the empire, so it¡¯s hard to go against them. Certainly it would enrage the church if we do it in the open. But our first priority now is too survive. [Clean up the problem in front of you first. We¡¯ll keep the matter of the demi-humans for later.] I resumed the talking. [The situation will greatly shift if we release the demi-humans free. So it must be well within our target.] Starting from the 5 territories, I decided to release the slave servants and incorporate them into the army. I even advertised it on neighboring town and cities. That¡¯s not all. I also spreaded some rumours regarding Marquis Morlot to the public. Tax will continue to rise starting from now. If you won¡¯t obey, your whole family will be killed. If the slaves rebelled, they will receive similar punishment. If they don¡¯t rise up now, there won¡¯t be any tomorrow for them. A few days later, a lot of people contacted me wanting to join the rebellion. And, at the same time, the city officials said that they were overwhelmed by the momentum of people who started to enter the camp one after another. Listening to this news, Baron Parom and Luke were surprised. [No way¡­..in less than a month, to become this great of a scale¡­..] [It¡¯s all thanks to Marquis Morlot¡¯s past deeds. This is even more than I expected.] I laughed after saying so. Yes, it was more than I expected. Many clans under the Marquis and towns under his rule decided to switch sides. This way, the fire I started began to burn steadily, and it¡¯s only about time for it to spread to the whole northwestern area. ===== ¡ô [Southwest of Tyrol, we¡¯ll commence the decisive battle here at the swamp area.] Saying that, I explained the strategy while pointing to the map with a fan. After listening to me, I noticed that the aristocrats who were present at the military council sighed. [Pardon me but will you hear me out a little?] One aristocrat raised the question. [Certainly you strategy is amazing. But there is only Marquis Capital on the northwest. He still have a lot of clans and towns under his rule¡­¡­ would it be better to take our time and act carefully?] The tone was calm, but the accusation that lies inside his words was evident. [Attacking thoroughly¡­.it does sound good. Less people will die that way, we might really be able to do it.] [Then¡­.] [However, time is not on our side. If we wait for too long, the empire regular army will soon arrive here. If the¡ºMad Prince¡»or¡ºTiger of Saxon¡»was the one who leads the subjugation army, it¡¯ll be no doubt that the whole northwest area will end up charred.] Listening to my reasoning, all of them turned pale. [Therefore, we¡¯ll have to end this war decisively, then try to stabilize the land as soon as possible. We¡¯ll have to manage somehow.] To that, the aristocrat who raised the question earlier spoke once more. [In that case, I have one more question. What about using cavalry?] [Since it¡¯s Baron Descartes, I don¡¯t have any complaints!] [I will just follow!] The young aristocrats became excited. Perhaps they were all on Descartes¡¯ side. However. It was Baron Parom who came to shield me. [Lord Descartes. You are certainly young and brave¡­.but this time we have agreed to follow Tristan¡¯s instruction¡­] All of them were noticeably disgusted being doused like that. They then started to raise their voice. [Really now, what a general! He didn¡¯t even listen to our suggestions while devising strategies.] The contempt was obvious in each word. [Well, that¡¯s fine. But Tristan-dono, have you decided to leave out the most important thing to everyone here? Will you be able to keep your end of bargain?] [Yes, of course. I will keep my promise, brave Descartes.] Hearing my answer, he nodded and left the military council. ===== ¡ô The council is over. All other aristocrats had left, leaving only Luke, Baron Parom and me alone. [Although many answered to our call, why is it really hard to put everyone together¡­..] Baron Parom seemed to about to cry. [But older brother¡­..are you sure you can fulfill that promise? There is no way that the Marquis will give up the¡ºright to represent the area¡»so easily¡­¡­.] Luke was also confused. Previously, I told to the other aristocrats misinformation about the Marquis¡¯ depravity. That the one with the greatest achievement in taking down the Marquis will retain the right to represent the area. [Originally the rebellion was incited by baron Parom. Even if he¡¯s already quite advanced in term of age¡­..] Descartes joined us late after other local aristocrats had gathered. However thanks to his high rank, he¡¯s been showing attempts to move behind our back. In addition to that, he¡¯s not completely agreeing with the decision to free the slave servants, saying that they will only wage violence. [Luke, I know you meant well. But¡­..that fellow is necessary. Endure it for a while.] That guy is necessary to put everyone together. I have to bind him here somehow. While comforting my angry brother, I thought about the future battle. ===== When I walked in the hallway. [Shion-sama, please wait.] A voice stopped me. When I turned around, it was baron Parom¡¯s only daughter, Rina Parom. [Oh, Rina. How have you been?] [Umm¡­.is my father alright? He¡¯s not obstructing, is he?] A smile bloomed abruptly without me realizing. [Erm¡­.did I say something strange?] [No¡­..pardon me. No problem. The baron is working with me properly.] Rina in turn smiled after hearing my reply. [That¡¯s good to hear¡­.I thought that my indecisive father would only pull your legs down. Anyways, if there is something you need, please tell me.] Rina has a gentle character like her father. However, she can also act out of character from time to time. Becoming brave, and sometimes a bit hot blooded. Once, fully armed, she said that she¡¯ll lead the army in place of her father. That appearance when she¡¯s wearing light armor with her hair coiffed was that of a female knight. However, she¡¯s still indeed a Baron¡¯s daughter. There was still a lady-like atmosphere around her. Even I, who rarely had any interest in interacting with woman, found her rather attractive. (If this girl was a boy instead¡­..Baron Parom would¡¯ve thought differently¡­.) Coming to this place, after talking and getting to know the personality, I could think this much. (This girl will balance well with Luke¡­.) [Anyways Rina-dono. Do you mind if I ask for one thing?] [Yes! What is it!?] [Lina-dono, have you already had a gentleman decided in your mind??] [Na!?] Fumu, she¡¯s visibly upset. I guess it¡¯s too impulsive of me. [Ah, no, it¡¯s fine. That kind of thing will come naturally. Please forget it.] [¡­¡­why did Shion-sama suddenly ask about such a thing?] Rina asked while having a blushing face. I should tell her honestly to avoid misunderstanding. [Well, my clan¡¯s Luke has come to age and I wonder if you two are a match¡­.] [Shion-sama¡­¡­is the worst.] Oh? I wonder why she became angry¡­..I really don¡¯t understand woman¡¯s heart. While looking at the Rina-dono leaving angrily¡­.I tilted my head. ===== ¡ô A few days later. The marquis marched to marsh together with his prided knights in response to us setting our camp there as expected. [Foolish peasants. I will crush you all thoroughly!] I could tell what he said even from a distance. [He¡¯s really a simple man. I didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯ll come with such a simple invitation.] I took off my glasses. [Now then, we shall commence as planned. Will that be okay?] [ [ [Affirmative] ] ] And the decisive battle began. ===== ¡ô Marquis Molrot ordered his heavy cavalry to assault. The tradition of cavalry has been handed down from generations in Molrot¡¯s clan. The heavy cavalry charge killed off a lot of adversaries. [Go! Let those smart asses see with their own eyes!] The cavalry started to move swiftly. The target is the enemy headquarters. However¡­..it developed into something that Marquis Molrot would never expected. [Your Excellency! It¡¯s impossible!! We can¡¯t proceed any further!] [What did you say!] [The horse¡¯s feet are stuck on the swamp¡­..uwaaa!] Naturally¡­the swamp has been tinkered with. I strewn dried grass all over to give an impression that the swamp isn¡¯t deep, while in really had dug it out to make it even deeper¡­. Moreover the heavy cavalry acted as planned. [Foolish peasants. So you actually have some brains. To setup a trick like this¡­.] Baron Parom muttered after looking at the confused enemy cavalry. [For a fool like him, this trap is truly fitting. He would never give something like this a deep thought before proceeding.] That said, I pointed my fan and started to give more instruction. [Now then, let¡¯s enter the second phase. Attack the cavalry that is currently stuck in the swamp en masse] With my signal, starting with Luke and Maria-dono, the aristocrats in their respective field started to shout out instructions all at once. [Yosh! Fire!] Every soldiers, and the freed slave servants all released the arrows all at once at the cavalry. Those who can use magic would shoot out offensive magic. The swamp was soon turned into hell on earth. [How dare those bastards¡­¡­retreat! retreeeeat!] Marquis Morlot could be seen escaping in a hurry. [And that have made it a checkmate.] For the place he ran into¡­.. [I am Baron Descartes! Morlot! Prepare to feel our wrath!] [Bastard!] And then Morlot was beheaded by Descartes without question. ===== This battle¡­.became two important points in the history. The first was about this particular battle. In the history of Arcadia empire, this will be the first time slave servants joined a battle, thus earning this battle the name of¡ºSlave War¡»later on. After this battle, many demi-humans would move for independency¡­..this was only the beginning. The second was¡­.the entrance of [Shion Tristan] name in history. His presence gave huge influence to many points in the history. CH 20 Shion Tristan¡¯s Story of the past Part 4 ¨C Encounter Now then, let¡¯s talk about the aftermath. The news regarding the huge rebellion on the Northeast naturally reached the imperial capital and the deployment of the regular army to suppress it was in consideration. However, it was quickly called off due to how the situation had quickly been settled. Marquis Morlot has been dealt with. His territory confiscated and became the Second Princess¡¯ territory in return. On the rebel¡¯s side¡­¡­the responsible representative. Well, of course it¡¯s Baron Descartes. After the fall of Marquis Morlot, I knew that Descartes will be held responsible. Then, how come it¡¯s not Baron Parom instead? That¡¯s where Baron Descartes entered the stage. That person is too ambitious. So I reckoned that I can use it to our benefit. Therefore, I spreaded ¡®baits¡¯ around him. And then, that guy¡­..took it hook, line, and sinker. Baron Descartes was charged as the mastermind behind the rebellion. However, he seemed to have escaped execution by giving up his territory. Perhaps also because a lot of people favored him for his bravery. As for the soldiers under him, it¡¯s been settled that the First Prince will take over them. The slaves assembled during the revolt¡­..harsh rules will be issued against them. But before that happen, I planned to let them escape. Eastward is the Schwarzer Territory, which is known to be tolerant to demi-humans. I¡¯ll sprinkle a bit of the spoils of war from Marquis Morlot¡¯s treasury, so that they can escape there more easily. Peace has returned to the Northwest region. ===== ¡ô Returning to the capital, I headed back to sir Kasim¡¯s residence. But he wasn¡¯t there, only a letter remained. The contents, were about his seclusion and my future. First, I want to retire to a certain place, and I forbid you from looking for me. Next, you are younger than me by more than a decade. Starting from now, the continent will be slowly engulfed in turmoil. Many heroes will appear, and one of them will surely be able to guide you. About that, you¡¯ll know since you have the talent for it. After reading the letter I packed up, and once again heading to the Northwest region. I¡¯ve decided to return to Tristan territory. I¡¯ll open a private school there and watch how the trend goes as time marches on. I asked Luke about it, and he in turn gave me a small house in the territory. I opened my private school there. Along the way Lina Parom-dono continuously pushed me to accept her as my disciple. I¡¯ve declined every single time since she¡¯s Baron Parom¡¯s only daughter, but Lina-dono would keep returning to persuade me. No matter how many times I refused¡­..she insisted to go along with me. Then¡­¡­few years went by since then. I¡¯ve been teaching kids to read and write¡­..as well as refusing the invitations from many to become an official. Apparently, my name became famous after that rebellion. The fact that many aristocrats have been coveting sir Kasim, and that he himself had paraded me around the continent few years before didn¡¯t help either. Saying that I¡¯m a person with [Tenfolds of Talents] Really now, he¡¯s truly who a master who could foresee many things. Today I received another invitation from the officials, and I intended to refuse it as per usual. Yes, I intended to [refuse] back then¡­. ===== ¡ô I met him when I was lying on a tree while reading my book. The sudden sound of footsteps made me cease my reading. [Well then, is there anything I can do for you?] [Aa, sorry. I disturbed you, didn¡¯t I?] Saying that, that person laughed and continued speaking to me. [Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Ares Schwarzer. Schwarzer clan¡¯s young lord.] [Hou, what is the son of the Archduke doing in public place like this?] I quickly looked up as I said that. [I wanted to meet you, didn¡¯t I already inform you before?] [For what reason? Only a fool of an aristocrat would want to meet a teacher of a private school in the countryside in person.] Laughing, he then told me a name. [Kasim Sahid. I heard about you from him. ¡ºOne thing, I have a great fool of a disciple that I want you to meet¡»he said.] He then quietly sat next to me. [A recommendation to become your officer¡­..is it?] [Eh? I don¡¯t mean that, alright? I came here because he asked me to meet you¡­.to be really honest that¡¯s the only thing I intended to do¡­..] I was speechless. This Archduke¡¯s son seemed to sense that I felt troubled. [Anyways, Kasim asked me to see how you are faring. Also, professor Artorius spoke good things about you. It¡¯s just that¡­..I don¡¯t choose a retainer just from the recommendation and story of other people. If you don¡¯t even know me, then how would you serve me?] [Well¡­..that¡¯s indeed true.] It¡¯s strange. I was taken in by his pacing. However¡­..it didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable. Our conversation continued until sunset. Recent events, histories, and about people¡­. apparently he¡¯s also the imperial academy student. Talking about the current condition of the academy and also about professor Artorius, loud laughters could be heard. After finished speaking about that, the air turned grim all of a sudden¡­¡­and he continued. [Okay, I can see now after talking to you. What Kasim and professor Artorius weren¡¯t lies¡­¡­..I¡¯m considering to recruit you. Of course, I will prepare a job that is proper for you.] I felt down. I was having a good time after a long while¡­.and it turned out ot be yet another recruitment? [Ha. I don¡¯t intend to serve anyone at the moment, alright?] [Eh? No¡­¡­well, certainly you have a brilliant mind, but something like that, isn¡¯t up to me to decide. I¡¯ll have to consult with my Father first.] Ares laughed as he said so. [That said, how about being an archive officer? Since there are quite a lot of books on the mansion, I¡¯m thinking to hire someone to keep them in order¡­¡­well, because when we talked earlier, I noticed that you seem to like books. I don¡¯t mind if you decline¡­..so how about it?] I wonder how many times already I have been surprised since I started talking with him? Later on when I asked Lina-dono who happened to see us, she said that my mouth was left agape for many times, which in turn also astonished her. [Kukuku, wonderful. I feel like I¡¯ll be entertained no matter where you go¡­.how fun¡­..] [That¡¯s¡­..errr? Did I say something weird?] I turned towards Ares-sama, kneeled before him and said. [This Shion Tristan will swear my allegiance not to the country or clan, but only to¡ºyou¡»from now on.] ===== ¡ô One of the Six Heavenly Generals, [Heavenly Wisdom] Shion Tristan. He can also be considered as the leader of the [Arestia Seven Wise men]. After this, with him as the center, Schwarzer territory, as well as the later [Arestia Dominion] would become domestically developed, and their weaponry became even more advanced. In addition to that, it can be said that the subsequent strategical movements were born from his brain. [Superior in strategy, win by tactics] was quoted from him. This was also how he achieved successes in what was commanded to him. Although later on, Shion Tristan would serve as first general of Arestia dominion¡¯s military power just below Ares Schwarzer himself in terms of influence, it is said that he¡¯s not really interested in that position and would want to retire as soon as possible. The position he cherished the most, and one that he held till the end¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..was said to be ¡ºSchwarzer clan Archive Officer¡». CH 21 At the Dragon Ranch After hearing Shion¡¯s advice, Ares headed to the Schwarzer clan¡¯s Dragon Ranch on foot. The dragon ranch started operating a few years ago. When he got the chance to talk with everyone, Shion said [If we have a dragon rider squad, it will greatly change the battlefield.] That¡¯s what he said. He didn¡¯t seem serious, and his tone was casual at best. The others, thinking that it¡¯s impossible, also smiled. However, Sigurd became motivated with this remark. [Dragon Rider squad¡­..doesn¡¯t that sound exciting? It¡¯s worth a try.] If Sigurd, the one who was raised by the Ancient Dragon said that it¡¯s possible, then who wouldn¡¯t go along? Therefore, Ares decided to leave it to Sigurd. Sigurd first prepared a pasture as the dragon¡¯s breeding ground with his close friend Arnold, then tried to gather the dragons with the plan to use them as cavalry unit in mind. Gathering the dragons was fairly easy. By making use the Ancient Dragon¡¯s¡¸Intimidation¡¹, they managed to capture several adolescent draconic creatures. The main aim is the red dragon salamanders and the winged dragon wyverns. However, both have rough temperament and totaled buildings when they go on a rampage. The problem of them attacking each other also born. Even so, Sigurd marched on. Starting with Arnold, his subordinates, who were former gladiators began to raise complaints¡­¡­but Sigurd ignored them all. [If I can ride them, then anyone else also can.] That was Sigurd¡¯s reasoning. But Arnold and the others¡­ [Don¡¯t compare someone who¡¯s been raised by a dragon to regular people] I wanted to say that. But Sigurd didn¡¯t appear to be fazed. And so, Arnold and the others could only follow through. But then¡­¡­it seemed that their effort was worth it, as they became able to climb on the dragon¡¯s back. [Why do I, who was used to swinging a sword, have to act as a farmer and keep a ranch running?] That was how Arnold, a former gladiator, later complained. ===== ¡ô When Ares arrived at the Dragon Ranch, he immediately consulted to Arnold. [Hi, Arnold. How are you doing?] [Ah? Milord. Well, the dragons are doing fine¡­..] There was a breaking sound in the distant. [¡­¡­.I guess they are too healthy¡­.haha] [Ah, I see. That¡¯s good to hear. Then. Here is the main subject, is there a dragon that me and one other person could ride on?] [Well¡­..before that, what is Milord intending to do?] [Ahh¡­.I wish to bring Sharon flying in the sky¡­¡­] [He? Milord, don¡¯t tell me, that Milord is going to use the dragon on a date?] Arnold returned the question with an incredulous face. [No, I don¡¯t plan to do that. But, there is¡­ the usual thing that happened.] [Ah, atonement for your fight?] Saying that, Arnold laughed, and pointed at two dragons. [I think that Fire Dragon Salamander and that Winged Dragon Wyvern could be considered adults already and should be fine to be ridden.] Looking towards where he pointed at, there was a red dragon salamander and a blue winged dragon wyvern lined up quietly. The fire dragon salamander is a fire-based draconic creature. It¡¯s a magic beast characterized by its powerful fire breath. If it appears, usually this heinous creature cannot be put down unless one army division is deployed. The winged dragon wyvern is a draconic creature that specializes in flight. They attack from the sky with their powerful claws. An army is also needed to take it down. [Well, aside from the winged dragon wyvern, the red dragon salamander is definitely an adult already.] [Good gracious, it¡¯s such a hard thing to do. But, the other dragons are gradually getting used to being ridden. Perhaps the dream of having a dragon rider squad is not so far off anymore?] Arnold then laughed. [I suppose Milord is satisfied with this? If the time allows, please bring Sharon-sama along next time.] ===== ¡ô Arnold Neuer was formerly known as a gladiator in the imperial capital. He was famous for leading the slave gladiator on a rebellion to escape the capital alongside Sigurd. It was to the Schwarzer territory where he escaped to with the other slave gladiators. There, they obtained their true freedom. Afterward, together with Sigurd, he founded the Dragon Knight Brigade. Serving as Sigurd¡¯s deputy and closest friend, he would take an active role on numerous battlefields alongside his beloved steed, a fire dragon salamander. He¡¯s a member of ¡ºSix Heavenly Generals¡» as well as the¡ºTwelve Heroes¡». CH 22 At his room¡­ By the time Ares returned from the Dragon Ranch, it was already dark outside. [Haa. It took longer than I thought¡­..Theta will surely be mad at me¡­..] Theta is a maid who served as an exclusive servant since several years ago. The girl was two years older than Ares. She got recruited since she had no relatives left to take care of her. She is kind and friendly to everyone. She¡¯s also good at her job. On top of that, as time went by, she became quite popular within the household. In addition to that, apparently there are a lot of suitors who are interested in creating a relationship with her. But I heard that Theta has declined any offer for relationship. ===== When I returned to my room [Returning very late today, didn¡¯t you, Milord?] I was called out, the voice coming from behind me. [Aah, Theta¡­¡­I¡¯m home¡­..] Nooo, th-that face is too scary, Theta. Ares then took a look at Theta carefully. Ares always thought that Theta is a cute girl. Yes, it¡¯s more fitting to say that she¡¯s cute rather than beautiful. Shiny neck length black hair. Big eyes whose color matches her hair. Porcelain-like, translucent skin. And bulging pair of breasts that stretches her uniform to the brim¡­.. More than that is her firm working attitude No wonder a lot of people seems to have a crush on her. But now¡­¡­the smile on that cute face¡­¡­¡­. (Her eyes tell otherwise¡­.!!) [Have you considered that you¡¯ve done something rude just now?] [No! It¡¯s nothing!!] He replied in spite of himself¡­.. This girl¡¯s intuition gave Ares cold sweats. [Well nevermind. Welcome back. How is today going?] [Ah, today¡­.] Ares was about to speak regarding today¡¯s affair. However, Theta was quick to cut in with the shorter version. [So to apologize to Sharon-sama, not knowing what to do, by borrowing Shion-sama¡¯s wisdom, Milord made an appointment at Arnold-sama Dragon Ranch to enjoy air travel¡­¡­.am I correct?] Waitwaiwait. How did you know everything? Ares stared at Theta dubiously. Meanwhile, Theta seemed to be slightly saddened. [It¡¯s unfair.] [Ha?] [It¡¯s always Sharon-sama. I also want Ares-sama to reward me once in a while.] [A reward¡­.well, I think I¡¯ve done lots of thing with Theta¡­..] Yes, there were various things already. As parts of Ares¡¯ hobby, they would go to restaurants, and often visit festival-like events together¡­..it can¡¯t be considered as ¡®unfair¡¯ here¡­¡­ [I also want to travel in the air!!] [Eee!? Well that¡¯s¡­¡­] To be really honest, Ares didn¡¯t want Theta to meet Sharon again just yet¡­..or else, their cold war will be ignited once more¡­..after some begging on Ares¡¯ part though, they would show that they are getting along well, which is a wonder in itself¡­.. [It¡¯s a given for me to get a reward after serving here everyday? Am I right?] [Y¡­Yes¡­] When Ares nodded unintentionally, a smile bloomed on Theta¡¯s face. [Well then¡­.. Please excuse me] As he watched Theta lowered her head and took her leave¡­..Ares thought about the future¡­.and couldn¡¯t help but to hold his head. CH 23 Devil ~Story of a certain bandit~ This is the story about how Ares met Theta. How did that happen?? ===== The bandit leader kept standing without knowing their situation. Many of his subordinates had their neck severed, then another, and another one¡­.. ¡­ The village raid went out so well earlier. Launching a surprise attack at night, they killed the village chief and all of the villagers who could put a fight, then the village immediately submitted to them. The rest was obvious, they plundered the village coffer, raped the women, then sold all of the remaining villagers to become slave. Drinking the liquor, he could already imagine himself having a good time with one of the women¡­ That is, until the white devil appeared. ¡­ [Boss! I, it¡¯s the white devil. The white devil has appeared!!] [Aa!? What was that just now I don¡¯t hear you!?] He was too drunk to hear the shout properly. He turned around towards his subordinate with unhappy face.. And at that moment, the reporting subordinate¡¯s head flew off and landed on his lap. There was a moment of silent. Then the place was thrown into chaos. [Aa? What the? This is!?] ¡­ I panickely looked at the severed head. The expression was that of fear. It¡¯s evident from the severed wound that it came from a very sharp blade. When I raised my head again, there was a short statured man carrying a white sword walking forward from behind the now deceased subordinate. I realized that he¡¯s but a boy when I gave him another look. But an overwhelming pressure was being released from the body of that young boy. He looks just like a young pretty boy, but his appearance right now reeked of unspeakable terror. Right, it¡¯s as if I¡¯m looking at an Ancient Dragon¡­..no one among us who looked at him was able to move, as if we¡¯ve been struck by thunder. [Is this all the members of this bandit group??] Looking more thoroughly, I noticed that the parts that weren¡¯t covered by his white clothes, like his cheek and hands, were splattered in blood, but yet strangely enough¡­¡­. there was not a single stain on his white clothes. Which only add to the terror. [Now then, I¡¯m a bit tired today. I don¡¯t feel really well cause I¡¯m splattered with blood. I, the white emperor is so arrogant that I don¡¯t even bother to touch myself¡­..so let¡¯s finish this already. Well, I don¡¯t intend to kill you guys quickly, so it¡¯ll be painful. I guess that¡¯s the only you can atone after everything that you¡¯ve done] [Who¡­on earth¡­ are you¡­] [A©`, who said you¡¯re allowed to speak? You can only speak when I say so] With that, the boy swung his sword. And at that moment [Gyaaa!] [Gyiiiiii!!] Several men had their arms and legs severed at the same time. Following that, the room was filled with wails of pain. [Is it painful? The same holds true for the village you¡¯ve destroyed.] Saying so, the boy started to swing his sword seemingly in a nonchalant manner. And from there, was one-sided massacre. Regardless of those who backed away, trying to escape, or even attempting to challenge him back, everyone received the same fate equally. It was a strange sight. How heads flying off at the mere flick of his sword. ¡­ I was alone before I knew it. And that boy is approaching me. [You are the leader of this band. Now then. How will you choose to die? First¡­] [Fo, forgive me!! Please spare my life] I don¡¯t care anymore about pride. A head of a bandit group¡­¡­kneeling on the ground begging for his life to a young boy. What a ridiculous sight that would be. That¡¯s not important right now. But my last hope was quickly washed away. The moment I did that, my hand flew away. [Gyaaaaaaa!!] [I¡¯m not done talking here. You¡¯re not allowed to speak. First is to be decapitated as is. Second is to be immolated by magic. Third is¡­.] [Noooooooooooooooo! I don¡¯t want to dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!] Something inside me broke. It¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary it¡¯s scary Right, it was that overwhelming. [Fear of death] The boy looked at me who was in a half-crazed state. [Ah, he broke unexpectedly easy. Well then, I guess becoming a subject for magic experiment it is.] He muttered. [This is a magic that will cause you to wander in the darkness forever. I don¡¯t know what will actually happen since this will be the first time I use it¡­..hopefully you don¡¯t die from it, although you¡¯ll still end up in the dark forever¡­ well, consider it like going to another world, I guess?] ¡­ Are you joking? That¡¯s what I thought, but I couldn¡¯t put it out into words. There are still a lot of thing I haven¡¯t done. I still want to keep killing, keep robbing, keep committing crimes. I became a bandit because that¡¯s the only way I can rampage on freely. To hell with working honestly. Once I tasted it, I couldn¡¯t get enough of robbing. I was planning to have more enjoyment by attacking more villages¡­. [Evil Eyes¡­..] His magic wrapped my body right after he muttered those words. My consciousness was soon sucked into the darkness. ===== Ares laughed in an amused mood while watching the bandit leader got swallowed by the darkness. [Being called devil by bandits¡­eh? Sounds good. That¡¯s like the best praise I can get.] That said, Ares took out a handkerchief from his breastpocket, and walked away as he wiped the blood stains. CH 24 Angel ~Theta¡¯s Story of the Past~ My name is Theta. A normal village girl you could find everywhere. Today, I¡¯d like to talk about how I met Ares-sama. Was it about 10 years ago¡­..? ===== ¡ô My parents passed away in an epidemic and I was raised by the village chief who was my relative. The village chief had no child, so he cherished me veryly. Although we were poor, we could still live day to day and I¡¯m fine and happy with that. That is until those vile devils appeared. One evening, our village was attacked by bandits. The village chief who was like a parent to me was killed, the influential people and the young ones were also killed as a show of power. The remaining villagers who witnessed everything, soon surrendered to the bandits. Women will have to comfort the bandits while the men and children will be sold as slaves. I only saw darkness in our future. [Boss! What will we do with this little girl?] [That little girl is a looker! Probably an aristocrat might buy her for a high price!] The bandit leader pointed at me while laughing. [Those people always prefer girls like this! Money won¡¯t be problem for them!] The other bandits laughed in response. Apparently, I¡¯ll become a plaything for an aristocrat. I¡¯ll bite my tongue off before that happen. At that time, I was prepared to do so. However, it¡¯s not something that can easily be done even if you want it. I was just but a little girl. My body won¡¯t stop trembling in fear. Time is ticking. When will you actually do it? The room where we were being held was at the deepest part of a cave that became the bandits¡¯ base. I was there with dozens other women. Yes, we were just waiting for our fate at the mercy of those bandits¡­. At that time. Suddenly, the door opened. It wasn¡¯t the rough voice of a man, but rather a calm and gentle voice that came from beyond that door. [Are you alright? Is there anyone who is injured?] I raised my head, attracted by that voice. The one standing there was not a bandit, but a boy slightly younger than me. That boy¡­.was just slightly younger than me. But yet, that calm and collected face and those pure white clothes. They reminded me of the figure of angels depicted on the church. [Angel¡­sama?] [I guess you¡¯re still surprised. The bandits have been taken care of. You are free. There is no need to be scared anymore.] At first, I couldn¡¯t quite get what the Angel-sama was saying. But when I gradually realized that we¡¯re saved, my tears started to overflow. [I, I¡­..up until, just now¡­.I really don¡¯t know what to do¡­..I thought about dying but I just couldn¡¯t do it¡­.] As I murmured, the boy approached me and gently hugged me. [It¡¯s alright now. Those bad people is already gone now. But I guess, it¡¯s still scary, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s alright¡­..cry as much as you want.] As soon as I heard that, a feeling of relief, the sadness from losing my family and the hatred towards the bandits ¡­.various emotions washed over me, and I ended up crying loudly on that boy¡¯s chest. ===== The angel then told me that his name is Ares-sama. Ares-sama also released the villagers and children who were being held in different rooms, and guided us outside. Once outside¡­..there were a lot of soldiers. We were surprised¡­..but the soldiers freely spoke to Ares-sama. [What the¡­ done already?] [Milord¡­..you are being unreasonable as usual. Not telling your arrival¡­..Such things, could you please stop it? Milord just arrived back at Romaria. Yet already set out again early in the morning.] [My bad, my bad. Look, I¡¯m alright and the villagers are safe.] [As usual with the superhuman feats¡­.is Milord really a human?] [That¡¯s awful, Rouen¡­¡­but didn¡¯t it work just fine?] [Please act more accordingly to your standing. By the way¡­.I¡¯ve prepared the carriage as per what is written on the letter.] [Great! Rouen is always so understanding.] Just like that, the soldier-san and Ares-sama talked in a friendly manner. The people of my village was moved to the capital Romaria. It¡¯ll be difficult to function properly as a village and it¡¯s good to be able to live in a safer place for a change. Of course, nobody was against to that. We rode on the carriage that the soldiers have prepared. But no one dared to speak to Ares-sama¡¯ since we were wary of his origin. However I. [E-excuse me!] I built up my courage and spoke to Ares-sama. [I¡­..I can do any kind of chores. From washing clothes to cooking. So¡­..can I work for Ares-sama?? I would like to repay you for saving my life!] Although I expected that it¡¯s no good, I still tried regardless. I have no family left. I didn¡¯t have any place left to go. Anything¡­.I would do anything to repay for everything you¡¯ve done for me¡­.I don¡¯t want to be an ungrateful person. Even my late parents taught me to always repay other¡¯s kindness to you with gratitude. Ares gave it a thought for a while albeit with a troubled face, [I do have to find someone to take care of my personal belongings on Romaria. Very well. You can come with me.] He said so as he laughed. [You see the carriage at the back with a different shape than the others? That¡¯s where I put my luggage. Please tell them to advance more carefully although they have to keep up with other carriages.] [Y-yes! Thank you very much!] Surely Ares-sama could already tell. How lonely I¡¯ll become after we reached Romaria. And also my feelings. To what extent, I do not know but that was how I ended up serving as Ares-sama personal maid. Ten years later¡­¡­I¡¯m happy to be able to serve on Ares-sama¡¯s side. All the while, I got along with many people who frequently go in and out of the mansion. There are also some who seems to have some feelings for me. I really appreciate the thought, but¡­.. My feelings are all for Ares-sama. For that person¡­..I¡¯d devote everything from the last of my hair, and every drop of my blood. ===== ¡ô After that, Theta would take care of Ares¡¯ belongings as a personal servant that was exclusive to him. The girl¡¯s name was mentioned in history books. Later becoming one of Ares¡¯ queens; Queen Theta Schwarzer. But even after becoming a Queen, she would still constantly take care of Ares¡¯ personal belongings and it is said that Ares would only drink tea if it¡¯s the tea she personally made. CH 25 Chapter 25 ¨C Inside the Dream [So, boy, between Sharon-chan and Theta-chan, which one will you choose?] Ares was listening to the voice silently. His expression¡­..was empty. Why do I have to get this preaching even in my dream? Ares thought. [Boy¡­..are you listening?] [I¡¯m listening.] Before him was one of the three soul memories; a famous figure in history He is Gilbert Goraye. .[In the first place, which one¡­..do you actually like? That daughter of a merchant who was great at the academy or the three sisters who you rescued the other day, or that girl you met in the slums of the imperial capital, or that¡­.] [Aaa¡­..cut it out already¡­..] Ares had an increasingly frustrated look on his face. [In the first place, boy, you are too indecisive when it comes to relationships between man and woman. Do you understand? When it comes to the relation between man and woman¡­] Gilbert began his sermon. At that moment, [Oi, you need to do something soon.] Another voice came from the other side. It was belonged to the other soul memory, Leon Arcadia, who stood there with an astonished look. [It¡¯s indeed troublesome¡­.but such things, you need to decide and commit to it. You can learn from Gilbert after you finished your training today. But before that, you have time to spare. Come here.] [Aa, Leon! I didn¡¯t expect you to speak for me but thanks for the save!] Saying that, Ares rushed up toward Leon. Watching the scene unfold¡­..Gilbert sighed. Then¡­.he murmured in a low voice. [Oh well. Today let¡¯s not only train in long range magic but also mid-range ones¡­..] ===== ¡ô Once in a few days, the soul memories appeared in my dream. That is¡­.to teach me their skills, magic and knowledge. Gilbert teaches magic and alchemy as well as various other knowledge. From Leon, I learn military strategy, lessons on becoming a ruler along with territorial business administration. Lastly, Shin Oldeus trains me in martial arts, specifically swordsmanship. The first session today is the lesson on becoming a ruler with Leon. [Looking at the current political situation of your world, what should be done?] [Currently, keep the power in the center strong, but not to be too invested so that there is enough power to keep the rurals area safe, right?] Answering correctly, Leon smiled at me in satisfaction. [Indeed. You are blessed with good vassals.] Certainly, this strategy was coined by Shion. The empire is currently rotten at the core. Even His Majesty [Thunder Emperor] Sephiros could not suppress it. Particularly the corruption of the aristocrats and the church. However, I can¡¯t just sit by as a bystander. Time will surely change. It¡¯s necessary to strike that wedge in the aristocratic world. And then, when the time comes, we need to have enough power to stand on our own. [However, how Arcadia has fallen. Even more embarrassing since they are of my own blood. Now they could only rely on the ministers.] [No, although fallen from grace, I¡¯m also your descendant¡­..] The future direction is already visible. It¡¯s time to focus our strength according to the strategy. Ares had thought like that while he¡¯s talking to Leon. ===== ¡ô The session with Shin is exclusively for swordsmanship practice. [Among the¡ºSeven Heavenly Swords¡», you¡¯ve mastered two of them. First of all, let¡¯s have a better grasp on it.] With that, Shin drew his sword. [Which one can you use now¡­..?] [¡ºDivine Sword Oldeus¡»and¡ºHoly Sword Excalibur¡»respectively¡¹ That said, Ares took out the sword handle shaped necklace and held it in his right hand. When he extended his palm to the left, a pale body of a sword appeared. [¡ºDivine Sword Oldeus¡»¡­¡­is it? The one I used the most; the sword that shares its name with me. Certainly that¡¯s the safest sword for you to use. However, having only two¡­¡­is still not enough. You need to be able to use more than that.¡¹ Saying so, Shin attacked with a tremendous speed. [What you need is the experience in fighting a stronger opponent!] [Kuh!] Ares blocked the first hit, but his balance was slightly off due to the heavy blow. Of course, Shin didn¡¯t miss it. [In order to truly master the¡ºSeven Heavenly Swords¡», you have to fight against various kinds of opponents. That¡¯s the only way!] Amazingly fast attack struck Ares. Ares desperately blocked the attack¡­..he knew that his balance was slightly off. But even if he knew¡­¡­.there is nothing he can do about it. In the end, his sword was blown away, and his stance collapsed like a rice cake. [Your physical strength is still lacking. And your skill is still immature¡­¡­please continue to go forward. You can still become even stronger.] Ares breathed roughly¡­¡­he could only listen silently. ===== ¡ô [Boy¡­¡­why are you having such a disgusted face?] [No, it¡¯s just Gil¡¯s feeling¡­..nothing¡¯s wrong¡­.] Last is the session with Gilbert Goraye. It¡¯s mainly about amplifying magic through meditation, and after that learning to use the¡ºNon-elemental¡»magic which he¡¯s really good at¡­. [Let¡¯s do something different today.] [No, I have a bad feeling about that¡­..] [It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m just gonna teach you something I¡¯m most proud of.] [Err¡­..the regular thing is already fine¡­.] [It¡¯s how to please women in bed. It¡¯s an enjoyable thing.] [Thank you very much but no©`©`©`!!] Ares took that chance to escape. [How stupid. This is your dream. You can¡¯t escape.] That said, Gilbert used magic without casting. [Another World!] A cavity was opened right under Ares¡¯ feet, sucking him in. [Noooooooooo©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`] The magic sends the target to another dimension which is created by the caster. The dimension that Gilbert created where Ares was sent to is a huge bed; a secret world of debauchery. Basically a very luxurious brothel. [Now then, this is the world I made for this special training. There are lots of women here,so please do your best to please them. Whether it¡¯s threesome, foursome or even tensome¡­.it¡¯ll be up to you.] [Don¡¯t waaannaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa] Ares tried to run away¡­¡­but couldn¡¯t. Meanwhile Gilbert came closer with many semi naked women at his sides. [Let¡¯s show the appreciation of being born as a man. Now decide by yourself.] Thus in his own dream, Ares was taken to another world¡­. ===== ¡ô [Fuaaaaaaa!?] I jumped out of the bed with a strange scream. Then I held my head. [Gil¡­¡­what the hell was that¡­.] Amazing. It was amazing. Although it¡¯s just a dream, the content is still fresh inside my head. And when I looked down at my lower body¡­¡­ [Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!?] It was in a very dangerous state. What should I do with this without Theta finding out about it¡­..Ares thought while on the bedside with a troubled face¡­.. CH 26 Chapter 26 ¨C Seven Heavenly Swords [Remember! Don¡¯t act reckless while I¡¯m away, okay?] [I know, I know¡­..] It¡¯s the day after enjoying the dragon ride with Sharon and Theta. Sharon had decided to return to the Roxietta Territory. Thinking about yesterday¡­¡­Ares was on the verge of laughing out loud. It was a fairly chaotic day. Looking at those two for some reason forced themselves to look like they are getting along well was rather exhausting. Wonder why¡­.. Although the two seemed like they were having fun, Ares felt like his spirit had been worn down to the limit. [Hey! Are you listening? Ares really is¡­.] [Ah©`, I¡¯ll just go already. I¡¯m wasting time here¡­.] Sharon¡¯s mood seemed to have brightened somewhat. Ares looked at Sharon who¡¯d just given a long lecture to him, and let out a small giggle. [Hey! Why are you giggling like that?] [No, I¡¯m not giggling¡­.] Back at her home, apparently Sharon is organizing her own knight brigade. It¡¯s an all-women group. She said that she modeled it after the Empire¡¯s [Rose Knight Brigade]. Sharon graduated as the top ranker of the Royal Academy¡¯s Knight course. She¡¯s backed by sufficient skill, so a knight brigade organized personally by her should be interesting to see. [I¡¯ll definitely make Ares surprised! Please look forward for it] And so, Sharon returned back to her clan¡¯s territory. With Theta standing next to him calmly, Ares couldn¡¯t help but to feel wary when he shook Sharon¡¯s hand¡­.. ===== ¡ô After bidding his farewell with Sharon, Ares headed to the wasteland just outside Romaria with Sigurd. It¡¯s been his routine to train swordsmanship there. [Shall we begin?] Saying that, Ares drew his training sword. [Please don¡¯t hold back.] In contrast, Sigurd held a training spear. [Of course. I can¡¯t afford to hold back when fighting you anymore after all¡­.] That said, Ares entered a stance. So did Sigurd. And a moment later, the two clashed. Once, twice, thrice¡­.impact noises erupted each time the two weapons met each other. It went on for a while¡­..until after the nth clash, Ares¡¯ training sword broke starting from the base. [U©`n, I guess this is it?] Both sides were breathing heavily. [As expected of Sigurd. I couldn¡¯t get even one hit in.] [That¡¯s my line. Ares-sama too. Has milord finally reached the required physical strength to draw out most of the power of the Sword Saint¡¯s technique?] [No, not even close. With my current strength, I still won¡¯t be able to defeat Demon Lord Gargain who Oldeus had vanquished in the past.] Saying that, Ares put his hand on the pendant hanging on his neck. [I was scolded by Shin in my dream yesterday. I¡¯m still immature. I need to fight against more varied opponents and only that way I will be able to master the ¡ºSeven Heavenly Swords¡», he said.] Ares then muttered to himself quietly. [It¡¯s true that I was able to use¡ºHoly Sword Excalibur¡»after training with Sigurd. Perhaps, if I fight another powerful opponent, a new sword that suits the situation will emerge.] With that he took out the¡ºSeven Heavenly Sword¡»and grasped it in his palm. [This is a holy sword. An evil breaking sword of the braves which will light up the world.] While saying so, a brilliant silver blade appeared on Ares¡¯ palm. [Holy Sword Excalibur!] Materializing Excalibur, Ares confirmed the sword and as his body felt like it became lighter, he turned toward Sigurd. [¡ºDivine Sword Oldeus¡»¡¯ ability is the¡ºInvisible Slash¡». While¡ºHoly Sword Excalibur¡»¡¯s ability is¡ºBody Strengthening¡». First of all, I have to familiarize myself with these two.] Sigurd responded to that. [It¡¯s important to not rush anything. Milord will eventually master them all. Until then, we can only do our best in training and learning.] Right afterward, Sigurd approached while spinning a different spear. At the same time, an enormous amount of magical power coursed through his body. ¡ºDragon Spear Gaebolg¡» An ancient weapon that is said to hold the power of an ancient dragon. Sigurd¡¯s beloved weapon. [Now then, is milord ready for a second round? There is something I¡¯d like to try] [Yosh, both sides¡¯ preparation is completed¡­..shall we get serious this time?] And the training went on just like that¡­. ===== ¡ô Seven Heavenly Swords. The weapon that the sword saint Shin Oldeus used; that was the [Seven Heavenly Swords]. He mostly used [Divine Sword Oldeus] during his lifetime, thus that was the only known sword among the seven in the history. The original form was actually just a sword handle, with various swords appearing from it depending on the opponent and situation. There are seven swords, which is why Oldeus called this weapon¡ºSeven Heavenly Swords¡» It remains unknown how Ares Schwarzer managed to get his hand on this weapon. CH 27 Land Development, Beekeeping and Parliament Officials Returning back to a time after training with Sigurd. Ares was standing on a hill overlooking the Schwarzer Territory. [Ares-sama really likes this place, isn¡¯t he? Milord always visited this place when going back from training.] [I can see Romaria and the villages surrounding it from here. This view makes me happy.] Saying that, Ares narrowed his eyes. [The street is filled with lights and the smoke rising from the fireplace of each home¡­.ah, that light and those smoke, I felt that people¡¯s happiness is condensed within each of them.] As they saw, warm light started to emit from each houses and smoke began to climb up the chimneys. After seeing the scenery, Sigurd put what crossed his mind at that moment to words. [The field is spreading. What was previously wasteland had been well-maintained.] [George and Rodman have worked really hard, it seems. Thanks to them taking care of domestic affairs, the territory has grown quite prosperous.] [To be able to get along with Rodman¡­..I think even George himself is amazed. That guy has a hard time opening up to others after all. His work speed is definitely number one though.] Saying so, Sigurd looked embarrassed. It seemed that he himself didn¡¯t quite get along with George. [George is an interesting fellow too, you know. He is the best friend of that Shion of all people. If looking at his hidden aspects¡­.I think Sigurd will change his impression¡­] Ares said so to Sigurd. [Let¡¯s go visit George. I think we¡¯ll see something interesting this time around.] And so, Ares proceeded with the hardly convinced Sigurd in tow. ===== ¡ô While passing through the cultivated fields and well-maintained road, anyone would be able to sense George¡¯s amazing capability. George was recruited by the Schwarzer Territory about 3 years ago. He¡¯s a tall, but rather skinny man. In contrast to his beautiful blond hair, wrinkles seem to be always adorned his forehead. His eyes shone a strong will and intelligence. Truly a marvelous man. Shion was the one who brought him here from the Royal Capital. Soon after arriving, he¡¯s given the full responsibility of the parliament. He first set to work on the family register and reforming agriculture. About the agricultural reform, the first step is to cultivate the wasteland. Schwarzer Territory had a lot of wasteland. This is mainly because there is no big river coursing on the territory. To counter that, they redirected some of the water supply to nearby rural villages in order to cultivate those wasteland. In addition to that, he appointed a man named Rodman who is well-versed in agriculture. That man is an agricultural expert. What kind of man who proceeded to become a professor in the subject of agriculture at the Royal Academy as soon as he graduated? Of course such a man will receive a lot of offers. He¡¯s also a former classmate of both George and Shion. Using his knowledge, he worked as an official at his hometown, but was fired because he dismayed the aristocrat he served. George managed to persuade him, no, it¡¯s almost like he intimidated him to join the Schwarzers. George, knowing that one should go to the specialist for best result, let Rodman take full responsibility for revitalizing the agriculture. This is the result. And this year they¡¯re even entering the second phase of the revitalizing plan, by applying double-cropping method to further enhance the self sufficiency rate for food. With the food supply stabilizing, George currently focused on commerce. [The power of money can exceed swords. Now that the groundwork has been done, we can start developing the city in full scale.] That¡¯s what George said. Firstly, abolish the tax for shops. A rule will be created so that anyone can trade. Also, by developing the Blue Sky Market, he¡¯s encouraging the trading with money. Originally, barter is the most used trading method in the rural areas. However, this caused people who do not know the price value of an item to be deceived by unscrupulous merchants. By educating them about¡ºmoney¡», as well as activating the market at the same time, it will improve their quality of life¡­..it¡¯s the kind of policy that uses two to obtain three. Also, he would buy the excess crops throughout the territory and redistribute them to other places, which pleases many as the unused crops won¡¯t be wasted. About those crops he bought, it¡¯s surprising to hear that he actually sells them to other territories, even the imperial capital, to make even more money. His policy also considers that arranging streets in the territory as an important matter. [Currently, there are many jobless artisans and craftsmen at the capital. It¡¯ll be a good idea to hire them.] [All of them have some of the best skills. Architecture, Sculpting¡­..let¡¯s adopt the empire¡¯s advanced technology to further develop our own territory.] [Especially infrastructure¡­¡­Let¡¯s put the maintenance of roads as top priority. Goods will arrive faster if the roads are well maintained.] A lot of craftsmen¡­..first class in ability, but unable to work due to various circumstances, were hired to do the job as much as they can. They would also instructed disciples to improve human resources. The results were showing very quickly. Now the infrastructures in Schwarzer Territory, including Romaria, has progressed by leaps and bounds. Many places are now connected by cobblestone roads. Sculptures were carved in many buildings in Romaria. Those are mostly the works of the disciples as a means of practice. Those whose skills are recognized by their master is allowed to freely work on public spaces, and as a result, Romaria is now lined with sculptures, making an artistic townscape. Working on commerce development then architecture and art, there seems to be no end to what he¡¯s working on. [Even George, who is like that, has a secret that no one else knows.] Saying that, Ares arrived at a beekeeping yard. ===== ¡ô [This is the place where we rear honey bees so that honey could be harvested steadily.] [In other words, it¡¯s honey fields?] [Yeah, you can say it that way. It can become Schwarzer Territory¡¯s special product, I guess.] That said, Ares walked toward the back of the beekeeping yard. [But, there is someone who is quite obsessed with this¡­.] [Director. Here is your one barrel of honey.] Over there, standing before Ares, was the one who is better known as the [Razor], who is none other than George. [Oya? Ares-sama and Sigurd-dono here of all places. That surprised me.] [You don¡¯t seem surprised though¡­] After laughing at that remark, Ares talked to George. [How is it? This year¡¯s honey production? Is it acceptable to be sold at the capital?] [We¡¯ve come to the point where there is stable supply. If we are to sell this at the capital, we¡¯ll still manage somehow even if there is a large demand. The honey is of a very good quality because we are near the Forest of Evil. Most probably, it¡¯s the habitat of the Arkadia Continent honeybee.] George stroke the barrel, as unlikely as that is, as if he¡¯s in love with it. [Well, George. That barrel¡­] Sigurd asked George with a low voice. [It¡¯s honey.] [Such a large amount of honey, what are you going to use it for¡­] [I¡¯ll consume it of course.] [Ha?] [This won¡¯t even last a month actually.] Looking at the stunned Sigurd, Ares laughed. [Even if he¡¯s like that, George actually has a sweet tooth. Surprising, isn¡¯t it?] (No, is that really can still be considered a sweet tooth?) While Sigurd thought so, George excused himself to Ares and rolled the honey barrel home. ¡­..all that without even a slight change of expression. CH 28 George¡¯s story of the past ¨C ~Dream of Equality between Races~ It was three years ago when I went to Schwarzer Territory. My hometown is in Marquis Eldorado¡¯s territory, southern part of the Empire. Compared to Schwarzer Territory at the North, this place is mostly run by humans. I worked as an administrative officer there. I prided myself as a genuine administrator due to my personality. Therefore, I¡¯m strictly legitimate and I hate wasteful spending. People say that I¡¯m too serious and strict, but if otherwise, my policies will never go through. Formerly the top ace of the imperial academy, after graduating, I served as an official in the capital. During those days, aristocrats and military corruptions were rampant. I was praised for exposing this out, but I also made a lot of enemies. As a result, I was demoted from my position in the capital to work as an administrative officer at my homeland. At this point, it can be said that I was kicked back to my starting point after graduating from the Elite Course of Imperial Academy. But I considered this transition as a fortune in disguise. An administrative officer of an aristocrat¡¯s territory has full responsibility in creating policies to develop the territory. I felt that this position was more challenging than working as an official in the Imperial Capital. Whilst managing the territory, by hearing the voices of people, gradually, the points of the territory become visible. However, there were two things that impeded the development. Those were bribery and the discrimination of races in the Marquis territory. I thoroughly uncovered the injustice that the Marquis¡¯ clan had done and threatened to forward it to the capital, telling the Marquis to stop. However, the Marquis was unwilling and instead ordered his guards to isolate, capture, then later secretly massacred the demi humans. I¡¯ve been petitioning for the abolishment of racial discrimination since I was still studying at the academy. There are not only humans who lived in Arcadia, there are other demi-human races including the beastmen living in various parts of the land. However, to get a decent work in most area, human has priority. I always had doubt whether the other race could actually exercise their right at all. But what was sent to me as a reply¡­..was confiscation of my social status. That is¡­I was fired. By admonishing the marquis, I earned the marquis¡¯ ire. In addition to that, because I advocated the equality between races, I was viewed by other humans as a [traitor]. Meanwhile, the demi-humans saw me as [someone who unnecessarily seeks trouble for himself]. And so, I¡¯ve finally lost my place in this territory. When I was living in hiding trying to evade the enmity of the Marquis¡­ A letter arrived. It was a letter from Shion Tristan who was one of the few friends I had during my time at the academy. Yes, it was an invitation letter to work at Schwarzer Territory. The letter that became the turning point of my life. ===== I first met with my friend Tristan around the time I first enrolled to the Imperial Academy. We were in the cafeteria, and he sat directly in front of me. He¡¯s someone who didn¡¯t pay attention to classes; a notorious problem student. His name is Shion Tristan. I said this when I saw him eating while reading a book. [You, isn¡¯t it bad manners to eat while reading a book?] Yes. Usually when I look at that kind of man, I would just leave. I won¡¯t show any particular interest. But that day was different. When I saw his appearance, I instinctively called out. The reason being¡­.perhaps you can say that we are the same kind of person. With those reprimands as the trigger, I gradually found this man to be an interesting fellow as we continued to exchange words. That reprimand¡­.was what brought me and Tristan together as lifelong friends. To me who had just lost my job and is afraid of retribution from the Marquis, that letter from Tristan was like a rescue boat. I held a family meeting immediately and with everyone¡¯s agreement, we packed up and headed to Schwarzer Territory. Arcadia Empire is vast. I had no information at all regarding the Schwarzer Territory at the north or about the Archduke who governed it. But I did not give up on hope. It¡¯ll definitely a safer life than what I had at the moment. More than anything, Tristan¡¯s presence was what assured me. ===== Arriving at Schwarzer Territory, Tristan and the Archduke Schwarzer, along with Ares-sama greeted us. When Tristan said [You can relax with this], I decided to not question the circumstances. Schwarzer Territory was a place far beyond my imagination. The land of equality between races. Not only humans but also demi-humans like elves, dwarves and even demons live equally. Yes. Somehow, on my friend¡¯s advice, I have arrived at the very land that I dreamed of. I¡¯m currently working as the administrative officer and summarized the internal affairs. The Archduke put his trust on me, and left everything under my care. And in this place, the most influential person is the young lord, Ares-sama, who will succeed the Archduke in the future. That oddball Tristan had also pledged his allegiance with Ares-sama It was impressive that the people and the soldiers respected Ares-sama almost in equal terms with the Archduke himself. Ares-sama is an amazing person. Although still young, I felt like I was staring at an abyss of reasons when I talked to him. Often times I was made frustrated when we had a conversation. How and where did he learn all those¡­.. But more than anything, it let me to believe that there is actually someone like milord who would entrust everything to me. Ares-sama told me this when we first met. [I heard about you a lot from Shion. He said that you are strict to both of yourself and others. That¡¯s why I invited you to this place. Because only that kind of person, who will stand on the people¡¯s side and work for the good of people.Starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll work as the administrative officer and I¡¯ll leave everything at your discretion. All I ask from you is to make the people to be able to live comfortably.] Up until now, have I ever had anything like this before? Have I ever been entrusted with full authority like this? From that point, on this place, pledging my loyalty to the Schwarzer clan, I decided to work hard. Taking the opportunity to enrich this land of my dream, I¡¯m still working as the administrative officer up to this day. ===== First serving as Arestia Dominion¡¯s deputy prime minister, Lord George Walter who later took over the position of Prime Minister, was a silent man known as a famous administrator. His internal affairs reforms, which began with Schwarzer Territory, triggered a lot of changes in that era. In the agriculture sector, he created the double-cropping method and encouraged multiple-crop farming. In addition to producing special products in various regions, he also encouraged the creation of crop breeds that is more resistant to disasters as well as the improvement of farming tools. In the commerce sector, he organized a financial system around money and distributed it to even rural areas while providing a place to facilitate the practice. He also distributed excess crops to other places which need it more, making the foundation of the country even stronger. Furthermore by developing industries, various tools can be produced. Organizing and clarifying family registry¡­..and many more. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that his achievement at the Schwarzer Territory was what paved the foundation for the subsequent Arestia Dominion. And he also¡­ Engraved his name in history as one of the: [Arestia¡¯s Seven Wisemen] However, it was never mentioned in history how this person, who was feared for overworking his subordinates to the point they fainted one after another, first took the chance to become the administrative officer. CH 29 Relatives Ares and Sigurd were on their way back from the beekeeping yard. They passed the Romaria town square and Blue Sky Market before arriving back home. When Ares passed by, people who saw him would greet him. [Milord! How are you?] [Going outdoor again today? Please come to visit us again sometime.] [It¡¯s a dirty shop, but¡­..we¡¯ll be glad if Milord visits us again!] Regardless of gender, they greeted him one after another. [Ah, thanks. I¡¯ll be sure to visit again later.] And every time, Ares would respond to them with a smile. [It¡¯s nice to see how vibrant the market is. I get to see various things] Currently, there are three Blue Sky Markets in Romaria. At first, shady merchants were all over the place but George thoroughly punished them with strict penalties. And since he also strengthened the surveillance, those crooked people finally left, thus the market became a healthy commercial place. And with those changes, the number of people using the market also increases. The increase of people visiting the Blue Sky Market in turn also help support Romaria. While thinking about that, Ares¡¯ feet stopped in front of a settlement. [Oya? Isn¡¯t that Elan¡¯s store?] Saying so, Ares dropped by the store that was preparing to close down. [Ooii, Elan] [¡­..!? If it isn¡¯t Ares-sama. Returning from training?] [Yes. Elan is in the middle of closing the store?] Ares asked with a small laugh. ===== Elan was an orphan from a village located a bit away from Romaria. By selling the medicinal herbs he collected on his own from nearby forest, he made a living for himself. Other than that, occasionally he would also sell the tools that he developed, which earned him reputation sometimes. Developed recently was the¡ºTinderbox¡»which can produce fire very easily. It sold very well, not only in the Schwarzer Territory, but also other places as well. His store nowadays is one of the more well -known stores in Romaria. And above all, Elan was a close friend to Ares during the few years he spent at Romaria. Done with the greetings, Ares¡¯ face turned serious. [George said you should close the store and come to work with us. It¡¯s jarring to see such a talent wasting away here¡­.] Elan was a very talented person to the point that George wanted him to work under him. In addition to that, from the exam he had at Ares¡¯ request, he also showed talent in martial arts, which also drew Shion¡¯s attention. [I¡¯m after all just an uneducated orphan. I feel uncomfortable doing those things¡­.] [And yet you topped the official exam¡­] [That¡¯s only because I thought that that¡¯s the only way Ares-sama would accept us. I¡¯m not working for myself at the moment. At least, until they can stand on their own, I still have to work for those kids¡¯ everyday meals¡­.] And with that, Elan resumed closing his store. Well I guess it can¡¯t be helped¡­.at least you didn¡¯t directly reject.] Seeing Ares droop his shoulders, Elan said with a small smile. [That¡¯s only¡ºfor now¡». Only until the store really gets on track. Once those kids can earn for themselves using this store¡­.I¡¯ll surely join Ares-sama. Can Milord wait until that time come?] Hearing that respond, Ares lightened up. [Yeah, for sure. It¡¯s a promise.] [Yes, of course.] They smiled to each other. Ares then started helping out with the closing. Elan did not refuse his help, and instead continued tidying up. Sigurd remained silent as he saw the exchanges between the two since he felt that he couldn¡¯t get in between them. After seeing what Ares did, he proceeded to help with the store closing as well. CH 30 Elan¡¯s Story of the Past It was a few years ago when I first met Ares-sama. I was an orphan from Column Village, west of Romaria. There was a church at Column Village and there, I lived alongside 5 other orphans and the priest who took care of us. The priest was kind-hearted and thanks to him, I was able to live a safe and peaceful life. However, our life changed completely when the priest went missing one day. The villagers looted the church and banished us from the village. To survive, we escaped to the Shawd forest, and live a self-sufficient life. Nobody helped us. My siblings were still young, so I had no choice but to do everything. Hunting beasts, collecting plants and water to drink¡­.I lived desperately everyday. My step sister Lisa and stepbrother Toole also helped me. Once I had some spare time, I went to nearby town and villages to sell the medicinal herbs and the meats of the beasts I hunted. And shortly after, the Blue Sky Market opened in Romaria and everyone can freely trade and do business easily there. I saw this as an opportunity. By selling things that people might want like medicinal herbs and food that are good for beauty, quality fur and hide, we managed to earn some amount of money. Using that money, I registered to the merchant guild, trying to earn some knowledge from various people to make it easier for our business to bloom. Through the merchant guild, it¡¯s also possible to have a regular store in the Blue Sky Market. Furthermore, the letter of permission is attached to the individual and his/her store. It doesn¡¯t matter from which village we were from. Besides, with the social network obtained from there, it may help in expanding our own business. Those things are considered very important for our independence. In order to have our own shop and eventually live a more stable life¡­..I must gather everything I need in order to do that. At first, many people were not convinced since I was but a child back then. But thanks to the education that the priest gave us from an early age, I was able to read, write and calculate. Due to all that, the adults gradually accepted me. Afterwards, our sales gradually increased and our store became one of the well-known stores in Romaria. In the Blue Sky Market, as long as you got a good items to sell and a store¡­..then the opportunity will arise by itself. However, some did not take it really well about us making good profits. One of such people was the chief of Column Village. He insisted that we belonged to the Column Village and tried to deprive us of our store through various means. He used everything to harass us so that we would step down from our store. The son of the village chief was especially bad. He took a liking to my step sister Lisa and had been causing problems for us in the longest time. Finally, he hired the village thugs and even threatened to kidnap her. That day I was at the store in Romaria, chasing away customers, fearing that they¡¯ll get involved in our trouble. However, the accident that day proved to be a blessing in disguise. ===== That day we were at our store on Blue Sky Market. [How much is this Polux medicinal herb?] A boy called out. [That¡¯ll be two copper coins.] [How cheap. It¡¯s definitely cheaper than other stores. And it¡¯s in good condition too. This store will surely prosper.] That boy picked some of the medicinal herbs and handed it to me. [I only need this much. How much is it?] [All of that will cost 3 silver and 2 copper coins.] [Thank you.] Saying that, he handed the money to me. And at that moment¡­ [Brother, it¡¯s Volvo and his gang again!] My step sister Lisa ran up to warn me. [Just now, on my way back here, I saw¡­.. him bringing some thugs along with him¡­.] [Again¡­? Those fellows really want to harass us.] I instantly frowned. And so, I also warned the customer I was serving just now. [Dear customer¡­.pardon me, but can you please leave the store immediately? Unpleasant things will happen here shortly¡­.] But before the customer could leave, Volvo barged in loudly. [Oi, Elan! Give up the shop! It belongs to the village chief!] As if on cue, the thugs Volvo brought also chimed in. [Also, give us today¡¯s security fee. You are the people of Column Village, so all your belongings also belongs to the next village chief.] What a logic. These guys need some teaching. When Priest-sama gone, what did the villagers do to us? Taking away the goods in the church, and kicked us out from the village. However they never predicted that this will happen. When I was about to talk back, the customer who was standing next to me beat me to it. [Ah¡­.I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on, but you shouldn¡¯t shout like that. You are bothering other customers.] That¡¯s what he said to Volvo. [Do you understand? I don¡¯t understand the circumstances, but here in the Blue Sky market, every merchants is free to do their business. That¡¯s the clear rule here. And did you see the sign stuck at the front of the store? That¡¯s merchant¡¯s guild sign. That means it¡¯s the individual who is approved to do business rather than the village they originated from. You argument is invalid.] [Aa? You don¡¯t have anything to do with this, scram!] Frustrated by the legitimate explanation, one of the thugs reached out with his hand. [Oowwwwww..] And he screamed. The thug¡¯s hand was twisted in a matter of second. [Would you please be quiet?] And with that he struck the thug¡¯s head with his knee. The thug promptly fell over with a thud. After that, the customer-san turned to Volvo as if nothing happened. Volvo backed off slightly. [You see, such loud shouting is annoying to hear especially here in the Blue Sky Market. So would you please be quiet?] He was smiling, but that appearance was somewhat scary. During my time doing business, I¡¯ve seen many kinds of people¡­.I never thought I would shiver at the presence of someone of my peers. Naturally, Volvo fled with a pale face. The thugs followed suit after taking their fallen comrade in tow. I hurriedly come over to customer-san who was about to leave the store himself. [Thank you very much for your help¡­.] [Ah~, no need to thank me. They are being a nuisance. And it¡¯s my responsibility anyways.] [Responsibility?] [Ah©`, how about this. Instead of thanking me, I have a favor to ask you¡­] He then said shyly. [I¡¯d like to visit this store again, and when I do, would you please teach me about various things? The medicinal herbs, business¡­..there are lots of things I haven¡¯t seen before in this store.] [Of course. That¡¯ll be no problem. I¡¯ll be glad to do that.] ===== After meeting with that customer-san, a lot of things happened. First of all, Column Village became the subject for inspection and their bad deeds became known to the public. It¡¯s said that all the village executives, including Volvo and the village chief were apprehended. Column Village may not be functioning properly as a village for a while after this, but at least those who oppressed us are no longer there. I was informed by the merchant guild about Romaria Academy. Apparently, people can seek education there for free, and they persuaded me that further study would only bring more good to me. It seemed that a lecturer from Imperial Academy will also teach there. So I went there regularly. Finally. That boy¡­.Ares, showed up on our store once every two or three days ever since then. We would talk for a long time up until I went back home. At that time I was happy to have a friend of a same age. For me, what he talked about sounded fresh to the point I forgot about time while talking to him. My first ever friend from the same generation. Apparently it was the same for him too. We were mostly surrounded by adults. I could understand that feeling as well. And then, it was only some time later that I found out that he is actually the heir of the Schwarzer clan. ===== Sir Elan Shawd It is said that this great hero who served under the King of Heroes Ares was originally an orphan. The store he started continue to prosper, later becoming [Shawd Trading Company] which was one of the largest trading companies in the continent. Elan himself later left the store under Toole¡¯s management, becoming a domestic official, serving as an aide to both Shion and George. His best achievement was building the foundation of industry for Arestia Dominion, bringing the country even greater prosperity. Water-pumped well, textile machine and many other tools were made based on his idea and was popular for dramatically improving the quality of life. This achievement of his was highly appreciated, and he¡¯s also Known as a member of¡­ [Arestia Seven Wisemen] He¡¯s not only well versed in domestic affairs, but also military affairs. Under Shion¡¯s guidance, he later bloomed to become one of the [Arestia Twelve Generals], a position whose fame could be said to be only slightly under or even rival that of the¡ºSix Heavenly Generals¡» ===== However, from the point of view of the person himself. [I¡¯ve certainly done a lot of work and I also know that I said a lot about myself, but I am proud to be a friend of Ares and I want to keep that relationship forever that¡¯s all.] That¡¯s right for him than to establish a good name. More than leaving a name in history as a domestic official. [Friends of Ares.] It is said that this fact was the greatest pride. CH 31 Dragon¡¯s Eye Ares and Sigurd helped Elan closing his store. [Ares-sama, I have something to report.] Before anyone knew it, a figure in black was kneeling to Ares. [Did something happen?] Without changing his line of sight, Ares talked to the black figure while kept working. [Grants Principality seems to have raised their troops. On the other side, ¡ºThunder Emperor¡»himself is heading to the battlefield.] Listening to that report, Ares finally stopped and laughed. [Zekka¡­.don¡¯t call Thunder Emperor like that. Properly call Him His Majesty Sephiros.] That man called Zekka didn¡¯t seem to care about that quip and resumed talking. [We of the¡ºDragon¡¯s Eye¡»will only obey to Ares-sama. Nothing else matter. Even if it is the emperor of the largest country in continent himself.] Zekka resumed his report after a pause. [Apparently the Thunder Emperor wanted to use this as an excuse to step into the east side. It seems that he had sent a courier to every imperial clans to gather up at the capital.] Afterward Zekka added. [The courier will likely arrive at Schwarzer Territory this evening. What should we do about it?] [¡­..go back for now. Will there be a war¡­.? That person is still aiming to unify the continent after all this time¡­] Ares sighed at that thought. [It¡¯s impossible to do anything after all¡­¡­] Ares looked towards the mansion as he murmured. ===== ¡­¡­Sigurd was listening closely to the two¡¯s conversation. To be honest, he didn¡¯t have a good opinion about this Zekka and the¡ºDragon¡¯s Eye¡» ¡­¡­no, that¡¯s not ¡®allying themselves¡¯. That¡¯s worshipping¡­ Are they some kind of a cult or something? He had no idea. They are fearsome spies and information gatherers. A group that would do dirty jobs straightforwardly. Anything for Ares¡­..even if he ask them for their life, they will do so in peace. In a world of conflict, one cannot survive through honest means alone. And thus, their presence is indispensable for Ares¡­..although it felt complicated, Sigurd thought to himself. ===== ¡ô It¡¯s said that the King of Heroes Ares Schwarzer employed the best espionage group in the continent whose name remained unknown up until now. By giving Ares accurate information in advance, it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that their role could decide the outcome of a battle. Ares said [An accurate judgment in warfare is only possible through accurate information and analysis.] There were very rarely seen, and there were no remaining documents left regarding them¡­.but they are always wearing black from neck to toe, as well as an armband with the emblem depicting an eye on their right arm¡­ Their formal name was never known. However, their appearance matched that of the assassins and spy group working under Emperor Leon Arcadia of the Great Arcadia Empire ¡ºDragon¡¯s Eye¡» Due to their similarity, the historians later refer to this secret group as the¡ºDragon¡¯s Eye¡»as well. CH 32 The Messenger from the Capital. [Ruler of the great Holy Arcadia Empire of the Arcadia continent, His Majesty Emperor Sephiros von Arkadia has decreed!] As the envoy shouted, Edgar and Ares swiftly got down on their knee. [¡­..one month from now, His Majesty Emperor will set out to conquer Grants Principality. Schwarzer Territory is to send their soldiers to aid the effort!!] Just like that, the envoy read the imperial decree with a very formal tone and Edgar responded to it. [Minister, Edgar Schwarzer will devote his life for the Emperor] And thus the imperial decree-reading ceremony was completed. ===== ¡ô After the imperial decree reading, at the simple banquet that was held for the Imperial envoy¡­ [His Majesty has requested me to tell this directly¡­] He spoke with some difficulty. [In this campaign this time, not only Grants Principality, but His Majesty also wants to create a foothold in the Eastern area. Unification of the continent is what His Majesty originally wished for after all. For that reason, His Majesty wants the younger generations to experience the conquest. Therefore, His Majesty asked you to send young lord Ares-dono to the capital to participate in the campaign.] After saying so, the envoy sipped his wine. [I¡¯ve heard of Ares-dono deeds from the people along the way here. Therefore I know how important Ares-dono¡¯s presence in the territory. That¡¯s why it¡¯s difficult for me to convey this..] [Your Highness, please rest assured.] Edgar replied in a low voice. [There are four great clans in the Arkadia Empire and the Archdukes have our pride as the closest allies to His Majesty. It¡¯s our duty to abide to His Majesty¡¯s order. Thus it¡¯s also Ares¡¯ duty to do so too.] The Imperial envoy showed a relieved look when he heard that reply. [Ahhh¡­..that relieved me. For some reason His Majesty put extra attention to Ares-dono. Is the young lord is an acquaintance to His Majesty? In any case, if this request didn¡¯t go through, I risk losing my head here.] The envoy smiled while saying so. For this person, the Emperor is like a presence who stands proudly above the clouds. He won¡¯t be able to live comfortably should he fail. ===== ¡ô After the banquet concluded and the envoy returned to his room, Edgar and Ares sat on one of the table facing each other. Each one holding a glass of wine in their hand. [About this campaign, what do you think about it?] Ares directly replied upon Edgar¡¯s question. [A human¡¯s lifespan is limited. Even His majesty can¡¯t resist the flow of time. I think he did this out of consideration of his own lifespan.] After saying so, Ares sighed. [Perhaps, after creating a foothold in the east, he¡¯ll start moving towards unifying the continent. We¡¯ll have to make preparations as well.] [You mean, there will be more wars in the future?] [No, I don¡¯t think the next war will come suddenly. After we attacked the east, I don¡¯t think Thracia in the west and the Sindora in the south will remain silent. After conquering Grants, there will be a stalemate for a few years.] Edgar threw another question. [How should Schwarzer Territory proceed in the future?] [We must tread cautiously.] Ares replied with a serious look. [We, the Archduke Schwarzer clan, hold some amount of power in the capital. But there are three other great clans. Not only are there four competing factions, there are also the six dukes. We¡¯ll need to firmly observe them since we don¡¯t belong to any faction as in the past. I wonder if it¡¯s okay for me to show my abilities while staying in the capital.] Ares gave Edgar a firm look then added.. [His Majesty Sephiros has been highly suspicious of his vassals recently. He didn¡¯t seem to care about the factional struggle. But should you lean toward a faction and show your thirst for power then, of course, He would doubt you. What we need to do is to show our allegiance and our lack of ambition to seize power to His Majesty through our actions.] [Fumu. So that the Schwarzer clan can survive?] [The purging will surely come in the future. We must strike hard in order to survive when the time comes. And¡­..] [And?] [As I mentioned earlier, a human¡¯s lifespan is limited. The same applies to His Majesty. We must also prepare for the worst case scenario. His Majesty has 8 children, 3 sons and 5 daughters. We must have a firm grasp over who will take the reins in the future. And in order to find out about that, I¡¯ll have to go to the capital.] Ares put his glass down, and got up. [Instead of using territory military force, I¡¯ll bring my private force the ¡ºBroken Legion¡»¡­..among them I¡¯ll also include some ¡ºBlack Legion¡». His Majesty required us to bring forth 3000 soldiers, but let¡¯s bring 5000.] He then finally added. [The Imperial Capital is a dumpster where all the rotten people flock. But the most important thing is His Majesty¡¯s view about us. Sometimes, even I couldn¡¯t read what he¡¯s thinking. We must improve our relations with His Majesty even a little. While I¡¯m staying at the capital, I want esteemed Father to continue developing Schwarzer Territory.] Edgar stared at his son with a glare. He wondered if there is another son as reliable as this one. No matter how rotten the capital is, his son won¡¯t be swayed. All other great clans saw a decline due to the power struggle; the same case with the dukes. Meanwhile Ares appealed to treat the citizens with a better life than those at the capital and retreated from the capital to make efforts in developing the territory instead. Now the territory has seen a lot of improvement than any other places in the empire, giving them the momentum to approach the capital. On the other hand, the other clans who were involved in the power struggle failed to manage their territory, causing a sizeable amount of death. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that their clan became developed to such degree was all thanks to Ares. If it¡¯s this son of his, Arkadia Empire¡­..no, even the whole continent might get swallowed by him. Sigurd, Shion, George¡­..many others have come to follow him. All of them can be considered a Hero of their own. Rouen and others too. They are all fascinated by Ares. More people will surely ally themselves to him from now on. That kid has that kind of charm in him. And the Thunder Emperor Sephiros. He can be considered a Hero too. Perhaps that¡¯s why His Majesty shown some interest in his son. The continent¡¯s unification will surely require his son¡¯s power. Until then His Majesty might not harm Ares¡­ Perhaps this campaign to the east will become a turn in the history. And for the sake of his son¡­..he¡¯ll need to put forth a firm foundation by further developing his territory. ===== ¡ô Sacred Arkadia History year 348 ¡ºThunder Emperor¡»Sephiros von Arkadia began his campaign to the eastern area of the continent, gathering the power of four great clans in the process. And in this year was the first time Ares appeared at the forefront stage of history. This year was the beginning of the rise of the King of Heroes Ares. CH 33 The Melancholy of a Messenger. I¡¯m Samson. This time, I served as the messenger to deliver the Emperor¡¯s decree. It¡¯s my job to keep various letters from His Majesty, and delivers them to the princes. There¡¯s certainly pressure as I can¡¯t afford to make any mistake. But this job does have its own perks. Since I¡¯m bringing forth the Imperial decree, everyone would most certainly welcome me. Therefore, it¡¯s a quite enjoyable job. However, this time it¡¯s a very pressing matter. I regretted taking this task if I had to say so myself. First of all it¡¯s the recipient. This time it¡¯s one of the Archdukes and, despite being said to be one of the strongest powers in the empire, no one truly knows the real extent of this family¡¯s power. Moreover¡­.. There were barely any information leaks, keeping the mysterious vibe intact. In addition to that, it¡¯s a direct order from the Emperor Himself. That is: [Make sure to send the young lord Ares Schwarzer here] Just like that. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the Emperor is asking for the young lord instead? When it comes to war, isn¡¯t one of the [Schwarzer¡¯s Twin Generals] Rouen Beluga a better choice? However, if I shirk on my duty and failed to bring back the young lord, I¡¯ll lose my life. Why is His Majesty so obsessed in bringing the young lord to the capital¡­.? Why His Majesty even went as far as using the Imperial decree to summon a certain person? Even more curious, it¡¯s not for a general but for a young lord, who is not necessarily capable of fighting. With everything on the line, I had to do this in secret. At first, I was mind boggled by this order. But upon arriving on Schwarzer territory, I had to change my mind. This young lord Ares actually had a huge influence on the Schwarzer territory. Both the citizens and the army praised him. Apparently that young lord had brought about a huge improvement to the territory and without superseding the influence of the Archduke himself at that. And when I arrived at the capital Romaria, I was amazed by the size of the city and the sophisticated culture. (Roads connect all the towns and public order is very good. Moreover, the sophistry of this city¡­.! It¡¯s not below that of the Imperial Capital!!) Sculptures casually carved on public places and the vibrant stores along with the Blue Sky Market, roads and housings. Although smaller in scale, the prosperity is already comparable to that of the most prosperous areas like the northern and the eastern districts of Imperial capital. And in this city¡­. his name also resounded. I must correct myself now. This young lord Ares is more influential than the Archduke himself, perhaps. Therefore, when I finally visited the Archduke resident¡­.I was overwhelmed. I want to see it though. Will the Archduke let go of his most cherished son to obey the decree? Will there be dissatisfaction from the vassals and the people? The other side is the Archduke. If he refuses, which he may, then I¡¯ll lose my head. Here, I once again got reminded of how heavy the pressure that this task had given me. However, it appeared that my concern was too exaggerated as the Archduke willingly sent his son to the capital. I was greatly relieved. My worries vanished¡­.and I was freed from the great burden. Why did His Majesty seem obsessed over this though? Most probably, it¡¯s because of his capability. He managed to develop this city to this extent after all. Also, judging from the good opinion of the army, the young lord seemed to be proficient in terms of warfare too. But is it really because of just that? His Majesty is fond of good talent. They are probably acquaintances already¡­.. Perhaps His Majesty had His own plan for the young lord¡­. What¡¯ll happen after the young lord arrived in the capital¡­. It seems that it¡¯ll be interesting to see. Yes¡­. there will be no loss in paying some attention to him. The capital is quite chaotic recently. At the moment, Archduke Rudehart, Archduke Saxon and the First Prince faction held the most power¡­.It may be a good idea to pay some attention to Archduke Schwarzer too¡­ Right, I¡¯ll at least try to survive for now¡­. CH 34 The Astonished Messenger. I came to the Archduke Scwarzer¡¯s territory as a messenger and stayed there for a few days. Why you ask? Because it¡¯s comfortable in this place. [Please stay as long as you like.] Following the Archduke¡¯s words, I¡¯ve stayed here for quite a while. This time I want to summarize everything that astonished me during my stay there. ===== ¡ô First of all, it¡¯s about the city. The capital of Romaria had well-maintained and paved roads, which made it easier for carriages to travel around. Also, most of the houses are made of bricks and are in good condition. I heard that these houses were apparently built using the latest architectural methods and thus very durable. Also, they¡¯ve secured a waterway from a nearby river. I heard that the water is circulated throughout Romaria to fulfill the city¡¯s daily necessities. In addition to that, advanced waterways are installed in the houses¡¯ basement so that it won¡¯t be polluted by garbage or other things. This is surely an advanced technology. As if it¡¯s natural, the well-maintained road even stretches to the villages and districts of Romaria throughout Schwarzer territory. This means that they¡¯ll have no trouble transporting goods from the village to the capital. Also, soldiers can also be sent through this road in emergency, Meaning that they can react to danger very quickly. ===== ¡ô Next is art. It appears that the Archduke really appreciate arts. There are many artists currently staying in the city. Painting, molding, sculpting¡­.and various other kinds. Artists drawing a painting is already an everyday view. And the city is literally full of sculptures. Apparently, it¡¯s because the senior artist would let any student they deemed worthy to freely decorate the city with the sculptures they made themselves as a form of practice. A large fountain is built at the central squar, and it¡¯s also filled with complicated looking sculptures. It seems to be a joint work of several artists. Such a splendid fountain¡­¡­not even the Imperial capital has it. It¡¯s a place for the citizen to relax in the middle of their daily work. ===== ¡ô Speaking of fountain¡­¡­I also took note of the city sanitation. The water is very clean. Not to mention the water running in the underground waterway, the water in the fountain and even the regular waterway is also very clean, to the point that children could drink and bathe in it without worry. How do they control sewage? I decided to ask about this to the official who was nearby. [All the sewage are circulated through different, dedicated pipes. After that, the spirit contracted to this land will purify the water, and return it to the river.] What in the name of¡­.. I was stunned beyond belief. What a thorough way to manage the water¡­.. [The sewage is the source of disease. Thus we need to be thorough in managing it.] Certainly in the imperial capital, diseases are prevalent due to the sewage disposal, especially in the slum area at the western part of the capital. With the method this city uses, such a thing won¡¯t happen. However, how do they put the water spirits in a contract to do all that? The official¡¯s reply sounded mysterious to me. [Ha? There are no contracted spirits in other places? Here, it¡¯s natural for the spirits to help us like this¡­..] [Is that¡­.from a long time ago?] [Well, there are elves, who are close to spirits, living all over Schwarzer territory¡­..but the start was maybe only several years ago.] So it only started a few years back¡­.then something may have happened recently. ===== ¡ô That¡¯s not all that surprised me. I was also astonished by the cuisine here. All the dishes were delicious. From the meals served in the lodging place where I stayed at to the restaurant and even to the stalls opening on the roadside. If you ask, the people in this place has been eating white bread for the past few years. The black bread is mainly used for preserved food. Meat dishes were also wonderful. The meat was tender and wasn¡¯t hard to chew. Everyone had a special device that¡¯ll help to soften the meat. None of the vegetables withered and they¡¯re all fresh. And strangely enough, there was an abundance of seafood. I was surprised that they even have saltwater fish available here. The Arcadia Empire is an inland nation. Therefore there is no other way to obtain saltwater fish but to import it. As a result, fish are sold at a high price even in the imperial capital. Here, it was the opposite. They seemed to obtain their fish from northern Wolfgard The ingredients were also surprising¡­.the first thing I noticed was the recipe. None of these were available at the imperial capital. I particularly liked the [Fried] dishes sold in the stalls. It¡¯s easy to eat for both adult and children and it¡¯s doesn¡¯t exist yet in the imperial capital. The exquisite saltiness was outstanding, especially when eaten alongside ale. But that wasn¡¯t all. I was even more surprised by the dishes served in the Archduke residence. Certainly¡­..it¡¯s Hadora, isn¡¯t it? I heard that he had a good capability as a chef. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever eaten something like this¡­..to the point that I asked for a second serving because I fear that I¡¯ll forget the taste. I¡¯ll write down what the shopkeepers told me here. When I was eating at the restaurant¡­ That time, I ate the¡ºSnow Stew¡»which is the specialty of the restaurant. Liking the taste, I asked the shopkeeper about it. Apparently, this dish uses plenty of ¡ºcow milk¡» There is¡ºGoat Milk¡»in the capital, but¡ºcow milk¡»is rarely seen. Apparently there is an active ranch on the northeastern part of the Schwarzer territory. What surprised me is how the dish was cooked. The recipe can also be freely reproduced outside of the settlement. [Both the Archduke-sama and Ares-sama seem to be fond of eating. So they want to create a wonderful place where everyone won¡¯t be disappointed by the deliciousness of its cuisines. Without that, this kind of dish wouldn¡¯t exist. After visiting Schwarzer territory and tasted its food once, people tend to feel that the food from other areas are mediocre at best.] That¡¯s¡­¡­certainly very convincing. ===== ¡ô I also would like to write about the security. I have been to many cities by now¡­..but I¡¯ve never seen a city with such a good security before. There were no beggars and not even a pickpocket could be seen anywhere. People don¡¯t need to worry about their stuff getting robbed. Of course, there were still bad guys here. However, the police forces constantly strove to maintain public security. Those criminals would be apprehended immediately after the crime had been done. There were no favors due to something like a relationship or anything. Everyone is judged equally. When I heard about this¡­..I stood there for a while as if I¡¯ve been struck by lightning. The reason why people from all over the land aimed to go here¡­¡­I think I know the reason now. They¡¯ll be able to live in this place safely free from dangers and hardships. To the me who¡¯ve seen various place in the Empire¡­..it seems like an ideal living place. ===== ¡ô There were other surprising items too. The splendid public bath is worth noting, as well as the tinderbox which made it very easy to start fire. Not only the town but even the suburbs and the well-maintained fields¡­.everything is amazing. But the most surprising thing was that it¡¯s a place where demihumans coexist naturally and blending in with regular humans. I was told before I came here. This land does not treat the demihumans as slaves, but as regular people. Therefore, the church is quite alarmed about it. I had this selfish imagination¡­.that humans and demihumans can actually live together peacefully. But here¡­.it¡¯s surprising that they so naturally live together in this place. Everyone could laugh together and hold each other hands. Humans do not look down on the demihumans and the demihumans do not look at the human with a gaze full of hatred. They live together and respect each other. Even the priest of the church here. ===== ¡ô Everyone lives happily in this place. Thus, when a crisis threatens the place¡­..not only human, but also elves, dwarves, and the beastmen will risk their lives to maintain the peace. This might be the hidden power of this land. This force might swallow the continent one day¡­.that¡¯s what I think. CH 35 Schwarzer Family Exclusive¡¯s Chef Hadora¡¯s story Yes, there is no need to be scared. I look frightening or so they say. I personally don¡¯t know why. Perhaps it¡¯s my tall stature or this shaved head or these trained muscles¡­ Well, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s what inside that matters. How I came to the Schwarzer family, it was a story from a long time ago. I lived in the Royal Capital before. The Holy Arcadia Empire, the largest empire in the continent that boasts the most advanced food culture. Many large merchants and aristocrats and sometimes, even the royal family themselves seek my service¡­.. That¡¯s right, I didn¡¯t have a fixed employer. Why did I never set my foot on one place you ask? Because [No one has ever made me feel touched] That is¡­. ===== People who ate my food will say that it¡¯s [Delicious]. People will insisted on eating my food and commented [Oh??did you put ?? on this dish?] or [How did you produce such a deep taste?], they basically said similar things. They were just trying to enthrall me. Naturally, the food is delicious. It¡¯s because ¡ºI was the one who cooked it¡» Nn? What¡¯s with that ugly face? You say I was overconfident? Of course I am. It¡¯ll be rude of me if I don¡¯t have that much confidence. Because people paid me a great amount of money to serve them a delicious meal. However, thanks to this personality, I often caused troubles in my workplace. Saying, it¡¯s too much, can¡¯t keep up, the schedule is too tight¡­ Of course, I said this straight to my employer. [You don¡¯t understand food.] And then, what returned to me was a letter of dismissal. In such case, I would leave the manor with fresh face. ===== ¡ô Even if my employer always changes, there are certainly some people who regularly hire me. That¡¯s par for the course. After all, I¡¯m what they call [Empire¡¯s Number One Chef]. I don¡¯t want money. Money, in my opinion, is the source of people¡¯s dark side. Do I hate cooking? No, in fact, I really love cooking. Very much so. With all my life. But¡­ it¡¯s strange to say this, but it¡¯s as if I¡¯ve lost my passion. However, this was going to change. It was¡­..at the house of Rozenburg, when I was hired for a short time by an important employer. I finally met the one. Someone who could quench my thirst. ===== ¡ô At that time, I was invited by the Rozenburg to work as a chef. I was to go to Rozenburg immediately that same day. [You want me to cook my best dish¡­.?] [Yes, you¡¯re correct. I want you to cook your best dish. The guest this time is special. A scion of the Archduke, as well as the saviour of my daughter¡¯s life.] Lord Rozenburg spoke with great seriousness in his face. [That¡¯s why I also want you to at least try to not be rude to the guest. Can you?] Right, the Baron was worried about my little quirk, that small game of mine. That was to only provide one kind of dish. In short, I would serve them an¡ºincomplete¡»food, wanting to see whether they could notice it or not. Of course, if they didn¡¯t notice it, I won¡¯t serve them the complete version. Those who couldn¡¯t are only fit to taste the incomplete product. Even famous culinary experts and the Royal Family member couldn¡¯t notice the difference. And that¡¯s why, ¡ºSaying you are a culinary expert, while only at that level.¡» I dared say. I won¡¯t respond to their annoyance with words, only a vague smile. ¡­.. On that day, the so-called scion of Archduke arrived. Lord Rozenburg even went as far as welcoming him personally. Of course, since this person would be the next Archduke, and apparently also saved his daughter¡¯s life. I didn¡¯t really know or care about the detail. When they arrived at the dining table, I overheard how the Baron referred to this person as his son. He¡¯s talking to the scion of Archduke with a wide smile on his face. Seeing lord Rozenburg like that felt¡­..unusual. Even so, the story went on and on. The baron was having a great time. And the scion himself didn¡¯t show any sign of being annoyed as well, or so I overheard. [Excuse me. Hadora is here to serve.] [Oh, you¡¯re finally here!] Taking a closer look, he¡¯s but a young man¡­.a dark haired young boy was sitting there. He gave me look while the Baron made a short introduction. [The food that¡¯ll be served this time is the product of the expertise of this Hadora, currently the best chef in the Empire.] [Ah, I often heard that name. Such a famous person will be the one serving the food? Is it alright for the a member of the younger generation like me to eat such food?] [What are you saying! For Young Lord, it¡¯s only appropriate¡­.] Lord Rozenburg kept talking with great intensity. It caused a mild discomfort for me who watched everything. [Well then, Hadora! I¡¯ll leave it to you!! Cook one of a hell dish!] I returned to the kitchen after replying courteously. And I decided. I¡¯m going to serve an ¡ºincomplete dish¡»as always. ===== ¡ô Starting with the appetizer. After that, soup, followed with various kind of foods. And the end is the main course. I¡¯ll also be there joining the Baron. [Ho! Hadora!! It¡¯s amazing just as expected!] The baron seemed satisfied. Meanwhile, when I looked at the young lord¡¯s face¡­.he was tilting his head as if curious on something. nally the main dish¡­.. [Sautee Aleria Chick] was served¡­.he said something amazing. [I know it¡¯s rude to say this to someone who has cooked for you¡­.but would you please hear me out? Can you add some little amount¡ºHoney¡»to it?] I was shocked. He noticed after only the first bite that this was an incomplete dish. I gave the dish a few drops of honey, as requested. And he smiled in satisfaction. [Un, this is delicious alright. Baron please give it a taste as well] The baron also gave it a taste after I drip some honey on the food. He became wide eyed. [Hadora! Co, could it be you¡­¡­] The Baron raised his voice. But the young lord spoke up. [Everything else were delicious for sure. But¡­. I felt something was missing. I you ask me what that something is¡­¡­I couldn¡¯t say because I don¡¯t know it as well. But I can tell that the dish is now perfect.] He smiled while telling me that. [The number one chef in the Empire, Hadora. Truly a wonderful expertise. Please allow me to taste your [completed dish] next time] After saying that, he got up from the chair. The baron also followed suit and they continued talking in earnest. To be seen through by such a young man¡­. I could only stand there in silence. ===== ¡ô I was then banished from the Baron¡¯s mansion. That¡¯s only natural. I served his important guest an incomplete dish after all. The baron was unusually very angry. But¡­¡­.I¡¯ve made my mind. After leaving the mansion, I immediately made a visit to the Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s mansion. Luckily, the young lord Ares was also just about to head back to the Schwarzer territory. So I told him. I don¡¯t need money nor fame, I just want him to hire me, I said. [Well??then, I¡¯ll hire you as my personal chef, but are you really fine with that?] It was a wishful thinking. I didn¡¯t want to work for the¡ºArchduke¡». All I want was to work for ¡ºAres Schwarzer¡»as individual. And thus I left the royal capital behind and headed to Schwarzer territory. ===== ¡ô My life at the Schwarzer Territory has been wonderful. I get to learn about various new ingredients and recipes. Ares-sama is an interesting fellow as well. I have to devise something new everyday in order to keep him satisfied. In addition to that, Ares-sama entrusted me with one interesting task. [Hadora. I want to help enrich the people¡¯s food culture. I want you to create recipes of various delicious dishes, but they have to be easy and affordable for everyone to make¡­.. Can you do that?] I knew one thing from Ares-sama. That eating delicious food can bring happiness. Since then, once a month I would create a recipe, and handed it to the people. At first it¡¯s something simple¡­..but soon it become more elaborate, and varying. Over the past few years, the people¡¯s awareness of food had immense changed. Now it¡¯s not enough with just filling your stomach, they want to eat something delicious as well. That¡¯s how much the difference in their way of thinking compared to the past. Let¡¯s say it once more. Eating delicious food can bring happiness. While serving food for Ares-sama, I also got to change the diet of the people as well¡­.it¡¯s a very satisfying work. ===== ¡ô ¡ºThe King of Cuisine¡»Hadora. Originally a famous chef in the empire, he became Ares personal chef after a small mishap. His achievement was the creation of various recipes, which had been published among the people and eaten by many more. It¡¯s said that he was the one responsible for changing the idea of ¡®It¡¯s fine as long as you can fill your stomach¡¯ with the importance of food to the people. In addition to that, he also raised some disciples after working under Ares. Ren, his first disciple, and Ted, his second disciple, set up restaurants that later spawned many branches and became the largest restaurant chain in Arestia Dominion¡­ CH 36 Chapter 36 ¨C Departure As per the royal decree of Emperor Sephiros, Ares was appointed as the delegation for the Schwarzer Territory. After Ares finished talking with Edgar, he summoned his three retainers¡­ Sigurd, Shion, and George to come. [This time I will follow you.] After hearing the matter at hand, Sigurd unhesitatingly responded. Shion merely let out a small smile. While George retained his expressionless look. [That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m planning to do. George is an indispensible figure for the territory at the moment and Shion is essential in case of emergencies.] Ares glanced at the two as he spoke. [This time I¡¯ll be joining the war as a commander. Therefore we will need Sigurd¡¯s forces.] When Ares is absent, Shion will be the one making the strategic decisions in case of an emergency. Meanwhile George is the chief officer of the territory¡¯s management and thus cannot leave the territory. The role that Ares will take this time was that of a commander. He¡¯ll require armed forces. That¡¯s why Sigurd¡¯s expertise is needed. [Ares-sama, this time around, how many soldiers you are going to bring?] Ares then replied to Sigurd¡¯s question. [Ah. His Majesty requested for 3000 soldiers¡­.. This time I think I¡¯ll bring the¡ºBlack Legion¡»from my¡ºBroken Legion¡» . With the total number of 5000 cavalry.] [Nha!? Why bring out the Black Legion?! Isn¡¯t it better to bring Schwarzer Territory soldiers instead?] Sigurd was surprised. The reply to his question immediately came. [Well, it¡¯s the chance for the¡ºBroken Legion¡»to cause a major impact to the empire. Isn¡¯t that too good of an opportunity to miss? Moreover, this will also be their first real battle. We¡¯ll need a good opponent for those fellows. Isn¡¯t the army of Grantz Principality, known as one of the strongest army in the continent, going to be the best pick?] Sigurd seemed to be not satisfied by Shion¡¯s answer. [But I still don¡¯t agree to bring 5000 when all we required to bring is just 3000.] Those are well-trained elites prepared since a young age. At present, the¡ºBroken Legion¡»has become something like a goal for the soldiers of the Schwarzer territory. Also¡­..everyone in territory knows it already. Of the unusual strength of this¡ºBroken Legion¡» This time Ares planned to bring with him the Black Legion which has the most destructive power among the Broken Legions. The reason is just as Shion said already. Emperor Sephiros loves capable individuals, but he is harsh on the incompetent ones. What Ares wanted from this battle are [Fame] and [Trust] from the Emperor. And in order to do that, he¡¯ll have to win the war. Moreover, his true goal is not ¡®only¡¯ to win, but to win in the most overwhelming and impressive way. [If we achieve the desired result, we¡¯ll gain the Emperor¡¯s trust. And that way, Schwarzer clan¡¯s influence will also be strengthened and more clans might come to serve under our wings. And perhaps at last¡­.] [More demi-humans will be liberated, correct?] George who had been silent up until then finally opened his mouth. [Yes. By having more areas under our control, we¡¯ll be able to free the local demi-humans more easily.] After saying so, Ares once again gave the three a look. [To that end, we can¡¯t accept anyone involved in power struggle in the imperial capital. Those people are the kind that will betray us if the wind changes direction. Even after witnessing our overwhelming strength, there is no guarantee that they will obey me unconditionally.] And then Ares laughed. [I¡¯ve already told this to everyone, but once again, my goal is to create a nation where everyone can live equally and without discrimination. I will do anything to reach that purpose. This war might be His Majesty¡¯s foothold in unifying the continent. But it¡¯s also a stepping stone for me to reach my dream.] ===== Afterward, Ares headed to his personal stable alone. He went there to meet his beloved steed [Saint]. As Ares entered the stable, he found that Saint was sleeping there. [Saint, I¡¯ll be leaving to the Imperial capital. It¡¯s unfortunate, but there will be war again.] Hearing his voice, the white horse opened its eyes. ¡ºAnother war? Humankind really loves to wage war, aren¡¯t they?¡» Saying so, this white horse called Saint slowly stood up on all fours. Its size is a bit smaller than a regular horse but its supple and tight body isn¡¯t inferior, but even better than others. It also had two horns in its head. The manes were majestic white. But the most surprising aspect is that it¡¯s capable of conversing with humans. [Saint as a¡ºKirin¡»won¡¯t understand what the people has suffered through¡­.even I, to be honest, still have a lot that I don¡¯t understand] ¡ºKirin¡» They are a rare existence and won¡¯t usually show themselves to humans. Meeting one is considered to be an extremely lucky incident. It possesses enormous magic power and its violent lightning storm earned it the title of [Legendary Beast]. It won¡¯t be possible to subdue it with only one army division. [I¡¯ll be there regardless, be it to the battlefield or to the depths of hell, I¡¯ll follow you no matter where you go. You are, after all, my master.] Saying that, Saint neighed. [Moreover, you still act humble as usual. As my master you should try to act more proud.] [¡­.that¡¯s, perhaps because Saint lives longer¡­.but thank you for your patience. Anyways, let¡¯s stop the talking about this master thingy¡­. It¡¯s scary.] ===== A few days later, Ares left Romaria. Serving under him this time was the brave warrior Sigurd, and 5000 strong cavalry of the [Black Legion]. And the one watching him at the gate. [Perhaps, this war will bring a great change to the continent¡­.we¡¯ll have to make preparations¡­.] Shion wrinkled his eyebrows in his lonesome, thinking. CH 37 Chapter 37 ¨C The Retainers¡¯ Thoughts It was the evening when Sigurd Shion, and George were summoned by Ares for a chat. After Ares left, Sigurd sighed. [My, the Young Lord finally call us to arms. It seems that my vacation has finally come to an end?] George responded to Shion¡¯s remark. [The Lord is like fire. No matter where he goes, that place will be set on fire too. And since he¡¯s going to the Imperial Capital¡­..there is no doubt that Arcadia Empire will undergo a great change.] The three recounted the conversation they had with Ares earlier. What he said at the end. ¡¶I¡¯ve already told this to everyone but once again, my goal is to create a nation where everyone can live equally and without discrimination. I will do anything to reach that purpose.¡· [¡­.in order to fulfill Ares-sama¡¯s wish of changing the whole empire¡­..suffice to say that it will only be possible through making the empire our own from the inside or destroying it and create a new country.] Shion said so while fixing his eye glasses. [Perhaps, the other countries will also get involved in the coming conflict. Other than that¡­..we¡¯ll also have to contend with the church.] [The church, huh¡­..] Sigurd looked weary. Even the Kings and Emperors who hold great power will have to act carefully because there is this power called the¡ºChurch¡». The religion of the continent revolves around the pantheon of Gods led by the¡ºSun God Ain¡». And it was the¡ºChurch¡»that preaches the teachings and guides the people. Not only that, they are capable of using the¡ºHoly Arts¡»to help with people¡¯s lives by healing injuries and diseases. The Church¡¯s main headquarters is in the Holy Arcadia Empire, in a region named Sierra Hazzard, not far from the imperial capital. They have autonomy and is independent of the Empire. Their territory is also called the¡ºSacred Ground Sierra Hazzard¡» They, under the name of something essential to the people that is¡ºReligion¡», hold significant impact in each country. Moreover, the donations collected from various churches around the continent are also gathered in the Sierra Hazzard, earning them an enormous wealth. A¡ºPope¡»leads the church from the sacred ground. He holds the supreme authority over the religion. Just under the Pope are the few¡ºCardinals¡», some of which remain in the sacred ground to assist the Pope, while the rest are dispatched to each country, actively involved in politics. Below the Cardinals are respectively the¡ºArchbishops¡», [Bishops], [Priests], and [Deacons] dispatched to the temple and churches throughout the continent. The¡ºHoly Arcadia Empire¡»and¡ºWolfgard Empire¡»in particular recognized the church as their state religion so the church has greater influence in these two countries. In addition to that, they also have their own military force. The¡ºSierra Hazzard Holy Knight Brigade¡»is known to have the strongest knights that received the blessing of Gods. Therefore, they can be considered as nation in its own right, and is collectively known as the¡ºChurch Forces¡» However¡­.although at first they genuinely act on noble principles¡­.this belief decays as time goes on and now with the humans at its center, they act only for their own benefits. Also, the root cause of the discrimination to the¡ºDemi Humans¡»that happens in various places can be said to be the church itself. They¡¯ve been preaching incessantly over how the demi-humans are¡ºEvil¡»beings. [Inherently, there are nothing of the sort in the teachings of the Sun God. Everything, including the beasts and fairies in the forest, even the demons are all children of the Sun God.] George said in lieu to Shion¡¯s remark. [That was all the product of their fear for the demi-humans¡¯ potentials and that line of thought found its way to the religion. In fact, the church here also couldn¡¯t tolerate it.] The Schwarzer territory had never discriminated the demi-humans since the clan was founded. Therefore, that tradition is also kept by the local church. The central power of the church couldn¡¯t do anything about it either. [In any case, it¡¯s time for the Church Forces to be reformed as well. Have you gotten into contact with Cecil again?] George replied to Shion¡¯s inquiry. [No, not yet¡­.it seems that the¡ºChild of Light¡»has not been found yet.] Cecil was one of their few classmates during their days in the academy, the youngest person in the Empire to ever become a Bishop. The two have been keeping in touch with this cleric of unusual way of thinking, in preparation for the movement. [The¡ºChild of Light¡»is our trump card here¡­.so we have to keep him a secret until the time comes.] Sigurd silently listened to the conversation between Shion and George. This matter regarding religion, church forces, and this child of light¡­.despite his open-mindedness, it¡¯s all beyond his understanding. Seeing such Sigurd, Shion smiled and changed the topic. [There are a few things that I¡¯m curious about. Why must the Thunder Emperor specifically ask for our Lord?] Shion inquired the one thing that has been bothering him. This war is the emperor¡¯s personal conquest. He should¡¯ve requested for the more famous names such as the ¡ºSchwarzer¡¯s Twin Generals¡». But he directly appointed Ares instead. Moreover, he heard from the messenger himself that the Emperor was being quite specific this time. [Our lord didn¡¯t say anything regarding this¡­ I feel that he¡¯s hiding something.] [But still¡­] For the first time, Sigurd opened his mouth. [Even if that¡¯s true, that he¡¯s hiding something from us¡­.my duty is to believe in him, and to become his ¡ºSword¡».] Listening to Sigurd¡¯s declaration, both Shion and George also spoke in agreement. It¡¯s only natural. That¡¯s the very reason of why they are here after all. Even if the lord won¡¯t say it today, they believe that he will tell them eventually. [Well, we¡¯ll just have to give our best, right? Great changes will definitely occur in few years. Each and everything must be well prepared.] CH 38 Chapter 38 ¨C On the Way to the Imperial Capital The Schwarzer territory is located at the north of the Arcadia Empire, thus even on horseback, it will still take at least a month travelling from Romaria to the Capital. Ares is at the front of the heavy cavalry. They can march at a reasonable speed, but due to the weight of their equipment, they couldn¡¯t go as fast as the light cavalry. [Well, let¡¯ just do it on our own pace. Not that I mind it.] Ares laughed. [Even so, at our fastest speed we¡¯ll arrive at the capital in about two weeks time. The summon requires us to get there in one month. There will be examination, then the departure ceremony¡­.well, we¡¯ll just have to endure staying in the capital for two weeks.] [¡­..honestly I don¡¯t like the idea of staying in the capital.] Remembering his days as a gladiator, Sigurd responded negatively at Ares¡¯ estimation. Ares heard him, of course, and after encouraging him, looked behind. [But really, after leaving the territory, we are immediately greeted by this wilderness. Don¡¯t they maintain the route if at all?] At the corner of Ares¡¯ eyes was a dilapidated village. The field was also too rough and wild to be of use for anything. Emperor Sephiros likes war. On the other hand, he delegated most of domestic affairs to his vassals. Before, the famous Duke of Arnold and Empire¡¯s former prime minister, Reizen, tackled the domestic affairs at his own discretion. He explained the importance of territory management to the local lords and strictly keeping public safety according to the law. The whole Arcadia Empire was rendered calm thanks to his effort. However, about five years ago, when the words was out that he had died of sickness, local lords began to only work for their own benefits. In addition to that, the aristocrats at the capital were tangled in the struggle for power, taking their attention away from domestic affairs. Injustice became rampant, bandits and monster attack often happened¡­ despite being known as the continent¡¯s strongest country, many of such occurrences happened in Holy Arcadia Empire if one is willing to observe with more detail. [As expected Reizen-dono¡¯s passing caused a big tide¡­.he¡¯s a great figure.] [Does Ares-sama know Duke of Arnold?] [Yeah. He was Esteemed Father¡¯s old acquaintance. And he was kind to me when I was still a kid. Reizen-dono was a noble and wonderful person.] Saying so, Ares¡¯ gaze became distant, reminiscing about the late prime minister. [But the world has changed a lot since he¡¯s gone¡­] [It¡¯s saddening¡­.but the current empire has too many places like this one. Schwarzer Territory is one of the few remaining safe havens.] Sigurd responded after also taking a look at the village. [Along the way here, we went past a number of villages that have been attacked by bandits or monsters. It¡¯s not only 1 or 2 villages either. His Majesty doesn¡¯t even bother to find out, this people¡­] [Sigurd, stop that.] Ares cut in. [Don¡¯t say anything more than that. Because, it¡¯ll only be empty words.] [¡­¡­.Yes. Pardon me.] [When I meet His Majesty in the capital later, I promise that I¡¯ll tell him about this¡­..hopefully he¡¯ll listen.] After saying that to Sigurd, Ares issued an order to the army. [We¡¯ll take a rest at the village ruins ahead. Make preparations¡­if there are still some villagers left¡­.let¡¯s do what we can to help them] Ares decided to stop by the village, and although it might be little, wished to help. And with that, the army made preparations to take a rest. Ares chose to pick the village ruins as a resting spot. He had two reasons in doing so. First because it¡¯ll be easier for them to acquire water. The other reason is because he wanted to at least make a proper burial for the deceased and helped the still living, no matter how small. If he leave the corpses as it is, there are chance that they¡¯ll turn into undead. By then¡­they¡¯ll be forced to take them down. After the burial, when Ares was taking a break, he felt something coming from the tree in front of him. He then spoke to the tree. [What happened? Zekka?] [Ahead of this village, there is a horde of monsters about half a day time on horseback. They are mostly consisted of goblins.] [Are there any prisoners?] [No, there is nothing this time.] Goblins and ogres are said to often capture women to either bear their child or to become their food. Therefore, it might be necessary to be extra careful so as not to endanger the captive¡¯s life. [I see¡­ in that case, we can go a bit flashy this time. Guess I can consider it as a small work out?] After saying so, Ares got up slowly and stretched his body. He then arranged a plan of attack in his mind. CH 39 Chapter 39 ¨C Slaying Goblins Ares rode on Saint in the darkness of night, heading towards the goblin¡¯s nest. This time he was only accompanied by Zekka. [Well, it¡¯s not that big of a number, I alone should be enough. Everyone is tired after all.] [I shouldn¡¯t have any problem handling that number¡­.well, maybe a bit.] [¡­¡­I don¡¯t want to spoil the mood, but Zekka doesn¡¯t really have to come along¡­.] [Milord need not to be worried for us. Instead, it is our duty to stay at Milord¡¯s side.] [¡­..just say that you are a bit worried.] [Why should I worry for someone going to slay some goblins when that person could take on a dragon?] [¡­..well, I guess you¡¯re right.] We arrived at the goblin nest while we had that light-hearted conversation. [Actually, there are quite a number of them.] [That only means that all monsters on this land are gathered here] [No wonder the village got overwhelmed if it¡¯s this number¡­.] Ares wrinkled his eyebrows while saying that. But his voice still retained its relaxed tone. [Well then, shall we crush them?] Saint quipped at Ares¡¯ smiling face. [You are about to fight a battle, yet you show not even an ounce of tension] [This is different from a mere fight~. There is no way I won¡¯t get nervous.] Saying that, Ares got off from Saint¡¯s back. [I¡¯m going. I feel bad for asking this, but could Saint kill any escaping stragglers? Please?] [Do I have an option in this¡­..? After all, my Master is a fool who would go out of his way to kill some random goblins.] [I just want some insurance. Alright, here I go.] That being said, I raised the [Seven Heavenly Swords] resting on my chest and took out [Divine Sword Oldeus] and ran into the goblin nest. ===== ¡ô ©`©`©` goblins The weakest among the humanoid demons with a low intelligence to match. However, they are not to be trifled with. The will use their numbers to swarm their target. They obtain weapons from the corpse of their victims and are often seen raiding villages. There are several reasons for why they raid villages. The first is to obtain arms and food. Second is to satisfy their bloodlust. Lastly is to kidnap women. They use women like cattle, keeping them alive just to bear their offspring. Of course, they are capable of producing offspring on their own. But stronger goblins are only born from the intercourse of a goblin and human or demi-human. Goblin invasions aren¡¯t that rare of an occurrence. If it¡¯s just a flock of 10 to 20 goblins, then the village would normally be able to fend them off. But it¡¯s a different matter if there is a high-level goblin among them since their numbers will also be a lot bigger. One needs to be careful when fighting against a horde of goblins led by a high-level goblin such as a Goblin Knight or Goblin Master as they can command about 50 goblins. \ A Goblin Lord has about 100 goblins under its command, and will be impossible to fend off unless the territorial army intervenes. There was something even worse than that in records, which was the Goblin King, who can command several hordes at once as well as having good intelligence. Veteran knights would be required to be deployed to contend against this threat. They are nothing on their own. But they will become a threat if they come in great numbers. That is the goblin. ===== ¡ô Goblins make a nest and attack the neighboring villages. One must destroy the nest and the one in charge of the nest to completely destroy them. [But¡­..this place is bigger than I thought ¡­] Ares headed to a top of a rock where he could oversee the whole nest. Looking from there, he could see hundreds of goblins in it. [This might be a Goblin Lord¡­.if I¡¯m unlucky it could also be a Goblin King¡­] [We didn¡¯t expect it to be this big of a size. Shall we inform Sigurd?] [No, they are tired and I alone am enough. I¡¯ll use magic to sweep them all off. There is no need to involve others.] Ares replied quietly and started chanting magic. Zekka didn¡¯t utter any more words and watched silently. When magicians casts their spells, many would perform chanting. This is for properly controlling the spell. However, if the opponent catches the magician in the middle of casting, it¡¯ll only end with the death of the magician. Therefore, Ares usually casts magic silently. Ares has an unimaginably large magic capacity. He casts mostly to control the amount of magic power he pours into the spell. After finishing the cast, Ares looked at the goblin nest. Then, he chanted the final part of the casting. [Destroy! ¡ºMeteor Strike¡»!] As soon as he said so, rocks the size of an adult human started pouring from the sky, raining carnage upon the countless goblins. The goblin nest soon filled with a view of hell and screams of agony. However, the rocks kept pouring down upon the goblins unforgivingly. The rocks could crush their heads. Some got knocked down by their own friends¡­.either way, most of the goblins were killed on the spot there. Seeing the rocks had stopped falling, Ares exhaled slowly. [It¡¯s been a while since I used a magic spell that large¡­.it seems that I could control it somewhat.] [That¡¯s such a devastating magic¡­.why do you even need soldiers if you have that?] [No, this magic will destroy everything in its perimeter, and I hardly able to control it¡­if I were to use it in war, it¡¯ll cause unnecessary damage to the surroundings¡­this magic shouldn¡¯t be used freely.]. While he said so, Ares looked over the rock-drowned goblin nest. A goblin was crawling out of the opening in between some large rocks. [Looks like there is a survivor. Perhaps it survived by using its companions as a shield. Could it be the horde leader?] Ares then walked at a slow pace toward the direction of the final survivor. ===== [kisshaaa.] Ares stood in front of the goblin who was out of breath after crawling out of the rubble. [This is surprising. A goblin lord that is about to evolve to a goblin king.] This goblin was much larger than a regular goblin. Moreover, it had more magic power compared to a goblin lord. [Bastard! What have you done!] The goblin king shouted breathlessly. Since it had developed intelligence, it became capable of speech. [My bad, but if your number grows any larger than this you¡¯ll start attacking nearby towns~. I have to wipe you out before that happens.] From literature, it¡¯s been recorded that some goblin king or orc king could even create a ¡ºcountry¡»after laying waste to several towns. Ares swished his sword to the vexed goblin king¡¯s neck. [Hagya!?] The goblin fell, convulsing on the ground for a while, then stopped moving. Dead. [The world is really in deep trouble if a goblin king can actually appear¡­ the demons might be more active than I expected before¡­.] Ares said to himself as he took a final look at the goblin king¡¯s corpse. CH 40 Chapter 40 ¨C Imperial Capital ~Arrival~ The capital of Holy Arcadia Empire was simply called the Imperial capital. There was no official name for it. Apparently, it has an original name, but since the city had been called [Imperial Capital] from the time of the Great Arcadia Empire, that title just naturally stuck even up until now. The population was over 3 million, and it¡¯s widely known as the largest city in the Arcadia continent. Currently, the city continued to prosper as the center of science and culture of Arcadia continent. ===== It¡¯s been two weeks since Ares left Romaria. Finally, the main gate of Imperial Capital could be seen in the distance. This main gate of the Imperial Capital is also known as the [Gate of Victory]. It is said that soldiers who marched through this gate will always return victorious. This site has been maintained since the time of the Great Arcadia Empire. Ares rode through the gate. [How many years has it been since we last went through this gate?] [I never thought that I¡¯d return here by going through this gate again¡­.] Sigurd rode on with a resolute face. To him, the Imperial Capital was a reminder of the time when he had to fight as a slave gladiator. He had no good memories regarding this city. [Well, don¡¯t say it like that. Moreover¡­.] That said, Ares looked back at the Black Legion riding behind him. [We¡¯ll march to Schwarzer Mansion to remain in stand by there and to have some rest. With 5000 cavalry, we need to prepare the place. Also¡­ I suppose it¡¯s too glaring of a view alright.] In response to Ares¡¯ words, Sigurd looked at the soldiers guarding the gate. They seemed to be wary after seeing the unfamiliar riders clad in black. [If I want to stand out, then I have to go all out with it. This is the best place to enter the capital.] That was why Ares chose to go through the Capital¡¯s main gate. ===== ¡ô The Imperial Capital mainly consisted of 4 districts. The northern district is the home for nobles. The eastern district is for those who have large income like the knights or big-time merchants. Naturally, the Schwarzer mansion is situated on the northern district. It was famous for taking a quite wide spot on the district if compared to the other aristocrats¡¯ mansions. Because it belonged to a clan with military power in hand, the mansion had to have enough space to station soldiers. And Ares, after instructing his army to rest, disappeared. He headed to the west district. There was someone he needed to meet over there. [There are still two weeks before I have to enter the palace. Lots of things to do and prepare beforehand¡­. I¡¯m sorry everyone, but I wonder if I can go out for a moment?] That was the only thing Ares said to Sigurd before he left the mansion. CH 41 cH.41 ¨C Imperial Capital¡¯s Western District Ares was heading to the Capital¡¯s Western district. To one of the settlements to be exact. Passing the huge gate, Ares shouted in a loud voice. [Long time no see!] After saying so, he went inside. At that moment, a voice came from behind. [Hold on there, customer. You can¡¯t enter since it¡¯s not business hours yet!¡­. Eh, hee? Aren¡¯t you that Alan? It¡¯s been quite a while, isn¡¯t it??] The source of that voice was a young woman with dishevelled clothes. It appeared that she had just woke up, seeing how she hadn¡¯t worn any make up and that her hair was all over the place. [Hi Barbara.] The woman called Barbara laughed merrily, tilted her head and asked. [How did you get past the guards at the front gate?] [Nn? Ah, since they wouldn¡¯t let me in, I put them to sleep for a bit.] [¡­..so you got in by force¡­.good grief. So what are you up to by coming here today? And when did you return here to the capital?] [I only returned earlier today. I just want to see Carla. Is she here at the moment?] [Wait¡­.you are here just to meet my sister?] Hearing Barbara complain, Ares could only feel a little embarrassed as he heard her continued speaking. [We haven¡¯t met for a long time and that¡¯s how you act? After you¡¯re gone, everyone here was depressed¡­ Maria even had this face as if the world has ended¡­. She wouldn¡¯t stop crying¡­.so was Carla. How hard it is just to say goodbye properly!?] [Ah©`, I¡¯ll hear out all of Barbara¡¯s complains later. Right now I need to see Carla. There is something that I need to talk about with her in a hurry.] [Really now, you won¡¯t even listen¡­.. Sister Carla! It¡¯s a customer! Alan is back!] Barbara¡¯s face turned bitter upon hearing Ares¡¯ words, but she still complied by calling out loudly. However, the responses to the call were: [Alan, you say?] [He is back?] [I thought I would never see you again!] The doors opened up one after another, many women emerging from their rooms. Apparently they were still on break, judging from how casual and lightly they¡¯re dressed and how they hadn¡¯t applied any make up. The women started a ruckus, rushing toward Ares. Ares, on the other hand, flushed red from being confronted by this many scantily clad women, was unable to react with tact. [No, please, I¡¯ll talk to you all later¡­.] [Everyone, be quiet!] A loud voice resounded in the hall. The place turned quiet immediately. All due to the that voice that carried so much authority in it. The western district is pretty much the living place for the poor, and its hygiene is questionable at best. However, the district has a well-designed cityscape. At a glance, there seems to have no differences to those at the northern and eastern district¡­. But anyone would know that it¡¯s not the case, once they set foot inside. It¡¯s not a place anyone is meant to live in. House block number 61 is perhaps one of the exception. It¡¯s famous as one of the largest ¡ºbrothels¡»in the capital. Therefore, it¡¯s a place where everyone from all of the districts, even those from the northern district would want to visit. Other than for its size, this particular brothel was also known by its name: [House of Black Rose] The customers ranged from regular civilians to some well off merchants, and even some aristocrats. It was a woman named Clara who managed such a large establishment.. Her hair was wavy and flaxen-colored. She was also tall and curvaceous, coupled with a stern face. One may feel that it is hard to approach her. However, at heart, she¡¯s a gentle soul with a strong sense of duty. She took care of all the women working on the establishment, almost as if she was their mother. She¡¯s someone who is always well received by the other residents in the western district. [Alan? It¡¯s been a while. What kind of business take you to this kind of place?] [To tell the truth I shouldn¡¯t be back in here so soon¡­..but the Imperial Capital has changed a lot since my last visit, and that¡¯s exactly why I came to seek you here. I need as much information as possible.] Hearing Ares explanation, Carla¡¯s face became even more stern. [We shouldn¡¯t talk about that here. First of all, let¡¯s find a room. Is there any we can use?] Hearing Ares said that as he looked around, the women started to make noises again. [Eee~, I want to talk with Alan.] [Hey hey, are you, still a virgin? Do you still remember the promise?] [Hold on right there, that¡¯s not something you could say so casually!] [But you promised me too. I won¡¯t forget about it!] [I¡­.] Seeing this chaos, Carla¡¯s blood vessel bulged even more¡­.then she shouted: [Cut it out!] Everyone was stunned once again by her voice. [We¡¯ll first take care of Alan¡¯s business first. Alan! You are staying overnight, aren¡¯t you!?] [Un, that¡¯s what I intend to do¡­] Hearing this, the women started to cheer and made a fuss once more. [If you have no customer tonight, then you can talk with Alan! But firstly we¡¯ll go to my room. We won¡¯t know what he needs unless we talk first.] [Sister, don¡¯t bully Alan!] [Don¡¯t eat him by yourself either©`] Receiving such cheers, Ares followed after Carla with a wry smile on his face. After seeing him off, Barbara then called out to the nearby women. [Wait a minute. Where is Maria?] [Eh? If it¡¯s that girl, isn¡¯t she out doing laundry or something?] [Go and fetch her. This should be a very important matter more than anything else for her.] ===== ¡ô Once Ares and Carla entered the room, Carla immediately changed her attitude, dropped on her knees with her head bowing. [It¡¯s been a long time. Ares-sama. Have you changed since then?] [Ah, nothing has changed. Then, how about in here?] [The western district hasn¡¯t changed yet. More people have resided here recently.] [Does these people come from the countryside?] Ares tilted his head in question, which Carla replied with a troubled face. [Not exactly¡­..they are all refugees from the southern land¡­.most of them are beastmen.] [What do you mean?] [The discrimination towards demi-human seems to have intensified in the south¡­.Maria who often went there told us that the violence inflicted by the officials and the church is becoming even worse¡­ the west isn¡¯t likely to be affected as much by this¡­.] After that, Carla changed the topic. [By the way Ares-sama. Why are you looking for me?] [Ah, that¡¯s right. I have a request.] Ares¡¯ face turned serious upon saying that. [I want a connection to the man who control the entire western district¡­. I want Balzac.] ===== ¡ô A little further away from the house of black rose, block number 66 was the most desirable place to stay in the western district. At first glance, there are a lot of luxurious buildings here to the point that it can be mistaken as part of northern or eastern district. So why was it so developed? It¡¯s because it¡¯s base of slave traders and illegal organizations. On that block 66 was the largest and most luxurious building in western district. The unusual size and the strange architecture makes it stand out among other buildings. But more than that are the guests visiting the people. Not only common and poor people, merchants and aristocrats would often showed up here on their fancy carriages. What is actually happening here? Only those who could enter inside knows. ===== ¡ô Ares and Carla are heading to such building as we speak. [This place¡­.it looks thriving as usual.] [¡­.this place is Balzac¡¯s. Or do you want a bite of it as well?] Carla called Ares as [Alan] casually. Ares actually preferred it that way since it makes him feel comfortable. [This place was built soon after you left. Immediately, it became the largest gambler¡¯s den in the capital. Do you have something against Balzac?] Ares laughed without replying. And at that point¡­ [Oi! You, where do you think you and your woman is going!?] The two of them were halted at the entrance by a young man dressing like a thug. [Why did some guy like you go in here? You may lose your life, y¡¯know? Ha?] Seeing the situation, it will be useless even if Ares do the talk. Carla sighed. [¡­..you, do you know who I am?] [Haa? What are talking about? Are you a fool, you bitch¡­] [If it isn¡¯t Carla-sama.] A classy looking black haired man suddenly appear from behind and with his sharp gaze, interrupted the scuffle. This man dressed like butler who served an aristocrat. It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s not one of the prisoner from the way he groomed himself. Above all, that large scar on his cheek gave the image of a strong man. [This sudden arrival surprised me¡­. Most of the new guys who don¡¯t know you yet¡­.thankfully I happened to pass by and notice you come. And this fellow with you is¡­.impossible!?] [Ah, Hans. Long time no see.] Noticing Ares standing beside Carla, Hans¡¯ face visible turned upset. [My my¡­..this¡­ Alan-dono, isn¡¯t it? No no, this is a great surprise. I¡¯ll bring you to meet Balzac-sama, at once.] [He? He? Ha-Hans-san, this people are¡­] Seeing the change in Hans¡¯ expression, the thug-looking man panicked. [You, luckily I passed by here. This woman is Carla-sama. The owner of the House of Black Rose.] [Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!?] The man immediately crawled down on the floor. He¡¯s even shaking in fear if one would look closer. [Ah errr¡­¡­ pardon me¡­. I didn¡¯t know¡­.] [Enough. It¡¯s alright. You didn¡¯t know me before.] Carla looked at this scene with disgusted face. How come such a man was trembling at the presence of a woman¡­. She couldn¡¯t help but to feel unconvinced a bit. Seeing Carla like that made Ares chuckled. [You are kneeling to the wrong person.] Hans said so as he beat the man. [Ehh?? That, wh-what do you mean¡­..?] Hans motioned his head toward Ares. [This young man here, he¡¯s someone who should be prioritized over anything else. If the boss heard about this, you¡¯ll definitely die on where you stand. Remember this.] ===== ¡ô As Ares and co. approached Balzac¡¯s room, a big burly man halted them. [H-here is b-boss¡¯ room. I-I won¡¯t let you. Proceed.] Menacingly, the big man blocked the door. Seeing this, Hans went forward. [Jonathan, these people are good. The boss would want to prioritize them over anything else.] [But, Hans-san. Boss, told me to not let anyone in. If you insist, I¡¯ll get angry.] [No, it¡¯s be okay. I¡¯ll take responsibility.] Hans forced his way in regardless. The big man, Jonathan, couldn¡¯t help but to give way. [Boss! I¡¯m coming in.] Having said that, Hans opened the door. Inside were a man and several beauties lying on bed relaxedly. [Oi, what are you doing? I¡¯m resting at the moment. Nobody must enter¡­] [Boss, it¡¯s really important.] Hans stood before Balzac. [So it¡¯s you, Hans. I hope you have a good reason for disturbing my rest, or else you¡¯ll be sorry for it.] [Alan-sama and Carla-sama are visiting us right now. Alan-sama wants to have a talk with Boss.] Hearing that, Balzac began to panic. [Ha¡­. you say milord come on his own?] [Yes.] [W-where is milord now¡­.?] [Just outside the door.] Balzac turned his sight towards the door. And sure enough, there was Ares over there, smiling at him. Balzac dropped the glass he held in his hand. [Boss, the glass¡­.] [You! Why don¡¯t you say so earlier! ! Prepare a welcome party!] [Yes. I have already said so¡­.] [Screw you! Wait, you¡­.] He remembered that someone else is watching as he scolded Hans. The cold eyes of a woman who had been staring at him all this time. He couldn¡¯t decide which one is more frightening, Carla¡¯s jealous eyes, or Ares who had been there smiling at him. Hans thought. Ah, milord, are you enjoying this? Balzac then took a deep breath, before issuing an order. [Fuuu©`©`©`©`. Alright. Well, girls! Please leave at once. Oi, you, the one outside. You mustn¡¯t let anyone else enter! You can kill anyone trying to enter! Then¡­.Hans¡­..please take the man and woman to room next door.] [Yes! At once!!] Balzac looked at Hans. How Hans¡¯ clear cut face seemed to laugh at him. Bastard, I¡¯ll get back you later. ===== ¡ô The girls are gone and Ares is in the room next door. At the front of the door is the big burly man Jonathan. With only four people inside the room, when Ares sat on one of the chairs, both Balzac and Hans quickly knelt down and lowered their head. [We didn¡¯t know that milord will visit us today¡­. Pardon us for our carelessness¡­.] Balzac was a former mercenary. He¡¯s a man with big muscled body and serious face. The title of the king of the slums suited him. And now, such a man is kneeling in front of a boy, begging for forgiveness. [It¡¯s alright. I was the one who came in without warning. I¡¯ll feel bad if you do this. Please raise your head¡­] [Yes¡­. thank you very much¡­.] Only after that Balzac and Hans dared to raised their head up. [Milord¡­.please refrain from doing something like this again. It¡¯s bad for my heart.] [Eh, it¡¯s in fact interesting. The interaction between you and Hans was a masterpiece. I wish Sigurd is also here to see it.] [No, please don¡¯t¡­.] At that point, Hans coughed a little. Then resumed the conversation. [By the way, Milord. Is there something we need to do for you¡­.perhaps?] [Ah, sorry. Firstly I have a few things to ask you. How did the gambling den became so booming? Is it just your way to gain information regarding aristocrats and merchants?] [Yes. As milord can see, the aristocrats and the merchants are the one with the big bets. Don¡¯t tell me¡­.milord wants their money?] [It¡¯s probably because the arena was closed after The Gladiator Revolt, isn¡¯t it? I think it¡¯s fine. It is said that humans have always been gambling since birth. So, everyone always has a tendency to gamble. Especially the aristocrats who needs some stimulation in their life¡­.once they got a taste of it, there is no escaping it.] Ares laughed. [What I want to know at the moment is regarding the aristocrats. What led them to gamble here. Anything that I can use to bargain with them with them while I¡¯m staying at the palace. Especially¡­ those of the royal families, like princes, princesses and the dukes¡¯ movement.] Hearing that, Balzac raised a wide grin. [So Milord has decided to make a move. This is getting interesting. Hans! Bring the written information we have gathered!] [Yes.] Hans replied then left the room for a while. He returned with a stack of papers. Ares received it and read the content. Meanwhile Balzac gave an explanation. [The royal family is still the same. In particular, the second Prince is irate. It seems that he had sewn a lot of grudges everywhere. The first Prince is good at warfare, but less talented in terms of politic. His character is also too rough. Those two will bring trouble soon. The third Prince is ill, not to mention that he¡¯s young and weak. The remaining member of royal family that needs to be taken into consideration¡­I suppose it¡¯s Princess Cornelia?] [The fourth Princess? Did she do something unusual lately?] [The first Princess is drowning herself in luxury and hedonism, she has barely any good reputation in her name left. The second Princess¡­.has a strange characteristic of liking to fight despite her prim and proper appearance. I also heard that she had a fierce personality. The third Princess, although not fully overshadowed yet, she is under great influence from Duke Hellion. It¡¯s only about time that she¡¯ll fully submit. What remained is only the fourth Princess.] Balzac paused to take a breather then continued. [I heard the fourth Princess is a modest person, perhaps because the low status of her mother. However, she¡¯s known for her beauty despite rarely making an appearance.] [Isn¡¯t that weird? How do people know that she¡¯s beautiful if they never saw her?] [That¡¯s¡­.because she had appeared here in the western district before.] Balzac got up and explained. [She¡¯s a weird one among the Royal family members¡­. She invested her private properties to develop the western district. Particularly, in establishing hospital and orphanage¡­. To the point that they can stand on their own. Those who saw her testify that she looked like a [Goddess]. When I saw her once¡­. I must say, she¡¯s indeed very beautiful.] Ares was intrigued by Balzac¡¯s story. [Because she rarely attends court and that she has no apparent¡ºbacking¡», the other aristocrats didn¡¯t really give her any attention. Perhaps, if she ever showed up in a banquet or something, the rumour would¡¯ve spread about her¡­.but that¡¯s not the case. So¡­. I came into a conclusion that she¡¯s someone that Milord should take note.] [How rare. Balzac is actually complimenting someone else.] [At the moment, she¡¯s an indispensable figure to the development of the western district¡­.I would¡¯ve serve her since that¡¯s the case, but that is that, I still wish to support Ares-sama¡­. I guess I¡¯m being too frank here. Anyways, it¡¯s all written on the paper. Also¡­.] [Also?] [Yes. I have one thing that I¡¯m worried about.] Balzac took out a bag from nearby drawer. It was filled with some kind of a powder. When Ares checked it¡­.his face became stern. [These are¡­drugs.] [Yes. If one inhales it, your senses and pains will be paralyzed. There is a risk of losing oneself as well.] Balzac continued talking. [As per Milord¡¯s instruction, we forbid the use and sales of such drug here. But¡­ apparently this originated from an area around Torkia¡­.] [Torkia¡­.? I wonder about that. Can you investigate this for me?] [Yes! With pleasure.] Balzac bowed to Ares once more. [I, Balzac has been waiting for this time to come since I first pledge my loyalty to Ares-sama. My properties, my life, all belongs to Ares-sama. Please make use of it as much as Milord want.] [Alright. Please do so.] Ares smiled then added. [But instead, since you¡¯ve entrusted your life to me, then I expect that you¡¯ll be careful with it. If you can¡¯t do that, then forget about serving me.] Balzac also laughed in response to that. [Naturally. My dream is to see the future that Ares-sama envisioned. I can¡¯t afford to die until then.] ===== ¡ô Carla thought to herself while witnessing the whole thing. Balzac is the king of the underground society. He¡¯s a man who lived his life by relying on his own abilities without following anyone. But now the very same man is pledging his loyalty to someone. Just how huge of a character this Ares is? [Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m not attracted to this person as well. Not only Balzac, even I don¡¯t want to die until I see it¡­ that future he envisioned.] Carla looked at Ares in a daze. CH 42 Chapter 42 ¨C The Melancholy of Maria Alan¡­.no, Ares has returned to the Imperial Capital. Hearing the news, Maria quickly dropped what she was doing without hesitation. Maria lives and works in one of the largest establishments in the western district, the¡ºHouse of the Black Rose¡». Maria was originally sold there as an [Apprentice Prostitute]. At that time, the owner of the block was an infamous miser and a fraud. Her parents were tricked into borrowing money from him then when they couldn¡¯t repay their debt, they were forced to sell her to the brothel. Seeing Maria crying nearly every day, Kara, who also worked there, decided to help take care of her. Kara previously worked as a hostess in a famous inn on the western district. Due to her bright and caring demeanor, she was a celebrity in the western district. The block owner had hired her to gain connections. It could be said that Kara was nervous at first. A job working in a brothel; it was definitely not an ordinary job. However, after seeing the situation of the courtesans working there, she decided to accept the job. At that time, the courtesans were often forced to serve the guests because of the unreasonable owner. At times, Kara made the effort to protect the girls from him. Maria was a beautiful girl. She had flaxen hair and healthy, wheat-colored skin. Her eyes captivated the soul. Therefore, the owner was eager to get a customer for her. But Kara always denied them all with the reasoning that she was still too young. And then one day, a boy was hired as a bouncer for the¡ºHouse of Black Rose¡». Maria was attracted to him, as he was about the same age as her. The boy, who introduced himself as Alan, was strangely loved by everyone. According to rumor, he was much stronger than other bouncers, despite his youth and smaller frame. He also got along well with the courtesans and before long, became the center of attention of the staff. Then¡­.a few months after he was employed. Maria was ordered to serve her first customer, the boss who held control over half of the western district. But at that time, Maria was rescued¡­..by none other than Kara and Alan. That boy killed the boss of half of the western district before the boss could even touch Maria. The owner of the establishment was also beheaded by the boy¡¯s sword. In the meantime, a mercenary called Balzac created a great stir in the western district by taking down the gang that controlled the district. And thus, the western district reached a turning point due to the actions of Kara, Alan, and Balzac. ===== ¡ô After that incident, Balzac became the boss of the western district, while Kara took the position of the owner of the¡ºHouse of Black Rose¡» The western district gradually developed under the supervision of Balzac and his men. Maria remained working in the¡ºHouse of Black Rose¡», albeit not as a prostitute. Kara had tried to send her back home, but she¡¯d stubbornly refused and stayed. There were two reasons why she decided to stay. The first was to help Kara. The second was because of Ares. Alan¡¯s true identity turned out to be¡ºAres¡», the eldest son of Archduke Schwarzer. This little secret was only known to Kara, Balzac along with his aide Hans, and lastly Maria. When she found out that he was the young lord of the Archduke clan¡­.Maria was greatly shocked. After spending time with him, she had fallen in love with him. However, when she found out about his background, she realized that her feelings would end up one-sided. Our statuses are too different¡­. But if I stay in the¡ºHouse of Black Rose¡», I¡¯ll be able to be with Ares who would continue to masquerade as Alan. I can¡¯t tell him my feelings¡­..but I¡¯m happy as long as we are together¡­.. Maria thought to herself. ¡­..until Ares suddenly disappeared. ===== ¡ô With the laundry finished, Maria was about to go shopping when Barbara held her back¡­.. that¡®s when Maria finally met Ares once again. [Ah, Maria. It¡¯s been a while.] Oh, that classic smile. Looking at his face always brings relief and warmth to my heart. While thinking so, Maria acted contrary to her thoughts. [Ara? If it isn¡¯t the former bouncer-san. What brings you here?] The dishonesty¡­..Maria was poisoning her own heart. Even so, it¡¯s as if Ares didn¡¯t really care about the attitude. He approached without hesitation, smiling. [Why are you angry? Have I done something wrong¡­.?] Good grief, it¡¯s the usual Ares alright. Ignorant of other people¡¯s feelings and never noticing. [How about¡­.. Disappearing without a word, then appearing back all of a sudden!] I was trying to forget about him. But, when I had thought that I¡¯d started to forget about him, why does he have to show up once again? Maria was jealous of Ares. Unaware of how she felt, Ares stepped further into the minefield. [Eh? It¡¯s because I had some business with Kara.] Seeing how he said that so naturally, Maria was nearly overwhelmed by anger. [Then, after I¡¯d finished my business, I heard from Barbara that Maria was here.] So it¡¯s big sister Barbara¡¯s work¡­..Maria sighed, then spoke. [Forget about it then. What about today?] [Nn, I¡¯ll stay for today.] [Is it really alright for you to stay in the brothel? Then¡­..how are Julius-sama and Sera-sama doing?] [Julius is doing well¡­.esteemed Mother¡­.well, I¡¯ll tell you about it later.] Hearing that, Maria smiled. [Are you sure you won¡¯t misbehave?] [I¡¯ll manage somehow. For sure.] [I owe a lot to Sera-sama¡­.I won¡¯t be your accomplice.] [Ee©`, how awful.] Maria giggled at the childish Ares. She continued to ask questions. [Why suddenly return to the capital?] [Nn? His Majesty summoned me¡­.there is a war.] [You¡¯ll be going?] [Right. I was appointed.] [I see¡­.] Maria became silent for a while. Ares did as well, patiently waiting for her to continue speaking. [Sister Theta is not coming as well?] [Nn? Why are you asking that?] [Because coming here right after arriving at the capital without prior planning, she wouldn¡¯t agree to it.] Maria let out a mischievous laugh. [If big sis Theta is here too, I¡¯ll be able to bully Ares together with her like the old times.] [What did you say!?] Seeing frightened Ares¡¯ face, Maria couldn¡¯t help burst out laughing. After the incident, Maria was allowed to stay in Schwarzer mansion for a while. Therefore, she¡¯s familiar with Ares¡¯ mother Sera and Theta. After that, Ares and Maria walked back into the House of Black Rose, talking along the way. Maria thought to herself: When we talk like this, it¡¯s as if nothing has changed between us. She then thought again. I knew it, after all this time¡­.I still love him. [You are late! Alan!] [I thought you were going to be gone again this time!] When they arrived back at the House of Black Rose, Ares was immediately swarmed by the courtesans. In the midst of the commotion, Barbara whispered from behind Maria. [Were you able to talk for a while?] [Un¡­.thank you, big sis.] [What¡¯s with that face? Well, just don¡¯t do anything that you¡¯ll regret.] Maria gave it some thought. Certainly, I cannot match him in term of status. But¡­as long as I¡¯m by his side. However, destiny is not forged by itself. I have to think and create it for myself. Regardless if it¡¯s a dream-like wish. ===== ¡ô Maria then quit her job at the House of Black Rose and applied to become a maid in the Schwarzer mansion. Ares had nothing to say about it. She¡¯ll be Sera¡¯s exclusive maid, one who would attend to her needs. Also, there will also be some occasions where she¡¯ll be working together with Theta¡­.to attend to Ares¡¯ needs. [What¡¯s with those two, showing off their combination tactics?] By the way¡­. Her granddaughter would later become a famous author. One story she penned was based after her grandmother¡¯s story. Overcoming many difficulties including the difference in status to be together with a certain aristocrat. It was a wonderful story. Also, the part where she bullies the husband with the other wives was well received by women of later eras. ===== CH 43 Chapter 43 ¨C Sera Schwarzer [¡­Ares went missing right after he arrived¡­.is that what you mean?] The current Archduke Schwarzer Edgar¡¯s wife, none other than Sera Schwarzer asked in a low voice. [Yes! Please pardon us.] Sigurd and the head maid Martha, as well as Burton (head butler) lowered their heads. [Pardon me. But¡­..Ares-sama said that there is something he had to do¡­.] Sigurd said. Burton who was standing next to him also added. [Normally, young lord should¡¯ve gone to greet Sera-sama first¡­ but when I returned, young lord¡¯s already gone¡­.] Hearing this, Sera laughed crispily. [It¡¯s alright. Nobody can tie that boy down. Just let him go around freely¡­.perhaps he just went to the western district.] She then continued. [Moreover, if it¡¯s that boy. Then it must be something that really needed to be done first. He¡¯ll return in due time.] Sera looked out of the window then asked as she¡¯s reminded of something. [By the way, how is Julius doing? I simply couldn¡¯t find him anywhere.] [Yes. Julius-sama is at the gate with Alberto-dono, waiting for Ares-sama.] [Of course. That child truly worships Ares after all.] Sera showed a kind smile and instructed Burton. [I¡¯m sorry, but please go and fetch Julius. I have a feeling¡­.that Ares won¡¯t be going home tonight.] She then added one more thing. [Afterward, can you go and inform Maria at the House of Black Rose? Julius has been patiently waiting for Ares, so please tell him to go back as soon as possible¡­] ===== ¡ô In the Holy Arcadia Empire, it¡¯s mandatory for those in power to have a mansion in the capital. And when they returned to their territory, they have to leave their wife and child to live at this mansion. As a hostage to prevent revolt, so to speak. The Schwarzer clan was no exception, Edgar¡¯s wife Sera and his second son Julius remained at the capital. Sera was born as the eldest daughter of Rodman clan. The Rodman clan originally raised her to be courted by a royal family member, but Edgar fell in love with her on a first sight when he saw her in a banquet and they became a couple after what seemed like a passionate quarrel. Now her name is more well-known than her husband in the capital. She isn¡¯t just a flower vase as she actively worked together with the servants to help other people of various statuses. Moreover, perhaps because she established an orphanage to save homeless kids. In addition to her honourable attitude, her seemingly ageless beauty and her excellent political ability in the royal court, she was viewed as a great supporter to the Schwarzer clan. To those ladies who like to gossip, the archduke¡¯s wife was the pinnacle of proper attitude. And more than anything¡­..she¡¯s one of the people who Ares couldn¡¯t win against. [Good grief, Ares¡­ you always make your mother and brother feel troubled as usual. I wonder how I should punish him this time] Sera said so as she laughed mischievously. CH 44 Chapter 44 ¨C Julius Schwarzer While I stood near the mansion gate¡­.I saw someone coming from the mansion¡¯s direction. It was Burton, the mansion head butler. He told me: [Julius-sama. Sera-sama wishes for you to return back inside.] [¡­¡­I want to wait for my elder brother here.] [Sera-sama said that Ares-sama probably won¡¯t return today.] Mother¡¯s intuition is very sharp. It¡¯s probably true. I put my hand over my right eye. I turned around to see Alberto having a troubled look on his face. He also nodded to me. What¡¯s with that? Elder brother is coming back at last. We should at least put a welcoming party. Regardless if it¡¯s just me alone¡­ [Julius-sama. Ares-sama isn¡¯t someone who enjoys being welcomed like this. As lord mother said, please return to the mansion for now.] That¡¯s true. Elder brother hates big receptions. [¡­..I know that as well. I¡¯ll do as told. Burton, thank you for taking your time to come here.] Burton didn¡¯t say anything in response to my thanks. Then I went back to the mansion in haste. Behind me, Burton and Alberto looked at each other unconsciously¡­.then followed suit with a wry smile. ===== ¡ô I was born as the second son of Archduke Schwarzer. Everyone would feel blessed if a son was born. But¡­ I was not a normal child to begin with. There were 2 reasons. Firstly, I was born as a bad omen. The day I was born was when the sun went missing. Such a day only happened once every decades. Since a child born on that particular day will be heralded as a demon¡¯s harbinger, people tend to hide their birthday. As for me, unfortunately I was born during that exact timing. Next is my eyes. My left eye is my mother¡¯s blue eyes. But the right one¡­.is crimson colored. Odd eyes. In the Holy Arcadia Empire, it¡¯s said that a person with odd eyes will bring ruin to the royal family. Therefore, they shouldn¡¯t be allowed to be brought up. A long time ago, a fortune teller told the emperor of generations ago as such. However I¡¯m a child to a great clan. If this fact was made known, the clan will receive a huge backlash. Esteemed Father was quite troubled by this. So, for me¡­.he decided to keep everything shut so that no one will find out about me. To that end, I was confined in a monastery secluded in mountain range to hide from the royal family¡¯s eyes, spending my eight years there. Those who knows about me¡­.were father and mother. There was also Alberto, the great general serving the Archduke and his colleague Rouen. Alberto was like a substitute father for me. No one would dare to declare that they don¡¯t know who Alberto is. A master of twin swords and a great general that make up the Schwarzer Twin General alongside his friend Rouen, who was currently guarding the northern fortress. From Alberto, I learned how to wield swords and received letters from Esteemed Father and Mother. The role of my mother was taken by a housemaid named Aly. She was an elderly woman who lost her family to war. Sometime, I received cold looks from the folks and even bullied¡­..but Aly would always protect me. Sometimes like a mother, sometimes like a grandmother¡­..she¡¯s an important figure to me. She¡¯s the reason why I was able to hold on living in hiding for years. I will spend my whole life here. I knew it already despite my young age. And so, I gave up. But then¡­a great change happened to my life. And that was¡­a chance meeting with my elder brother. ===== ¡ô It was when I was reading a book that Alberto had brought for me in my room as usual. [Can I meet him? My only brother?] I heard a voice outside. [He has received a pardon from the royal family as stated in this document. Make way.] I heard Alberto¡¯s and an unfamiliar young man¡¯s voice from outside. Apparently someone had come to see me. Who would that be visiting at such time? While I was pondering about that, the door to my room was opened. And beyond that door, there stood Alberto and a young man¡­..with black hair just like that of esteemed father¡¯s, and a pair of black eyes. He looked at me with gentle expression on his face. I asked Alberto about this person. [Ah¡­ Alberto, this person is¡­.?] [Ah, sorry. It¡¯s nice to meet you¡­.right?] That said, he showed me a kind smile. [My name is Ares¡­.your¡­.brother.] Yes, I didn¡¯t even know that I have a brother. Neither father or mother¡­and neither Alberto ever told me about this. He seemed to have learned about me only recently as well. That day, I talked with my elder brother until late at night. When I was born, my brother was bedridden with fever so he didn¡¯t know of my existence. After recovering, he went to the Imperial capital, so nobody told him of me being here. He told me about many things that happened after that. [Julius¡­do you want to see the outside world?] My elder brother asked out of the blue. [Of course. I¡­ I want to be free. This kind of life¡­.I hate it.] That¡¯s right¡­.I hate it. [But¡­..I can¡¯t afford to¡­my presence¡­.will only bring misfortune to esteemed father and mother. Therefore, I¡¯m fine with staying here.] My elder brother stared at me as I replied. And then¡­ Ah, right. He said he knew and proceed to ruffle my hair. [Everything will surely be fine. Just be patient for a little bit more.] As he said so, he laughed¡­.that one scene I would never forget for the rest of my life. ===== ¡ô The next time elder brother visited, he informed me that I was free. I heard that elder brother did something back at the capital¡­but I never knew about the details. What kind of sorcery did he use¡­..? This is really strange. Of course there were some restrictions. One of them was to put on an eyepatch over my right eye. It¡¯s something trivial if compared to what I¡¯ve been through while living in the confinement. And with that, I was allowed to return to Schwarzer territory, reuniting with esteemed father and mother. Afterward, I was sent to live in the capital alongside dear mother. Alberto and Aly were also with me of course. ===== ¡ô My brother once said. [Nobody deserves to be bound. Everyone has the right to be happy. Should you let superstition such as fortune telling ruin your life?] And. [Julius. Do what you want to do. Your life is yours alone. If that¡¯s considered abnormal, then there must be something wrong with the environment. One was born because they have something to do in their life. It¡¯s our mission to carry it out.] My elder brother¡¯s words that day were deeply carved inside my heart. That day, I gained my wings of freedom. That¡¯s right, all thanks to my elder brother. And then about what he told me [What I want to do.] That would be to help his cause. Elder brother is a strange person. He always led upfront, acting for someone else¡­.and surely he had given wings of freedom to many others, just like he did to me. However. There will be difficulties along his road. I wish to smoothen his path. That¡­.is now [What I want to do.] ===== ¡ô Julius Schwarzer The proud war general of Arestia Dominion who was widely known to many as [War God] as well as the [One-eyed Dragon] and feared by equally many. The odd-eyes will bring ruin to Arcadia Empire¡­it wasn¡¯t clear whether that superstition was correct or not. But after a decade, as if it¡¯s a twist of fate, he would lead his army to face the Arcadia Empire. CH 45 Chapter 45 ¨C Old man Alberto¡¯s Story of the past My name is Alberto. My family was a knight clan that has served as a vassal of the Archduke Schwarzer for generations. Along with my childhood friend Rouen, we served the previous Archduke Schwarzer from the early age of fifteen, and now we serve under the current Archduke Edgar-sama. The Schwarzer territory shares its northern border with the neighboring Wolfgard kingdom, and had been engaged in continuous skirmishes for as long as I remember. There were also copious amount of monsters that require frequent subjugation. Therefore, the Schwarzer territory soldiers were known as the most experienced in warfare across the empire. As we collected merits during battles, we rose through the ranks as we grew older. Thus, more than twenty years ago, Rouen reached the rank of commander of the army, while I became the leader of the knights who was responsible for the safety of the Schwarzer clan main family. When His Majesty Sephiros took the throne, we of the Schwarzer territory army became even more often involved in battles. His Majesty Sephiros obtained the title of¡ºThunder Emperor¡»due to his fondness of war. When there was a large scale battle, the Schwarzer army will be fielded,and so I would be sent to assist Rouen in his duty as the army commander. Because of that, our names became famous in the empire. People called us: [Schwarzer Twin Generals] Both Rouen and I could be careless about that nickname, since we were busy fighting with our life in battles. Until that day came. ===== ¡ô It was a stormy night. We were both summoned to the Archduke¡¯s room. In the past few years, dark clouds loomed over the territory. That year was the beginning of Queen Ekaterina of Wolfgard¡¯s offensive against the Holy Arcadia Empire. Thus, the Schwarzer Territory had to take the brunt of their attacks. Rouen and I managed to hold out due to the reinforcements from the capital, and the joint effort of the army and the knights¡­..but the crops that year were greatly affected. Other than that, unstable weather and increasing number of monsters only the hardship to a whole new level. However, the biggest issue was¡­that the first son Ares-sama, who was loved by everyone, was struck by an unknown fever. Having the successor to the clan fell sick had caused the territory to grow even gloomier. There was a light of hope. The lord¡¯s wife gave birth to a second son. I had hoped that this would return the light to the Schwarzers¡­ no, this will definitely return the light¡­ or so I and Rouen thought. However, what awaited us beyond that was¡­.even more hopelessness. I was the first to arrive. The Archduke told me shocking news. It¡¯s that¡­.the newly born second son Julius whom we had put our hope on to become our new sun, turned out to be¡­an odd-eyes. An odd-eyes was born in the Archduke clan¡­.if this news reached the ears of the royal family, the clan would surely be crushed completely. I was at a loss for words for a moment there. In addition to that, I could not comprehend the second news that the lord told me. That is¡­.. Ares-sama had inherited the memories of three people. This was told to Edgar-sama by Ares-sama himself after he had miraculously recovered from his fever. And Edgar-sama had decided to believe this¡­ When Rouen also arrived, Edgar-sama each gave us a different order. Ares would be in Rouen¡¯s custody starting from that day and to bring the young lord to the northern fortress. As for me¡­.I was responsible for Julius¡­.to bring him to the secluded monastery in the mountains where he would grow there. This matter couldn¡¯t be leaked to anyone else. This might¡¯ve been the conclusion that both the lord and the lord¡¯s wife had reached together. And they could only rely to us, their most trusted vassals. Then we simply had to follow through. Rouen and I anonymously agreed to accept this duty. ===== ¡ô From there, the destination had gone awry. After resigning from my position as the knight leader, I brought the little Julius to the secluded monastery. A proud knight of Schwarzer territory and yet he suddenly disappeared. Of course, this brought bad rumours. I heard that the Archduke had also withheld the fact about where I had gone to. Similarly, Rouen brought the young lord Ares-sama to the northern fortress. He, as well, was confused about what he should do. As for me, who was always on the battlefield¡­¡­a totally different life was waiting for me. I had no child. My wife died a long time ago, and I never remarried after that. Therefore¡­.I truly had no idea how to take care a child. Everyday was difficult. But Julius turned out to be a very understanding boy¡­.it¡¯s as if he could read my mind, then he would take action based on it¡­.truly a marvelous child. That¡¯s why I decided to teach him various things. Swordsmanship, literature, math, military strategy, history¡­. He absorbed everything in the shortest time¡­truly worthy of the Archduke¡¯s son. We were accompanied by the maidservant Aly and several other servants. Aly was an elderly woman who lost her family to war. She was like both a mother and a grandmother to Julius. The other servants worked well too¡­.but upon seeing Julius¡¯ odd-eyes, they would treat him harshly. Aly was the one who protected Julius. It was a strange feeling. It¡¯s like having a true family once again. I¡¯ve never felt this kind of warm feeling since my late wife was gone. This feeling¡­..made me really happy. ===== ¡ô One day, I talked with Ares-sama. I remembered what Rouen had written about the young lord in his letters. He wrote That the young lord truly had the memories of three different persons altogether, making him to have an adult-like temperament despite of his young age. He¡¯s a talent that only appear once in a thousand years. Meeting Ares-sama again after a long time¡­.I was very excited. I wanted to let him know about his younger brother. There was also a letter from the Archduke, telling me that Ares-sama wanted to meet me and Julius. And so, Ares-sama and Julius-sama met that day. I remember that they had a long talk back then. Before he went back home, Ares-sama spoke to me. [Alberto¡­.Julius really wants to go and see the world outside.] [Indeed he does¡­..but there is that law on the Holy Arcadia Empire.] [True¡­.that¡¯s why, I¡¯m going to destroy that superstition. I¡¯ll definitely bring Julius out. Isn¡¯t that also what Alberto wishes for him as well?] At first, I had my doubt regarding Ares-sama¡¯s declaration. I couldn¡¯t see it happening no matter how I think about it. We are talking about a belief that had remained unchanged for many many years. If it can be changed that easily¡­..Julius-sama wouldn¡¯t have to suffer like this. [And¡­Alberto. When the day come when Julius can come outside, he might need to put on an eyepatch.] [Yes. That will be for the best. His eyes will still bring prejudice after all.] [No, that¡¯s not what I mean. His eye¡­..is the ¡ºHeaven¡¯s Eye¡»] Heaven¡¯s Eye. It¡¯s also known as the¡ºSeer¡¯s Eye¡». It has the capability to see a long distance, or invisible object, even the future¡­. [It¡¯s good since it seems that he hasn¡¯t awakened that power yet, because an immense amount of information will flood his brain once it did. Until Julius can master it¡­..I¡¯ll try to fashion a special eyepatch for him.] After saying so, Ares-sama returned to the capital. A few months later, when he came back to the monastery¡­.he also brought news that Julius-sama was free. The Emperor himself had written the letter, officially giving Julius-sama his freedom. Of course, his odd-eyes will still invoke prejudice. Therefore, Ares-sama had given him a special eyepatch to cover up his right eye¡­ I won¡¯t forget¡­.Julius-sama¡¯s expression at that moment. ===== ¡ô Afterward, Julius-sama spent a few years in the Schwarzer territory. Later on, he went to the capital with the lord¡¯s wife. Aly and I joined him of course. Once, I was asked whether I would like to reassume my position as the knight leader. But I turned that offer down. I¡¯ve been away from Schwarzer Territory for too long. The place was now more developed than I could remember. The knights too, had trained even more people to become knights. I believed that they could continue even without me. My post is to stand next to Julius-sama. And that¡¯s fine by me. From that point onward, Julius became even brighter. Above all, he was more eager to learn. It¡¯s as if he had found a purpose in his life. I will stand by his side so that he can achieve that very purpose. ===== ¡ô Alberto Werheld He was great general who supported the Schwarzer Territory alongside General Rouen Beluga. But then, everyone was surprised by his sudden retirement and disappearance. He reappeared in the face of history on later years, as the deputy general to the ¡ºOne-eyed Dragon¡»Julius Schwarzer¡­ CH 46 Chapter 46 ¨C Mother¡¯s Talk [What in the world are you thinking?] It was in the hall of the royal capital¡¯s Schwarzer Mansion. At the center was Ares, standing upright. In front of him, smiling quietly, was his mother Sera. Despite her smiling, her eyes was¡­.scary. [How many people do you think you have bothered due to your selfish action? At least you could¡¯ve said something. Or is it a bother to tell anyone about what you are doing¡­.?] [E-esteemed Mother¡­. I certainly had done wrong. Can this fault of mine still be forgiven¡­?] [No can do.] [!?] [The punishment for this kind of act has been decided from a long time ago, hasn¡¯t it?] [¡­..] Right, Sera has always been like this. She¡¯s usually mild mannered, but when something went wrong¡­..her quiet fury tend to be very scary. When Edgar drank too much and showed up in disheveled appearance. When the vassal made a mistake that brought trouble to other people and when Ares did a prank. Sera would order them to stand upright in front of her while she herself sit on a chair and only allowed them to go after she¡¯s finished. Even if it¡¯ll take the whole day¡­. Everyone knew about this. [Mother¡¯s Talk] That was the dreaded name that others had ¡®affectionately¡¯ given to refer to this punishment. And of course, Ares spent the entire day from morning to evening on that very same posture. ===== [I can¡¯t stand anymore; my legs feel numb¡­.] [Thank you for your hard work¡­] Sigurd smiled wryly at Ares who was leaning back on the sofa. That individual action, missing for a whole day¡­.Sigurd himself was both annoyed and worried by this¡­but after seeing the appearance of Ares standing in the hall for the whole day, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to get angry. [The infamous Mother¡¯s Talk¡­.it¡¯s been a while since I last saw it. It¡¯s¡­.even worse than torture¡­] [At least it fixed mother¡¯s mood¡­] Ares then said. [Mother always treated me like this. Always nagging, always refusing to understand. I¡¯ve come to age this year, haven¡¯t I? I can marry a girl already, can¡¯t I? In other words, shouldn¡¯t I considered an adult already? Even so, she still treated me the way she did when I was still a kid¡­] [Ares-sama¡­..] [Yes, it¡¯s to discipline others. Sure. But thanks to that, I wasted a whole day. There is still a lot to do. I don¡¯t want to waste any time. I was supposed to revise our plan. But it¡¯s already late at night. So¡­.] [About that¡­.Ares-sama¡­.] [Haa©`? What!?] [About that, well¡­] Sigurd said with apologetic face as he pointed at what behind Ares. His expression had a faint trace of despair [What do you mean anyways!?] Saying so, Ares turned around to see who was standing behind him. [I suppose¡­.you haven¡¯t had enough?] There was Sera standing there, smiling as before and Julius who stood there with a sympathetic look. Despite her smile, her eyes clearly not smiling. ===== Aa, what did I do wrong¡­. Ares felt like he¡¯s falling into darkness. This feeling of frustration¡­. [Kuh! My mother is probably a horrible witch or something, and she must¡¯ve defeated countless heroes already before!] [Stop talking nonsense and come here.] [¡­..yes.] Saying so as he followed Sera, Ares disappeared behind the door with a ghastly pale face. Sigurd and Julius could only pray for him as they looked on. [ Hopefully Ares-sama [Esteemed Brother] can return safely.] That¡¯s all. CH 47 Chapter 47 ¨C Rozenburg Clan Ares resumed working the next day. What he¡¯s going to do today is¡­ [Confirming the information about the aristocrats and laying the foundations.] He said. It didn¡¯t mean that he¡¯ll lay low for a while. He must act domineering if he wants to find a true alliance. If he simply asked, then he would have no idea when they will betray him. Ares is planning to look into it now¡­.whether there is anyone qualified to join his ranks. Of course it will be more advantageous when he can catch some powerful aristocrats or clans. But that¡¯s not what he¡¯s seeking. What he wants to know from those aristocrats are¡­ Whether they act for their own interests. Whether they consider the people¡¯s well being. And, whether they can join hands with the Schwarzer clan. That¡¯s it. [It¡¯s not a problem even if they betray me in the middle of the road. I doubt that I can get along with clans that move for their own interests. I don¡¯t need those kind of people among us.] And then, Ares laughed audibly. [I¡¯m going to sift through all the aristocrats anyways¡­recruiting only those that we really need. Those clans claiming to be ¡ºRighteous¡». We¡¯ll see if they are truly¡ºRighteous¡»¡­..or just people who want to do what they want¡­ This is good too as there will be less maggots.] Ares said those harshly. He¡¯s going to do this with utmost seriousness. He¡¯s going to sweep the Arcadia aristocrats clean. Sigurd was there to hear all of that directly¡­.he couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill running down his spine. ===== ¡ô The aristocrats in Arcadia have a certain hierarchy. The highest would be the Archdukes. The position that the four vassals who aided the first Arcadia emperor Leon held and has been passed within the four clans through the generations. Guardian of the North and East Archduke Schwarzer, Archduke Saxon in the West, Archduke Lombardia of the South, and Archduke Rozenheim who assists the emperor at the Royal Capital. Then there are the six dukes. They are relatives of the imperial family and are posted in various key positions within the empire. The present prime minister is Duke Clark. Duke Arnold was the former prime minister. Duke Hellion and Duke Hoover are also each responsible for the administration in the Royal Capital. Meanwhile, Duke Randolph currently serves as the Imperial Knights leader and Duke McDohl as the commander of the Imperial Army¡¯s first division. Both of them were stationed in military positions. What the Archduke and the regular dukes have in common is that all of them carry the imperial clan¡¯s bloodline. Although the Archdukes are exceptions. That¡¯s why there is a clear distinction between them and other vassals. Then the other aristocrats¡­..what about the vassals who are not relatives of the imperial clan? The highest rank these vassals could achieve was¡ºMarquis¡». They have a large territory and enjoy high status in the capital. Their number aren¡¯t that big, but still sizeable compared to the Archdukes and the Dukes. Apart from the imperial clan relatives, these aristocrats held the greatest influence. And below that is the ¡ºEarl¡». Earls are still considered aristocrats and they still held great influence. But along with the empire¡¯s long reign came the corruption. Aristocrats started to neglect territory administration and act only for their own benefit. They also escalated the power struggle by creating factions. Also, they often used their position to justify bad deeds, making their people suffer. They thought that they could do whatever they want because they have that privilege as an aristocrat. Many had this misunderstanding. Ares especially hates these kinds of aristocrats. Therefore, he always avoided associating with those aristocrats. But now¡­.it¡¯s very important to increase the number of his allies. The other purpose is to pinpoint who will be his enemies¡­.and who could become his true allies. The first five days, Ares visited his old acquaintances. These aristocrats are those who Ares trusts. His aim was to get new information regarding the current situation. The first one he visited was Rozenburg clan. [The last time we met was during that small incident with Hadora, wasn¡¯t it? It¡¯s been a long time.] Ares laughed inwardly as he knocked on the door of Rozenburg mansion. ===== ¡ô The Rozenburg clan is known for their [Magic] in the empire The clan had produced large number of court mages as well as the best mages there is. In addition to their [Magic] , they also develop magic tools that are widely used on the capital. In fact, marquis Alphonse Rozenburg was the head of Imperial Mage Division while his brother was also a court mage. Alphonse was a neat, well-dressed and fair skinned blonde haired gentleman, his appearance reflecting his good reputation. He¡¯s polite and well-accepted by many, becoming even more dignified as he grew older. He¡¯s of course, a highly talented mage, being the 2nd strongest in the ranks of the court mages. Ares became familiar with Alphonse after a certain incident. He¡¯s delighted to see that Ares had come to visit. [It¡¯s been a while, Ares-dono.] [Pardon me for visiting so suddenly.] [No no, Ares-dono is our benefactor. There is no need to refrain.] That said, Alphonse invited Ares in and offered a seat once they arrived in the backroom. [I hope Hadora doesn¡¯t annoy you?] [Ah¡­.about that, I was thinking of apologizing. After all, it felt like I¡¯ve snatched Hadora away from you¡­.] [No, Ares-dono has no need to apologize. The person in question had chosen to leave on his own accord. If someone has the capability to handle that Hadora, it must be you, Ares-dono.] Having said that, Alphonse immediately shifted to the real subject. [Well then, Ares-dono. What will your order be this time?] At that point, Alphonse¡¯s previously calm eyes became sharp. ===== ¡ô The Rozenburgs in fact belonged to a neutral faction. Many want to be part of their faction due to their highly preferred status and their high level of mastery on the field of magic. Many aristocrats had tried to reel them in. That¡¯s why Ares clearly understood Alphonse¡¯s troubles. [There are two points.] Ares then took out a folded paper from his pocket. [This is¡­] [This is the blueprint for the¡ºCooling Box¡». Many people in the Schwarzer Territory use this to keep their food cool or to store it.] Alphonse gave it a look¡­.then his face turned into that of astonishment. [The power source is¡­..I see, a magic stone that emits cold¡­.this is surprising. To think this kind of thing is possible to make in this world.] Food preservation is a matter of life and death for commoners. Therefore, techniques such as drying fish and bottling were invented. Winter is fine. But come summer, it¡¯s easy for food to become spoiled. This is especially true for the inland Arcadia Empire. This¡ºCooling Box¡»that Ares had presented basically solved that problem¡­.it was innovative enough to turn the whole world in an uproar. [However, there is one problem. It¡¯s hard to mass produced. But it¡¯ll be possible once we can find a way to create smaller magic stone. And so, I¡¯d like to borrow Alphonse-dono¡¯s wisdom.] Hearing Ares¡¯ request¡­..Alphonse looked back at Ares with aworried face. [I understand¡­.but are you sure? To easily give me this technology. If this can successfully be produced, it¡¯ll surely sell very well in the royal capital. It¡¯ll bring great wealth. This¡­.] [The important thing is to improve the people¡¯s quality of life. I have no other goal than that.] Ares then added more to assure Alphonse. [Also¡­. I¡¯ll tell the method to produce this tool only to Alphonse alone. There is no better person other than you who I can entrust this to.] Alphonse stared at Ares¡¯ eyes for a while. The silence went on until Alphonse smiled at last. [Ares-dono¡¯s feeling, as well as aspirations, I¡¯m aware of it. I¡¯ll put my effort into this kind improvement as well.] [Thank you.] Ares smiled back and bowed. [Then how about the second point?] [Ah, that is¡­.] Ares let out a boyish smile and replied. [I merely came to see you and your family.] ===== ¡ô During the conversation, the door suddenly swung open. Three girls entered the room. [Ares-sama! Welcome back!] [Big bro Ares, why did you never contact me?] (TL Note: Millia called Ares as Ares-ani) [Ares-niisama, long time no see!] Alphonse¡¯s three daughters greeted in unison. The first daughter Roxanne was 22 years old. She¡¯s a beautiful girl with big eyes and shiny long black hair. It¡¯s quite obvious that she inherited her fine skin from her father, the marquis. But¡­when Ares looked at her, he immediately turned his sight away. The reason being, she has the kind of body that any man would involuntarily want to touch¡­ in a lewd way. The girl herself may not be aware of this. But¡­.those voluminous breasts and butt are sweet temptation to all men. In contrast, the younger sister Millia, 18 years old is similarly beautiful and soft spoken, with healthy tanned skin and short crimson hair. But unlike her sister, she has a boy-like figure, which is tight and energetic, invoking the sense of healthiness. She was a junior in the Imperial Academy, whom Ares was quite friendly with. Currently the highest scoring student in the academy, Ares heard that she¡¯s also serving as the vice president of the student council. And then there was the 15 years old Chyntia who sported elf-like pair of long ears. She still behaves like a kid with a slight naivety. But otherwise she dresses neatly just like her older sisters, and will surely become a beauty in the future. Despite still young¡­.she already has the curviness of her eldest sister¡­.. [You girls¡­..don¡¯t act so rude like that.] Alphonse coughed and reprimanded them. [Well, brother here was our lifesaver. He¡¯s also a senior I look up to. I¡¯ve been wanting to meet him again. Elder sister Roxanne even helped me picking the underwear that I should wear for the occasion¡­.] [Kyaaaaah!] Roxanne¡¯s face blushed furiously as she promptly shut her younger sister¡¯s mouth by hugging her face in her bosom. [It¡¯s nothing! Please forget what you¡¯ve heard just now!] [Ha¡­.] Ares looked at Millia. She was stuffed in between the pair of huge breasts, trying to free herself out. [Ahh¡­. Roxanne-aneesama, you are suffocating Millia-anesama.] At Cynthia¡¯s words, Roxanne dropped her gaze down, then immediately let go of her. [Guhaaaa! Hah, hah.. Good grief. You breast fiend! Why so suddenly!] [Because, you said something weird out of the blue, didn¡¯t you!? Don¡¯t implicate me so freely like that!] [Shut it! Is that why you suffocated me with your breasts! Are you trying to disgust me!?] [No¡­. it¡¯s because Millia-aneesama started it¡­.] [What¡¯s with that, Cynthia? I thought you were my ally!? Did you finally join the big breast alliance!?] [Argh©`©`©`©`! Enough! !] Alphonse cut their bickering off. The three immediately stiffened their body and remained standing there unmoving. [Good grief, all of you just had to barge in suddenly and bicker. I have something important to discuss with Ares-dono. You three can catch up with him later!] Being told off like that, the three displayed sorrowful expressions. [Don¡¯t give me that face. Ares-dono¡­.do you have any other plans today?] [Eh? Erm, that©`¡­¡­..] [Fumu, I¡¯ll take that as a no. Then you four can talk later during meal time. For now, please get out.] [ [ [ ¡­¡­.yes¡­¡­. ] ] ] The three left the room dejectedly. [Ares-dono, please excuse us for the rude behaviour.] [No, it¡¯s alright.] Having said that Ares gave a look at the leaving three¡¯s back. Then he thought to himself. Ordinary people would smile when they see the three¡¯s relationship¡­.but only that. Only those in the knows would understand. Yes, it¡¯s regarding their overwhelming magic power capacity. [Those three are still as amazing as before¡­] [Very few are aware of that.] Alphonse replied while sighing softly. The Rozenburgs have always been mages for generations. Their children have always been born with large amount of magic power. But those girls¡­. [My daughters¡­..they have astronomical amount of magic power, the largest in the whole history of our clan.] Right, those three were born with immense magic power. Was that why? The eldest daughter Roxanne once inflicted great damage to the Rozenburg territory because her magic power went berserk and exploded when she was younger. She lived in withdrawal for a while after that. The younger sisters Millia and Cynthia had also lived their life with the fear that similar thing will happen to them as well. [The girls now act very differently from that time. It¡¯s all thanks to Ares-dono¡­..that they could regain their light. I can¡¯t thank you enough for that.] When Ares met Millia for the first time back at the academy, he was marvelled by her immense yet unstable magic power¡­..and so he gave her something. It¡¯s the bracelet she now always wore around her wrist. Magic Adjustment Bracelet Millia was able to control her magic power after receiving and wearing the bracelet. Shocked, she immediately told her father about this, and he promptly requested for more bracelet for her other sisters. At that time, various things happened. But thanks to that¡­.Millia regained her cheerfulness, and Roxanne recovered from her withdrawal to start anew once more. Cynthia became able to make friends more freely and is doing well at school. [That¡¯s why¡­..I wish to entrust my daughters to you.] Saying so, Alphonse leaned forward with a serious look on his face. [So, let¡¯s get to the point. Have you decided? Regarding that matter.] That matter, Rozenburg clan had repeatedly made this offer to Ares before. [No, I haven¡¯t¡­.] Alphonse leaned closer towards Ares, who in turn retreated slowly. [Roxanne has long missed her marriage age¡­.but I still wish for grandchildren.] He said so as he moved even closer. [I¡¯m not offering too much luxury here. I¡¯m not asking you to pick one between the three. I¡¯m asking you to take all three if you must. My daughters are merely waiting for Ares-dono answer!] After that, Alphonse kept pursuing the question to Ares up until the afternoon of that day¡­¡­.. Immediately after finishing his dinner, Ares excused himself out. Today, he once again declined Alphonse¡¯s offer, saying that he needs to go home. Finally, Alphonse confessed. [Your Excellency¡­.you may have come today to probe into my clan¡¯s allegiance¡­.am I correct? But rest assured. The Rozenburg is not a clan that would forget the great favor.] ===== On his way back from Rozenburg mansion, in the midst of darkness, Ares spoke to seemingly no one. [Well, as expected of the Rozenburg clan, I guess? Even if I showed some interest I couldn¡¯t just accept the offer, and neither do I need anything in exchange for what I did for them¡­..but I suppose he has already made his decision. I need him as an ally after all¡­.and his mages as well.] Ares said as he walked under the moonlight. CH 48 Chapter 48 ¨C To the Next Hunting Ground [So Okura-dono! Where will we be going today!] The powered-up Noru was getting restless. She¡¯s doing her usual excited fist shaking too, she must be in a really good mood. [The Northern Cave is getting stale, so I guess it¡¯s time to look for some place else? I also sort of feel bad for Shisuha not being able to do her ¡°job¡±.] [Oh I¡¯m enjoying myself, so don¡¯t worry about me. I should be the one apologizing for not fulfilling my role properly.] Despite having summoned her to be our healer, we haven¡¯t been in any battles which require her services as a healer. Instead when we went to the Eagle Warrior¡¯s Forest a couple of days ago for my training, she had a go at the Eagle Warrior Chief for kicks and instakills it. That little event got me wondering, if all the priests I get from the gacha are going to somehow end up being like her. [A different hunting ground you say. If that¡¯s the case how about finding one that is more challenging?] [I was thinking about that too. Though our manastone gathering efficiency is pretty good at the Northern Cave so we¡¯d probably go back there occasionally, I guess it¡¯s about time to look for a new spot to grind for our future leveling.] It is necessary to pick a suitable hunting ground with good hunting efficiency to exp gain ratio. But since experience gain isn¡¯t displayed, I have to sort of stare at the Status app as we hunt to see if anyone levels up¡­.. [It¡¯s decided then, we¡¯ll be looking for a new hunting ground today.] [Alright. We have Shisuha with us now, we should be able to go to places with stronger enemies.] U©`mu, saying that gave myself a slightly unpleasant feeling. Having Shisuha ¡°do her job¡± means the possibility of taking damage skyrockets¡­.. I really don¡¯t want to turn into a weirdo like Gauss-san. [What about Labyrinth exploration then? We should be able to defeat the slime on the 10th floor now.] [Yeah, we most likely can beat it now. But since we don¡¯t know what lies beyond that point, and we can¡¯t return anytime we want in the Labyrinth so going there to hunt isn¡¯t ideal.] With the addition of Shisuha and me taking on the role of the Tank, we should be able to defeat that Slime on the Labyrinth¡¯s 10th floor. However, whatever lies beyond that floor is still unknown to us. Also I can¡¯t use Beacons while inside the Labyrinth which means if we go hunting there we won¡¯t be able to return on short notice. Aiming for the unusual Drop Items there might be interesting, but that¡¯s not the place to go to when thinking about manastone efficiency and grinding experience. ===== In the end we were unable to decide where we wanted to go, so we went to the Adventurers Guild to get some advice. We head to the counter where Wizzy-chan is as usual, she should be able to answer our query. [Ah, Okura-san. How can I help you today?] [So we were thinking of looking for a new Hunting Ground. Would you happen to have any recommendations?] [Recommendations huh¡­.] She tilts her head and closes her eyes, letting out a ¡°H©`rrm¡± as she thought about the question. I have yet to see any object or item native to this world that can see the Status of other people, maybe that¡¯s why the locals need more time to make decisions regarding such matters. [It¡¯s much further away, but the Lemuri Mountain Range in the North could be a good location. You can find the humanoid monsters known as Lizardman there.] Wizzy-can then continued her explanation regarding that location. The Lemuri Mountain Range is about 2 days plus alpha travelling distance away from here. It¡¯s probably further away than the Swamplands where the Frogmen are. Lizardman are humanoid monsters much like the Eagle Warriors. Can I assume them to be lizards that walk on 2 legs like the ones I know of from fantasy stories or games? The main difference between them and the other monsters I have encountered is that the Lizardman use not only swords, but also other weapons like axes, spears and even bows. [Due to the distance and high difficulty of the location most adventurers don¡¯t choose to hunt there, but the Drop Item of the Lizardman known as Kepool are a popular sought after material.] [Popular materials eh¡­.] So I¡¯m guessing this ¡°Kepool¡± is the rare variant there? And like the Stinger this fellow drops popular materials too. Putting the travel distance aside, I¡¯m getting a bad feeling about it having a ¡®high difficulty¡¯¡­. [Similar to the Stinger, regular adventurers don¡¯t stand a chance against them so the materials are rare and don¡¯t circulate in the markets much.] [Don¡¯t the A Rank Adventurers go out and hunt these kind of monsters?] [Those people have their special circumstances¡­.. Also there¡¯s basically nobody here who hunts such large numbers like Okura-san does.] Considering that she spoke in such a roundabout manner, there must be reasons for her doing so. I¡¯m interested in the topic but I¡¯m not about to poke my nose into somewhere it doesn¡¯t belong. So far I¡¯ve only seen 1 A Rank Adventurer, and it really gets me wondering what they do and where they go to. You can see B Rankers around the guild fairly often, but you pretty much don¡¯t see the A Rankers around at all. Since it is said that they can traverse up to the 40th floor of the Labyrinth, it¡¯s easy to imagine them being superpowered people. I really wanted to see the Status of the ¡®monster tamer¡¯ person back then too. [With the influx of Stinger Shells brought in by Okura-san, other adventurers now have more opportunities to obtain the material. With the quality of equipment improving for the adventurers as a whole, the Guild Master is really happy.] After my dealings with Dhius ended I still sold the Shells to shops every so often, but I sure as heck didn¡¯t expect this to happen. Increasing the strength of adventurers as a whole is a good thing¡­.right? Or so that¡¯s what she(the guild) is saying, does this mean that their aim is to get me to do the same thing with the Lizardman this time¡­? [So, we(the guild) are looking forward to your exploits this time as well.] [Ahaha¡­. I¡¯ll give it my best effort.] Saying that with a smile on her face, I gave my best smile back in kind. ===== Having learned how to get there, we begun travelling to the Lemuri Mountain Range. However, this tiny little problem popped up¡­.. [Why did this happen¡­] [Fufu, don¡¯t worry about the minor things.] We are riding on our awesome Flying Carpet as usual, except I am sitting cross legged and Estel is sitting in the hole formed by my legs. To maintain a position such as this, is reeeeally unhealthy for a man such as I ¡­.. [Muuu Estel, that is so unfair.] [Estel-san fits in there so nicely.] Noru and Shisuha are sitted behind me. I can¡¯t do much of anything for Noru regardless of how resentful she sounds. 4 people was a little too much for the passenger limit of the Carpet. So there was talk of leaving 1 person behind in the Inn and bringing her over with a Beacon afterwards. But, for some inexplicable reason this is the end result of that discussion. I told her(Estel) to sit together with Noru, but I ended up folding to her insistence that she liked it better here¡­. I keep smelling this nice fragrance, and coming into contact with soft body parts. Now I can¡¯t exactly blame Noru for using her as a hug pillow when she sleeps. [Even so, this Carpet really is oh so fast.] [Yeah, it¡¯s going quite fast. Do be careful about falling off, ¡®kay?] The carpet was moving at fairly high speeds, though i keep getting glances of Shisuha sticking her body out of bounds to look around curiously. It¡¯s bad for my heart if anyone really falls off so I really want her to stop doing that. She¡¯s just so fearless. [Yes, thank you for the advice. Even if someone does fall off, I can heal that person back in no time at all so no worries.] [That¡¯s a different kind of thing to be worried about¡­.] Shisuha replies with a smile, but Noru who was sitting next to her gave a slightly off put reaction. Sure you can heal the injuries, but falling off is definitely going to hurt¡­ She tilts her head to Noru¡¯s off put reaction as though saying ¡°Did I say something weird?¡±, gets you wondering what goes on in that head of hers¡­ Such conversations continued on the Carpet as we travelled for several hours, I then briefly stopped the Carpet. [Right, I¡¯ll dump 1 here.] I pop a Beacon out from my smartphone, and stuffed it in the midst of some inconspicuous bushes to hide it. [Okura-dono? What are you trying to do, by placing a Beacon here?] [Aren¡¯t we already a decent distance away from the City?] The girls were mighty curious about what I just did. This was a spot that was faraway from the city, and not the sort of ¡®important¡¯ location where you¡¯d normally think of placing a Beacon. [Y¡¯see, we are still a ways off from our destination. This is just insurance for when I can¡¯t transfer back to the Beacon in town directly from our destination. This is also an experiment to see how far is too far before I lose reception for them.] The Lemuri Mountain Range is comparatively the furthest location we are going away from the city yet. It¡¯s going to be a pain if I can¡¯t get reception from the Beacon I set up near the Capital. So I thought of setting up more Beacons along the way. [To think that you saw that much ahead¡­..I expected nothing less from Okura-san.] [Indeed. Though it¡¯s super unexpected to see Okura-dono use his brain for anything other then the Gacha¨D¨D fua!? Wuh arr yuu fuuing diis foor!?] [Sorry for being incapable of thinking about anything else other than the Gacha!] Noru nodded in agreement with Shisuha, but she added in an unneeded comment so she gets her cheeks pulled. It¡¯s been a while since I last did this, so I put in that little bit more effort. CH 49 Chapter 49 ¨C Rozenburg Three Sisters ¨C ~Clan Head Alphonse¡¯s Story~ [Three villages in the territory were destroyed?] [Yes. Apparently they were attacked by monsters¡­.. Those villages have been erased without trace¡­.] Hearing such a story, I who was about to sleep stood up slowly from my bed. [We cannot just leave it be. Let¡¯s return to the territory.] And so, I got ready and left the capital that very evening, returning to my clan¡¯s territory. ===== ¡ô Once I arrived back at the territory, I immediately prepared the soldiers. That included the knights, foot soldiers, and even the mages. [We¡¯ll subjugate the monsters with our entire army. Vanquish them once and for all!] I¡¯m the head of the Imperial Mages Division. I could use both swordsmanship and magic as a magic swordsman, as I also dabbled on swordsmanship to a certain extent. As for my mastery over magic, my rank as the second strongest among the court mages say it all. This time, I rode into battle myself as a general, heading to the destroyed village. It won¡¯t take too long¡­.or so I thought. But what was waiting for me there¡­. Was something beyond imagination. There was nothing. Nothing. In place of the village, there was only wide open land, giving off a feeling of nausea. [What¡­..? This¡­..] Seeing this, I was speechless. At that moment, scouts came one after another to report. And¡­.I was shocked by the unexpected reports. [Is the information correct?] [Yes. It¡¯s been confirmed that it was an Ancient dragon that leveled the northeastern villages] The vassal who made the report lowered his head. [In addition to that¡­. Apparently it¡¯s the¡ºWicked Dragon, Vassago¡»who had destroyed Earl Roman¡¯s territory last year.] In the original report, it was thought that a number of monsters had appeared and destroyed the villages. That¡¯s why I thought that it¡¯ll be fine if I hit them with my entire army, but¡­.. Wicked Dragon Vassago Ancient Dragons usually don¡¯t attack other races because they have their pride as the king of dragons. But Vassago was an exception. He ignored this so-called ¡®pride¡¯ and freely attacked other beings. In a year, it used three-quarters of it to sleep, and the remaining to wreak havoc. Therefore, humans gave this dragon a special nickname, ¡ºDragon of Misery¡» Ancient dragons are entities whose power earned them the title of ¡°Divine Beast¡±. Their power is similar in class to that of a natural disaster. It¡¯s impossible to fight one even if the entire forces on Rozenburg is dispatched. Perhaps if the main forces of the Empire marched over here¡­ [R-reporting!] I was awakened from my reverie. [The Ancient dragon is no longer in the next village! The village is already in ruins!] [Reporting!! It seems that the Ancient dragon has penetrated deep into the territory!] Then came the final report. [Re¡­reporting!] [What is it this time!] [The Ancient dragon¡­has appeared at the capital city Blum!] Hearing the news¡­I unconsciously dropped the treasured sword I¡¯ve been holding. Capital city Blum. The center of Rozenburg territory. After receiving such a report, we immediately marched back to Blum. There was no hope to win. But it¡¯s my duty as the clan head to do something about it. I couldn¡¯t just sit around doing nothing while my city is being destroyed. And above all¡­there was currently no soldier in Blum. There were only powerless commoners, and my beloved family¡­my daughters Roxanne and Cynthia. Thinking so, I hurried my horse back to Blum. ===== ¡ô The first thing I saw once arriving back to Blum¡­..was huge number of icicles. Many were stuck on the ground around the city. [How did this happen!?] I hurriedly asked a nearby vassal. At that moment¡­ [Milord!] The one who called me out was someone who worked at the main mansion named Torr. [You¡­.why are you here? No, what is the current situation? How bad is the damage?] Reflexively I bombarded him with one question after another. [Th-that¡¯s¡­] Torr fell down in tears instead. [What¡¯s wrong! Explain properly!] [Lady Roxanne, she¡­] [Roxanne!? What happened to Roxanne!?] Roxanne should¡¯ve been locking herself in the mansion. Why is her name mentioned here? [Milady seemed to be aware of the Ancient dragon¡¯s arrival in advance. She gave us some instructions. To evacuate as many citizens as possible to the hidden shelter and to report this to Alphonse-sama¡­ Milady then wrapped the shelter with powerful magic barrier, and went out to fight the dragon alone¡­] Having said that, Torr once again broke down in tears. But resolved to finish his report. [Many people tried to stop Milady. I tried desperately too. But Milady believed that her immense magic power was meant to be for days like this¡­ that¡¯s why she shook us away and headed to the Ancient dragon by herself. We tried to follow¡­ but was knocked down by Milady¡¯s magic.we were told to report this to Alphonse-sama and guide milord to where Milady is. So here I am.] [Roxanne did that¡­] [People called Milady¡ºWitch¡»¡­.and everyone tended to avoid her¡­ but I always believed that it¡¯s just a ruse. Milady is dignified, and kind hearted¡­..I ¡­¡­ I¡­¡­] [Enough.] I cut his words quietly. [Guide me to Roxanne. At once!] ===== ¡ô Roxanne and the Wicked Dragon Vassago were apparently in the suburbs of the city. So I led the army there. Then, as we got closer¡­I sensed a massive concentration of magic that I¡¯ve never felt before. Suddenly, those among the army who possess magic power started to fall one after another. The least severely affected ones were vomiting on the spot. Perhaps they couldn¡¯t stand such a concentrated amount of magic in a single place. The same goes for me. But I endured the nausea and went forward. [Mages shouldn¡¯t go any further! Only knights will follow me!] That said, I urged my horse forward. And as I got closer, I could slowly see them. The overwhelming size of the dragon, and the figure of my beloved daughter who was blocking the dragon¡¯s intense breath attack with an ice shield. (She¡¯s capable of holding down against an Ancient dragon¡­no, she¡¯s pushing it back?) Astonishment crept as I watched the scene. (Impossible!? Her opponent is an Ancient dragon¡­) Roxanne¡¯s talent is undoubtedly even more prominent than any of her Rozenburg predecessors. But what amount of magic power would be required to push back an Ancient dragon¡­? But at the same time I realized something else¡­hopelessness overwhelmed me and my heart felt like it¡¯s freezing. Roxanne¡¯s legs were frozen up to her knees, and the freezing only continued to rise up. The ground below her had also began to freeze over, and it¡¯s spreading out gradually. Due to using such a powerful magecraft, apparently her magic power overflowed and started to go berserk. As a father, I wanted to stop Roxanne. But¡­as a Lord, I need her to defeat Vassago. [Ah¡­have the Gods abandoned me¡­?] At that time, I had no place left to turn to. [Father! What kind of situation is this!] A familiar voice came from behind. At that point, I hadn¡¯t realized that the voice had brought along with it the saviour of the Rozenburg clan. ===== ¡ô That voice belonged to Millia. Why is that tomboy is here? Shouldn¡¯t she be staying at the Royal Capital? [Wait¡­.what is happening here?? That¡¯s an ancient dragon, right? And why is sis Roxanne fighting it!?] [Hear me out first!] This is why I¡¯m not fond of Millia. [Why are you here in the first place! Shouldn¡¯t you be at the capital right now?] [I came because I have something important to report to father! Wait, sister doesn¡¯t look too good?] Responding to Millia, the man who was standing behind her opened up. [The magic power is definitely going berserk¡­and such an immense amount at that¡­this is shocking.] [¡­¡­by the way, who are you?] I sent him a suspicious look. Did Millia bring him here? Firstly, which father who would be alright seeing their daughter actually brought a man home? And at such a timing to boot. It was him, not Millia, who replied to me. [Ah, I¡¯m her senior at the academy. The reason I came here is to meet her father¡­] Meanwhile Millia was looking at the battle between Roxanne and Vassago. Roxanne seemed to notice Millia¡¯s presence. She looked back to her sister in sorrow. At the same time, the berserking magic intensified even further. [Is there nothing we can do¡­Senpai, can you do something?] [¡­..so it¡¯s the time for it to go wild, isn¡¯t it. But well, I won¡¯t be able to talk it out slowly unless I do something¡­ah] Currently, Roxanne¡¯s magic power intensified even more, freezing an even wider area. [That looks bad¡­the magic has gone completely berserk¡­] Saying so, the man turned to me. [Lord Rozenburg. I have a way to settle this situation; both your daughter and the dragon. I know it¡¯s hard to believe the words of someone you only met just now, but can you please leave this to me? Instead¡­please forgive me for what I¡¯ll do.] [¡­it¡¯s hard to believe a stranger¡¯s words indeed. But I have nothing left to deal with this situation. Do what you can.] I replied half heartedly. There is nothing I can do in this situation. Roxanne possesses the largest amount of magic power in the history of Rozenburg clan. But isn¡¯t it now going berserk? And her opponent is an ancient dragon no less. What can you do about it? And this random guy actually said that he¡¯ll do something about it? How rude can he be? But when he heard my answer, he smiled¡­.then marched alone toward the battlefield where Roxanne and Vassago is facing off. ===== ¡ô After that, that man¡­Ares-dono quietly heading towards Roxanne. Roxanne¡¯s magic power had gone berserk even further, the freezing had reached up to her chest area. Curiously Ares-dono was not affected by such freezing as he approached Roxanne¡­.and stole her lips. Seeing this scene, both I and Millia were dumbfounded. But I quickly noticed something. Roxanne¡¯s magic power intensity became smaller and smaller. No? Did he suck all that in? This is something I¡¯ve never seen before. No? I¡¯ve read about this somewhere. It almost like the non-elemental magic that was already deemed as lost magic¡­ When Ares-dono released Roxanne¡¯s lips¡­the ice that had covered her up to her breasts and covered the surrounding ground¡­they disappeared as if nothing had happened. Leaving the seemingly disappointed Roxanne aside, Ares-dono turn to the wicked dragon this time. [Now then¡­ O ancient dragon. Your opponent is me now. You are a perfect partner¡­to see how far have I gone.] Saying so, he took out a huge magic sword and charged at the wicked dragon. The wicked dragon responded with a powerful breath attack. After that, a battle of life and death began. We were awed as we watched and prayed. His sword cut through the dragon¡¯s thick hide, hurting it. But it¡¯s impossible for him to inflict a fatal wound. On the other hand, the wicked dragon¡¯s breath attacks could not hit Ares-dono either. How long the battle will last? Can he really win? My heart was anxious. I had doubted him when he first said his suggestion, but I had no choice but to believe him now. That figure of his¡­resembled those hero often depicted on the church¡¯s tapestry. At least those who present here would¡¯ve thought the same. When the stalemate continued on, the wicked dragon finally relented. ¡¶Kuh! This fight, there is no fun in it. To think there is actually a human who could go this far in this age¡­let¡¯s call it a draw now. However, we¡¯ll meet again someday. When that time come¡­prepare yourself¡· After saying that in a disappointed tone, the dragon took flight and left. ¡¶That human woman earlier was a surprise as well. I¡¯ll keep you in mind for next time. Remember that.¡· That said, the dragon finally left towards the north. Ares-dono did not dare to release his stance until the dragon disappeared from his view¡­but when he did, he fell down to his butt. [Haa¡­..that would¡¯ve been dangerous if the fight continued. I still have a long way to go¡­.this is more tiring than I expected.] He said as he laughed slowly¡­. Right. The moment I saw that smile on his face, I knew that the Rozenburg has been saved. ===== ¡ô I then treated him as honored guest at my mansion. It was at this point I found out that he¡¯s the son of the current Archduke Schwarzer. And the real reason for his visit to the Rozenburg territory¡­was to talk about the magic power adjusting. He stayed for a few days, crafting magic adjustment bracelets for Roxanne and Cynthia. He stopped Roxanne¡¯s rampaging magic power, repel the wicked dragon, and more importantly, saved my daughter from their fate¡­ He has become a great benefactor to our Rozenburg clan. However. There was something that attracted me to him more than the fact that he¡¯s our benefactor. A sword valiant enough to match the wicked dragon. A brain so brilliant it produced something like magic adjustment bracelet. Moreover, he¡¯s humble and has clean attitude. Isn¡¯t that the very description of those heroes in myths? Recently, Arcadia continent had shown the sign of unrest. So is within this empire. I have to think up a way to survive. So that¡¯s why¡­Rozenburg needs him. I want to walk by his side, and survive this era. I thought inwardly. CH 50 Chapter 50 ¨C Rozenburg Three Sisters ~ Eldest Sister Roxanne¡¯s story ~ Meeting Ares-sama has changed my destiny by leaps and bounds. I was born as the eldest daughter to Rozenburg clan. I had immense magic power since my birth and it only grew stronger with each passing year¡­..I grew up while very well aware of it. From a mage¡¯s point of view, having magic power greater than others is a massive boon. But, imagine it this way: what happened when you stuff a lot of gunpowder in a small container then set it on fire? It¡¯s the same case. My ever-increasing magic power is said to be extraordinary even for a mage clan like the Rozenburgs, but unfortunately¡­..I had no way to properly control it. My father and all other clan members¡­..helped me to find a way. I learned various things that might help me control the immense magic from an early age. But¡­..unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t find a way. ===== ¡ô I also had to act like an aristocrat. I am after all the eldest daughter of Rozenburg clan. Therefore, I had to take the seat and attend banquets whilst desperately suppressing the magic power I had accumulated for 15 years. Everytime I attended a banquet, many would come to propose to me. I heard that engagement proposal had flooded in as well. But¡­..I decided to reject them all. Because¡­..I do not know when it¡¯ll go violent. This [problem] of mine¡­..prevented me from falling in love with someone. Denying me the chance the find my own happiness. I came to think so. And then one day, what I had dreaded all these time came to happen. It was when I was attending an event in a certain village. Many goblins appearing on the village¡¯s vicinity and started to attack. The soldiers and the villagers around me were wounded and soon overwhelmed¡­when I saw the goblins were about to hurt the children¡­..I used the ¡®magecraft¡¯ I had only used during training up until then. My powerful magic froze the goblins¡­..and not only the village itself but also neighboring villages as well. The villagers were rescued by a passing priest¡¯s divine magic¡­. I became feared as the ¡ºRozenburg Witch¡»since then. Since that incident, people stayed away from me. Those marriage proposals were withdrawn. Commoners and clan vassals alike began to fear me as well. But I saw this as a good opportunity. I took this chance to lock myself in my room, limiting my interaction to my few close family members. I don¡¯t want to hurt or bother anyone else. I tried to learn about my magic on my own. In order to never repeat the same incident. And to save my similarly endowed sisters from experiencing the same fate. And one day, fate once again came knocking. ===== ¡ô Few days after father headed out for monster subjugation, I sensed a wave of horrible magic power. And it¡¯s heading toward Blum in no time. I gathered the mansion employees at the main hall. [As we speak, a horrible threat is heading toward the city.] The housekeepers were puzzled by my opening words, but I immediately reminded them about what I¡¯m really good at. I told them that I have powerful magic which allows me to detect a monster¡¯s whereabouts and so on. Calming the confused vassals, I first instructed them to evacuate the citizens to the hidden shelter. Blum had a shelter for the citizens specifically prepared in case a war breaks out. I headed there and raised a barrier. Naturally the employees were also there. Many of the citizens were initially sceptical, but upon hearing the report of the returning scout, their face turned pale. Hearing that the¡ºAncient Dragon¡»were heading their way, they naturally followed my instructions in earnest. After the shelter had been sealed up, I went out to confront the Ancient dragon. At that time, many tried desperately to stop me, including Torr who had been like a real little brother to me. Even those who¡¯d been avoiding me until then. But if I have to go, then I had to go alone. I personally thought¡­..what else the use of my immense magic power if not for days like this? I gave them one last smile before heading out by myself, not looking back. ===== ¡ô As it¡¯s an Ancient dragon, of course it carries with it a very powerful magic. ¡¶Human woman, why bother? This place will soon turn to nothing. No need to seek death so early.¡· And so I declared war on the laughing dragon. [I will stop you right here.] That said, I conjured up numerous giant ice pillars. [Blizzard Arrow!] And flung them to the ancient dragon. ¡¶Kuh! Human¡¯s obscene imitation of True magic¡· The wicked dragon repelled the ice pillars with a flap of its wings. But I noticed that it was being pushed back bit by bit. Yes, that¡¯s fine. Firstly, let¡¯s drive it out to the suburbs. It¡¯s the current priority. The ice pillars flew in quick succession. But the wicked dragon wasn¡¯t going to go down without a fight. ¡¶Impertinent!¡· It roared, inhaling lots of air before exhaling it in a brutal breath attack. I put forth every ounce of my power, and made an ice shield to block it. From there¡­..it¡¯s a battle of attrition between me against the wicked dragon. ¡­.. How long has it been? Apparently I seemed to be approaching my limit. Not that I couldn¡¯t block the dragon¡¯s attack, I actually pushing it back. Given enough time, my magic might¡¯ve reached it and freeze it for good. However¡­..I had exerted so much magic that it was beginning to run rampant. My feet were already covered in ice even as we speak. The whole area was freezing, and the ice on my feet was gradually increasing. Eventually, it will cover me whole. If my magic went berserk now, even if the wicked dragon was defeated, the whole Blum would freeze over including the citizens that had evacuated. At the corner of my eyes, I could see father¡¯s figure. Ah, father, you have returned? Father looked at me anxiously. I must somehow convey my situation to father and let him and the people evacuate. There¡¯s also the knights. And behind them¡­.. Nn? Millia?? Why is she here? Shouldn¡¯t she be in the capital? Unaware of my confusion, I saw Millia talked to father. Hold a second. Why talk so leisurely? Evacuate! Evacuate immediately! I thought so inwardly. But there¡¯s no time for me to slouch. The wicked dragon who also noticed their presence put forth a stronger breath. [Kuuh! Oh dear!] I had also unknowingly responded by putting forth more magic. And so¡­..the magic power that I¡¯ve been trying to suppress with great care up until then¡­..gone berserk. ¡¶What in the world£¡£¿This amount of magic£¿£¿¡· The dragon¡¯s breath attack had began to freeze. It became restless upon seeing this. But I was beyond caring. The ground around me had been frozen. So was most of my body¡­..right, my magic had gone berserk alright. The frozen are began to gradually widen, and my ice shield started to fall apart¡­the dragon ceased its breath attack and watched on. ¡¶So you could not control your blessing. I was thinking of razing this place with my breath¡­but watching it freeze over sounds fun too¡· The wicked dragon laughed. ¡¶In any case¡­..that power of yours is beyond that of any human I¡¯ve seen before. You have my envy.¡· If this went on, my power would end up freezing the whole city, including father and Millia who were still standing nearby. And if I was eaten by the dragon, the frozen city would not stand a chance against it¡­..Ah, I¡¯m just a witch after all. I couldn¡¯t protect what is precious to me, nor I can bring benefit to others. Right when I was about to give up¡­.. [Such a great amount of magic power. Even stronger than Millia.] I heard a voice of a man who came to approach me in such a leisurely manner. ===== ¡ô Escape! Right now! Otherwise you¡¯ll freeze! However, no words came out from my mouth. In fact, that person was starting to freeze as he approached me. [This, it¡¯ll be useless unless I suck everything at once. This might be rude for a lady such as you¡­..but please pardon me as it¡¯s an emergency.] That said, the lad stood in front of me, put his hands on my shoulders¡­..and pressed his lips on mine. [Drain Magic!!] [Nnnn!?] My consciousness was vague due to the berserking magic, but I was immediately wide awake due to too much shock. At the same time, I felt my magic power was drained away. The cold that was running rampant around me disappeared and the frost on the ground vanished without a trace. When I began to accept his kiss, the lad broke away and gently asked. [Are you okay? Can you stand up?] [Eh? Ah, yes¡­..] [Well then, why don¡¯t you stay here for a bit? Don¡¯t move too much] After that he grasped the necklace hanging on his neck. What next? As if answering my wondering, a bright shining sword of light appeared in his hand. [W-wait. You are¡­..] [I¡¯m sorry, no time to talk right now. Anyhow, I¡¯m going to drive that gecko away first.] Having said that, he charged toward the wicked dragon on his own. I couldn¡¯t help but to witness everything¡­.. ===== ¡ô At that moment, Ares-sama was like the mythical heroes of old. Driving away the wicked ancient dragon with his powerful sword. The details¡­.I¡¯ll omit it for now. Also, after that, he crafted for us sisters a special bracelet that could suppress our explosive magic power, finally freeing us from our fears. And after all that, Ares-sama had become my, and the whole Rozenburg clan¡¯s, ¡ºSaviour¡». Since then, the feeling hadn¡¯t changed no matter how much time had passed. I believed that my father and sisters all felt the same way. A few years later, I kept practicing everyday, and as a result, I now had much more control over my magic power. Why did I keep practicing in the first place? Of course, so that I¡¯d be able to make use of my magic for his benefit. Ever since that day, I¡¯ve decided to dedicate my everything to Ares-sama, be it to my last strand of hair or to my last drop of blood. I want to be his strength¡­..even if just a fraction. Therefore, I will keep practicing. CH 51 Chapter 51 ¨C Rozenburg Three Sisters ¨C Third Sister Cynthia¡¯s Story Ah, good grief. Why does my family tend to act unreasonable when it involves Ares-anisama? The lonesome dear father would act stupid, the usually strong Roxanne-anesama becomes blinded, and Millia-anesama becomes unreasonable¡­..well, actually Millia-anesama is the same as usual. Dear father and Roxanne-anesama are the worst offenders. In that their action would only bother Ares-anisama big time. Since Ares-anisama came here, father would often speak to himself in his room. [We have to establish connections to the Archduke Schwarzer. Use everything at our disposal!!] Dear Father. That¡¯s something an evil man would say. I personally think that our dear father is the one who was infatuated to Ares-anisama the most in Rozenburg clan. As for eldest sister, she would often hug¡ºAres-anisama doll¡»tightly onto her bountiful breasts while muttering [Ah, Ares-sama. My everything, it¡¯s all yours¡­..] While doing so, she also writes Ares-anisama¡¯ name on a piece of paper¡­no, it¡¯s scary! Isn¡¯t that some sort of curse!? That¡¯s not something you should do for sure!! Anyways, she¡¯s already too old that this kind of thing became even creepier¡­why are you playing shrine maiden at your age! ¡­..Nn? Suddenly I felt freezing cold running through my back. Nevermind about what I said just now. Ahh, why do they not realize why Ares-anisama always act a little distant? ¡­..it was quite obvious from that smile he showed last time. As I thought, I need to be on Ares-anisama¡¯ side as the clan representative. If we want him to think that the Rozenburg clan is indeed a decent clan. The clan is filled with weirdos! Perhaps that¡¯s what he thought. Nn? Am I trying to hog the sweet spot for myself? ===== ¡ô [Can you try putting this on?] Ares-anisama said as he handed me a silver bracelet. [I hope this one fits you. Each of you three sisters have different attributes after all.] Ares-anisama gave me the silver colored Magic Adjustment Bracelet. The beautiful bracelet shone under the sunshine. Roxanne-anesama¡¯s attribute is water and ice, Millia-anesama¡¯s is fire, while my attribute is wind. Simply speaking, Ares-anisama had put different technique on each bracelet. The details were too difficult to understand, but¡­. [Ares-dono, amazing!! To think you can invent such technology!] Father was moved by something yet again¡­ Dear father, you became somewhat annoying just now. Apart from that, I remembered that I was really happy to wear the bracelet. There were two reasons. The first of course because I won¡¯t need to fear my magic going crazy so now I can live normally like any other girls of my age. Second one¡­.. This is actually the first time someone gave a present to me. At that time, I was still only 12 years old. But¡­. at that very moment, I had fallen in love with Ares-anisama. And so I made up my mind. I want to learn controlling my magic like my sisters do, so that I can be useful to Ares-anisama. Several years had passed since then and now I¡¯m attending the magician course at the Imperial academy. Not only that, I also practiced magic with my sisters while staying at the clan mansion. Now I have a lot of control over my magic. Life at school was very enjoyable. No one referred to Roxanne-anesama as the¡ºRozenburg Witch¡»anymore. She¡¯s instead hailed as a hero who repelled an ancient dragon. Being the sister of ¡ºDragon Suppressing Hero¡», I came to be noticed in different light. I personally thought that everything there is now was all thanks to Ares-anisama. That¡¯s why I will keep practicing, till I can control my magic to its minute detail. ===== ¡ô The Rozenburg clan is a prominent clan in the Empire known for their aptitude in magic. Many aristocrats had attempted to reel the clan in to their faction, but they never went too far in. Sometime later, the Rozenburg clan declared their vassalage to the Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s house. At the same time, it is said that many mages who previously maintained their neutrality also pledged their allegiance to the Archduke Schwarzer clan. CH 52 Chapter 52 ¨C Duke of McDohl Clan The next day, Ares went to visit the residence of one of the clans with an important role in empire: the McDohl clan. The McDohl clan leader, Leo McDohl is one of the two most influential people in the Empire¡¯s military, being the commander of the Imperial Army¡¯s first division. Still active in his early forties, he has a good build and a dignified appearance when his long blond haired figure rode on the warhorse to lead the army. This appearance of his earned him the nickname of¡ºMcDohl Lion Lord¡» The name was known throughout the continent as a great general, and thus causes many to look in envy to their status and position. For Ares, he¡¯s an old acquaintance whom he often visited to consult about nearly everything. Sometimes they would also fight side by side. Their relationship is more like a distant friend despite the gap in their age. [Excuse me for the sudden visit, Duke McDohl] [The gate of this mansion will always open for you, Ares. It¡¯s been a while!] Leo welcomed Ares despite the sudden visit. Then he guided the younger person to the guest room. While walking, Leo asked Ares. [When the news that you¡¯ve arrived at the capital spread, the clans in the capital become noisy. Did you visit other clans before coming to see me?] [I visited the Rozenburgs yesterday. After that Duke Arnold, then several other aristocratic clans including the Earl of Roxietta, also Margott¡¯s chamber of commerce. Well, basically just visiting old acquaintances.] [¡­.why you.. Visiting one of the imperial princesses then the leader of the Imperial Mages Division, as well as the former Imperial Prime Minister¡­ not to mention numerous clans with even small amount of influence to the imperial army, and even Margott¡¯s chamber of commerce¡­no wonder they deemed your movement as suspicious.] Having said so, Leo gave a little sigh. [Archduke Schwarzer¡­the clan behind you is already at the top. Having a rich territory and a prestigious position as the guardian of the North. However, the clan rarely made any notable moves at the capital and is shrouded in mystery. The young lord of such clan is suddenly summoned to the capital, and made such antics shortly after his arrival¡­of course everyone will take note of you.] They soon arrived in front of the guest room. [Well, taking all that aside, how about we talk about it slowly? Your goal.] Leo smiled as he slowly opened the door. ===== [Then, how is this Eastern Expedition in your view?] Leo asked such question as he reclined himself on one of the sofas. [His Majesty¡¯s first step towards continent unification, is that what you¡¯re going to say?] As he took a seat as well, Ares replied. [I think that the goal this time is capturing the Grants Principality and the three surrounding areas. Once His Majesty captured those regions, it¡¯ll be easy to put pressure to the other eastern nations.] Grants Principality is one of the more hostile nations to the Empire. As a country of warriors, it had repelled the Empire¡¯s expeditionary forces repeatedly. With them acting as the floodgate, the Empire could not field their troops to the east. [But Grants¡­that¡¯s the land of the battle crazed warriors. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that their army is the strongest in the continent. There is also that small but valiant Redgear. They won¡¯t be so easy to fall.] And then Leo added with wrinkled on his forehead. [Also, Grants¡¯ land is hard to rule. Its west is the untouched land where monsters roam free, barbarians wait at the north, the mountain to its east is occupied by dwarves that do not obey the empire, not to mention those fighting tribe Aryans. Nothing great about that land.] [If His Majesty conquered Grants, hypothetically speaking, other small countries will be willingly submit to us¡­. Presently, countries in the eastern region, such as Byzerd Principality and the emerging Dormadia kingdom are thriving. It¡¯ll be troublesome if those eastern countries became too big. Before that¡­¡­don¡¯t you think so too?] As Ares said so¡­.he took a peek to the palace where the Emperor resides through the window. [It is a fact that His Majesty is getting older. Before that¡­His Majesty would want to lay a foundation for the armed forces. There is also that as a consideration. This will be a major battle.] [I see¡­so that¡¯s why you have to participate in this war, isn¡¯t it? You are His Majesty¡¯s favorite after all.] Leo grinned. [As for me, why His Majesty favor you so¡­that¡¯s what I want to know the most. There is your excellent capabilities¡­but there must be something else, isn¡¯t there?] [¡­¡­why is that? I don¡¯t have any clue myself.] [¡­¡­never mind. Just let me know someday.] With that, Leo got up from his sofa. [Sitting here and relaxing really doesn¡¯t suit me. Do you have some time to spare? Or do you have to make some other arrangements? It¡¯s almost time for Luther to finish his study. You know how he always look up to you.] Leo showed a fresh smile that he hadn¡¯t shown even once since the meeting started. [He respects you. Please spend some time with him. He¡¯ll be the successor to the McDohl clan in the future after all.] ===== ¡ô Arriving at McDohl clan training ground, a blonde haired boy that resembles Leo could be seen [Hi Luther. It¡¯s been a while.] [Brother Ares! Long time no see!] [Thank you for always getting along well with Julius.] [No, Julius is such a great friend. It¡¯s only natural.] Leo¡¯s eldest son Luther is one of Julius¡¯ peers. Like birds of the same feather, the two quickly became fast friends and Ares heard that they frequently met. Unlike his father who has a strong build, Luther has a rather girlish slender body. Coupled that with his good look and you got yourself a pretty boy. His outer looks truly has nothing to do with martial arts at all¡­..a great departure from his first division commander father. But Ares was aware of his hidden talent. [Even I, his father, was fooled too. At the moment, only myself, you and your vassals are aware of his talent. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want him to be a bad leader in the future. I will personally teach him, and instill in him the overwhelming valor¡­. If he can become someone like you, all the better.] Luther¡¯s talent is that he¡¯s adept in both military and political strategy. But not only that, he¡¯s actually most excellent at swordsmanship. He would sometimes visit the Schwarzer mansion to study together with Julius and learn swordsmanship from Alberto. And with regard to swordsmanship, his father Leo also taught him personally. [Alright, Luther. Today I want you to spar with Ares. I want to see how long you can keep up with him this time.] That said, Leo threw training swords to both Luther and Ares. [It¡¯s no use, Ares. You better take him seriously now. He¡¯s been training like hell nowadays.] [I don¡¯t think you need to brag about your son like that¡­] Ares took the sword and faced Luther. [Brother Ares, let¡¯s do our best!] Luther also brandished his sword. [Well then¡­..begin!] At Leo¡¯s signal, Luther infused his magic into his sword. [Haa!] And with a single shout, he charged at Ares with unstoppable momentum. (Such an amazing sword technique. To think he and Leo, who had taught him, can come up with something like this, there is no word to describe it other than amazing.) If one looked closely at Luther body, they¡¯ll notice scratches, cuts, and bruises. Perhaps it¡¯s the result of practising with his father everyday. Ares received Luther¡¯s attack and parried it. But Luther wasn¡¯t going to stop there. His next attack came in a single unbroken flow. [Not yet!] When Ares received the attack this time, he put more strength so as to push Luther back. Then, before Luther regained his stance, Ares already attacked him once, twice, and thrice. Luther, his stance completely broken, fell on his butt. [Yes, that¡¯s it.] All that only took less than 10 seconds. But Luther ended up out of breath while Ares had remained steady and calm. [Th-thank you very much! !] [Nn, good job.] Seeing this, Leo approached them. [This is surprising. You¡¯ve developed your sword arm even further compared to when you sparred with Julius back at Schwarzer territory.] That said, Ares grabbed Luther¡¯s arm and helped him get up. It was Leo, not Luther, who gave a response. [Why of course. I¡¯ve been training him up every single day.] Now that he mentioned it, Leo also had a training sword in hand. [Well, this time, allow me to spar with you.] And so, those three practiced swordsmanship on that training ground for a while. ===== ¡ô After that, Ares practiced swordsmanship with Leo until sunset. Then he had dinner in the McDohl mansion. It was night time when Ares took his leave. Leo told Ares this during the dinner. [McDohl clan is bound to our duty to protect the royal capital so we can¡¯t participate in this upcoming battle. However, if something happened, I promise that I¡¯ll aid you.] [I think you might already know this, but the capital is currently ablaze in factional conflict. Your presence might irk someone. Something is bound to happen. So be careful.] [Especially¡­Prince Carlos and Archduke Rozenheim, their factions are currently the most committed to take up the throne. You need to be careful around those two. Archduke Saxon is currently in cahoots with that stupid Randolph in building up military power on the background, and he¡¯s been annexing some imperial clans too. That old coot Lombardia who controls the first princess is also acting suspicious, and I don¡¯t really know what Prince Joseph is up to. Duke Hoover is also up for something shady. Those are the people that you need to watch out for.] Hearing those various information, Ares thought. In these past few years, the capital had truly become a hell¡¯s kitchen embroiled in internal strive. That¡¯s why. He had to make himself look more credible than anyone of those people. Not hesitating in front of power, be honorable and showing his high aspirations. Whilst looking back at Leo¡­..Ares thought so. CH 53 Chapter 53 ¨C Duke of Arnold The next day. Ares headed out to yet another old acquaintance of his, the residence of Duke of Arnold. [Reizen-dono often visited esteemed father and played games with me when he¡¯s still alive¡­it¡¯s really been a while since then. I wonder how Kevin is doing?] There is no stranger that doesn¡¯t know about prestige of Duke of Arnold in the capital. They have such a large presence in the capital due to the late former prime minister Reizen. After all, Reizen was widely acknowledged as the biggest contributor to the development of the capital. Kevin was Ares¡¯ childhood friend, as well as an alumnus of the Imperial Academy. Always watching over Ares warmly¡­to Ares, he can be considered a good friend just like Elan back at the Schwarzer Territory¡­..that is Kevin. Kevin was originally a very serious person. Unlike Ares who often ditched classes, Kevin attended and took every class seriously. To the point that he¡¯s always top ranker in each class. He¡¯s been deemed by many as a brilliant mind, especially in terms of politics, even being compared to a genius like [George Walter]. However, after taking the post as the Duke, a mysterious disease struck him. Currently, he¡¯s still resting and under treatment for his illness. It was Reizen¡¯s younger brother John who took over the post as acting duke. [Anyways¡­..the main purpose of my visit is to check his condition. Hopefully he¡¯s fine¡­.] Carrying some gifts with him, Ares proceed to Duke of Arnold residence. ===== ¡ô Immediately after arriving, Ares was allowed to enter Kevin¡¯s room. [Ah, Ares. It¡¯s been a while. Are you well?] Kevin spoke as he got up from the bed. His bright brown hair and his clear blue eyes were still as lustrous as usual. However, his complexion was a bit pale. His current appearance would remind people of a wax doll. [Don¡¯t overdo it, Kevin. I¡¯m here because I want to see how you are faring.] Ares also took a seat in a nearby chair. [I heard about Ares¡¯ arrival in the capital a couple of days ago. You really took your time to finally visit me, didn¡¯t you?] Ares smiled wryly at Kevin¡¯s words. [Sorry. There were lots of things I needed to do.] It was just an excuse though. [Then you are here to¡­gather information?] Having said so, Kevin handed over a booklet to Ares. [This is a summary of the aristocrats¡¯ recent movement. I think some of the information recorded here has been reported by Balzac¡­but that¡¯s not all. I want you to look through it.] Ares gave it a read¡­.it was indeed a record on recent movement of the major aristocrats. [Nothing less from the Duke of Arnold¡¯s intel.] [What can I say, the intel came from the¡ºformer¡»prime minister¡¯s cousin himself.] After laughing that out, Kevin¡¯s face turned serious as he spoke to Ares. [By the way¡­seeing you returned to the capital this soon, does this mean that you¡¯ll soon start your move in earnest? I want to talk about that.] ===== ¡ô Kevin fell ill a few years after Reizen passed away. The young, well-favored, and highly sought after Kevin was appointed as the duke of Arnold tasked with the Capital¡¯s development on the first year of his career. But his illness plagued him. So instead, Reizen¡¯s younger brother John became the acting Duke¡­but he never proceeded with the capital development plan. Unlike his brother Reizen, John was prone to give in to his selfish desire and was not a well-educated person himself. However, he¡¯s still a person belonging to the clan of the duke. Not proceeding with the capital development plan, the title of Duke of Arnold was truly wasted on him. After Reizen¡¯s death and with Kevin taking a rest, the prestige of Duke of Arnold plummeted sharply. But John was too proud to change his attitude as he is currently the acting duke. He never got in contact with Kevin, and instead placed guards outside the residence, making Kevin a prisoner in his own abode. [Uncle would be really happy if I died all of a sudden. After all, what he really wanted is not merely the post as acting duke, but to be assigned as a proper official duke.] Kevin let out a small sigh as he said so. [As for me, I don¡¯t really mind giving up the position if that will free me from this place.] Apparently John had repeatedly requested to take over Kevin¡¯s position due to the latter still suffering from his disease. Kevin had also sent similar request as well. But Emperor Sephiros stubbornly rejected the notion. [The current me couldn¡¯t be bothered with jealousy or such. What is His Majesty thinking¡­.] Kevin let out yet another sigh. [This disease may worsen in the future. Although you have helped me to lessen the symptoms, there is no telling of what will happen in the future.] When all other doctors gave up on Kevin¡¯s illness, it was Ares who came to aid him. Ares pulled out all of his available memories on alchemy, and fashioned a medicine that could stabilize Kevin¡¯s condition. But that¡¯s the limit of the current Ares. [It¡¯ll be alright¡­..I¡¯ll definitely¡­..do something about it. I need your strength. I will definitely cure this disease.] Kevin let out a small laugh in response to that. [How strange¡­..when Ares said it, I couldn¡¯t help but to think that it¡¯s possible. Well then, I guess we just have to work even harder, yes?] After that, Kevin changed the topic. [Now then, Ares. Enough talk about me. Let¡¯s continue with your story. What are you planning to do after this?] And thus, Kevin and Ares talked until the day passed. ===== ¡ô Ares once asked Gilbert in his dream. Is there a cure to Kevin¡¯s illness? Gilbert¡¯s reply was unbelievable. [I¡¯ve never seen these symptoms before. Without me understanding the symptom¡­it¡¯ll be hard to concoct a medicine.] But he added. [However¡­..there is this ancient drug, Elixir, which probably can completely cure him. I myself have only seen this elixir once in my whole life.] Elixir A legendary drug that was said to be capable of even reviving the dead. Perhaps there is one in the imperial palace or the temple¡¯s treasury¡­..but even someone from the Archduke clan does not have the right to take it out. [Even so, I¡¯ll find one¡­¡­there is no way I¡¯ll let my friend be killed that easily. No matter the cost.] Having said that, Ares renewed his determination as he returned home. CH 54 Chapter 54 ¨C Margott¡¯s Chamber of Commerce Having reignited the relation with Kevin back-up yesterday, today Ares went out to see the aristocrats he could trust. Earl of Roxietta was among these people. Earl Lloyd Roxietta is also Sharon¡¯s father as everyone knew already. He serves in the imperial capital as the commander of the Imperial Knights. [Duke Randolph is the one who understands the ins and outs better than I do.] That¡¯s what Lloyd said. Since Ares¡¯ clan aren¡¯t exactly on good terms with Duke Randolph, making the undertaking harder than it already is. [I¡¯m just a small fry, if compared to Duke Randolph.] [I would like to help solidify the knights to be on our side. But well, I don¡¯t have any idea how. It¡¯s like a lump right in front of my eyes.] Having said so Earl Lloyd laughed earnestly. Ares was quite inspired by this. It is said that only a truly courageous and skillful warrior can go on with a smile regardless of how hard his mission is. [By the way Ares-sama. In a few days, my wild daughter will come to the capital. I¡¯ll be relying on you once more.] [¡­¡­I have a lot of things to do though.] [I know that, but she won¡¯t listen to me. Even if I stop her, she would just force her way out and go by herself.] It¡¯s good that Lloyd didn¡¯t give up despite walking on a rough outline. But when Ares imagined the arrival of his childhood friend, he couldn¡¯t help but show a slightly ugly face. ===== ¡ô Ares next visited Baron Belmond who was quite famous among the imperial military forces. The Belmond clan has been holding the Baron title from a long time ago, much like other existing Barons at the moment. Their only special characteristic¡­..is that they are good swordsmen. The current duke is already 60 years old. But his movement is still as sharp, and his trained body which is fairly visible from under his clothing still hasn¡¯t shrivelled due to aging. Widely known as the ¡ºSword Demon¡», his sword technique was considered to be the best in the empire. [Oh, it¡¯s been a long time. Ares-sama. What brings you here this time around?] [Nothing urgent. I just want to see you. After that¡­how¡¯s the information gathering in the capital going?] [Hahahah, happy to hear that. How about some relaxing tea as we slowly talk about what you came for, shall we?] However, Ares was taken to the training ground instead. A lot of people were practising swordsmanship at this hour. [Errmm¡­Duke gramps, why are you bringing me here?] [About that¡­nothing beats a cup of tea after moving your body around.] That said, the duke took out a nearby training sword. [It¡¯s hard to find a satisfying fight around here lately. It¡¯s been a while since my heart pounded fiercely from confronting a strong enemy.] (Ah, here comes his bad habit.) Ares sighed as he took a glance at the duke¡¯s face. Looking sideways, the previously practicing men now stood there looking with gleaming eyes. [Ares-sama, please spar with me next] [Next with me!] (Oh well, I guess it¡¯s only natural for the battle-enthusiast like the Belmonds?) Seeing how these people acted, Ares could only laugh inwardly. After that, Ares showed up at many other aristocrats¡¯ residence. They are mostly lower class aristocrats, but he needs everything that he can get. Moreover, they are all the vassal clans of the Archduke Schwarzer. He might need to borrow their power one day. But before that, he needs to be aware of each other¡¯s intentions, as well as uniting and coordinating their thoughts. Ares thought so inwardly as he talked with several aristocrats. ===== ¡ô Ares final visit was to the Margott House of Commerce. The Margott House of Commerce is a very well-known merchant union in the empire. After the former head director Giovani Margott was replaced by the current director Lorenzo Margott, their scope of activity had further expanded. Their business relation is not only limited to Arcadia empire, but also Thracia, Sarunagora, Wolfgard and even with the eastern countries. The former director Giovanni can be considered a genius in commerce. They created a fashion trend in the capital, selling products tailored to complement the trend. They first introduce their new product to an influential aristocrat, which will most likely spread it to other aristocrats. And once their product became a hot topic among the aristocrats, their item will naturally sell really well. They sold a variety of different fashion items, ranging from dresses to luxury and artistic items. They also keep an eye and took note of what the commoners want or need. Then sell their product that meets the people¡¯s requirement in large quantity. Not only that, they also sought to create their own new product and spread their invention to the world. A lot of inventors and engineers work for them. Thanks to them, the House of Commerce could release many innovative tools to the world. Giovanni retired a few years ago, and handed over the family business to his eldest son Lorenzo. Although there are rumours stating that he still has some amount of control over the business. Then does Lorenzo have equally good business talent? Not really. At the moment, he¡¯s working abroad, directing the expansion of the sales channel. He also spread his personal connection as he travels around the continent. It is believed that his effort was the reason behind the greatly increased sales of Margott House of Commerce. Last year he was [The First on the List] to receive the Imperial award and the House of Commerce influence had become like a bird flying in the sky. Moreover, their total assets are immeasurable. The power of money can sometimes defeat the mightiest sword. Be it high ranked aristocrats or even the royal clan, Margott¡¯s House of Commerce has some influence over them all. ===== ¡ô Ares planned to spend some time on Margott¡¯s House of Commerce until it¡¯s time for him to go later that night. His purpose this time was to meet Giovanni. And he also brought some souvenirs as well. While waiting at the reception room¡­ [Ares! What brought you here this time?] The door behind him suddenly opened. [Hi Nina. It¡¯s been a while.] [You finally showed up here. I¡¯ve heard that you came to the capital. Why did you only show up now?] [Lots of inconveniences here and there. Lots of work to do.] [Thought so. You must¡¯ve gone somewhere else first.] Despite her sounding depressed, Nina¡¯s eyes were brimming with happiness. Ares also enjoyed this conversation. Nina is Lorenzo¡¯s only daughter, as well as Ares former classmate during his time at the academy. Strange thing was, despite coming from different family backgrounds, the two got along really well. With long wavy flaxen hair and large maroon eyes, everyone would agree to say that she¡¯s beautiful. Her outstanding style is not only attractive in the eyes of not only boys but also girls. But her best features are¡­the beast ears peeking out from her flaxen hair, and her fluffy tail. Yes, she¡¯s part beastkin. A half-beastkin to be exact. Lorenzo¡¯s wife was a beastkin. Apparently they met during one of his travel, when he saved her from slavery. And Nina was born from their union. Not wanting their daughter be discriminated, Lorenzo immediately decided to leave her under his father¡¯s care so that she¡¯ll be protected. Giovanni also loves her and provided various education for Nina. And par for the course, he also taught her business. Nina also inherited the Margott family¡¯s aptitude in commerce. She showed her business acumen to her father and grandfather by graduating from the academy as the top ranker of Commerce department, then getting involved in various jobs. [Still, you are in luck. Today not only Grandpa, but Papa is also here as well.] [Lorenzo-dono is here too? That¡¯s lucky indeed.] [Just don¡¯t say anything weird while Grandpa is around since he¡¯s a bit touchy lately. Oh well, I think you¡¯re gonna be fine since you are practically his favorite.] During such a conversation, an elderly man and a middle aged man entered the reception room. [Welcome, Schwarzer Young Lord.] They are the former director of Margott¡¯s House of Commerce Giovanni Margott and the current director Lorenzo Margott. ===== ¡ô [Long time no see. Giovanni-dono, Lorenzo-dono.] Ares got up from his chair and lowered his head a little [No no, no need to be so formal. All the same, pardon us for not properly welcoming you.] Lorenzo replied. When the formality ended¡­Lorenzo suddenly spoke up. [Nina. Can you please leave us for now?] [E©`©`©`£¡But why? I have a right to be here as well.] [No can do.] [But I¡­.!] Nina noticed the change in Giovanni¡¯s face. (Uh, that¡¯s the matchmaker¡¯s face. It¡¯s always embarrassing when Grandpa has that kind of face¡­) [Alright. I¡¯ll be waiting outside.] [Forgive us.] [We¡¯ll tell you about it when it¡¯s over. Sorry.] Ares seemed a little worried himself. (No, you shouldn¡¯t be worried about me¡­¡­Please be safe¡­Ares.) While Nina was thinking that, a smile bloomed on Ares¡¯ face as he watched her leaving the room. Once Nina left, Giovanni who had remained silent all this time spoke up. [Well then Ares-dono. Can you tell us what brings you here to our abode this time?] Giovanni said that in a freezing tone, as he gazed sharply toward Ares. CH 55 Chapter 55 ¨C Margott House of Commerce part 2 [This time around, I came to do business.] Ignoring Giovanni¡¯s sharp gaze, Ares took out a small wooden box from within the small bag he carried along. [This is still a prototype. The one we will sell to the people would be a miniaturized version of this.] Ares opened the small box as he said so. Cold air immediately wafted out of the box. [This is the cooling box. It¡¯s been put to good use in Schwarzer territory. It¡¯s originally made for commoners¡­¡­or otherwise restaurants, to store food and drinks. I want to spread this item in the capital¡­..and eventually sell it in a large scale.] Giovanni and Lorenzo looked at each other. [Can we take a closer look?] [Sure.] Lorenzo slowly picked up the box. [This¡­..how does it work?] [It uses an ice element magic stone. Right now it¡¯s still in trial production. I will work together with Rozenburg clan to research on how to improve it. It¡¯ll be completed in a few years time¡­give or take.] [Is it difficult to mass produce at the current stage?] [It¡¯s difficult indeed. The price will only rise because of that. I for one, want to find a way to improve it so that even commoners can obtain it¡­] Ares explained with a fresh smile. Lorenzo held the box with both hands, looking at it from various angles. Giovanni quietly took the blueprint and studied its content. [I¡¯m thinking about selling this through your company, how is your opinion about that?] ===== ¡ô Lorenzo and GIovanni took turns to examine the box and exchanged some words in between. Ares did not break his smile as he watched the scene unfold before him. Then Giovanni who had remained silent up until now said. [Amazing. This is really a great deal.] Lorenzo also chimed in [The food industry will surely change once this enter the market. Frightening invention.] Then he added, [We would like to help fund the research to improve this product. Any amount will be of no problem.] [However¡­] At that time, Giovanni suddenly cut in. [We can leave the matter of research to other people, and I can understand that. But, the distribution will be our job. So I¡¯d like to negotiate the share of profit in advance.] [Ee, of course. It¡¯ll make no sense if your side doesn¡¯t get anything from selling it.] Lorenzo nodded in agreement. [Since the development will be a joint work, how about fifty-fifty share of profit?] [Impossible. Using our sales channel, with such a low profit, it¡¯ll be difficult to keep the item price low.] Giovanni stared sharply at Ares [Then, can you work together with another company to spread this?] [No, we can¡¯t do that. It¡¯ll only turn that other company into our enemy, and without profit, any company will surely decline.] [¡­¡­.in that case, should we refrain from selling it for now?] [Without the help of Schwarzer territory, can we develop it on our own?] [I think it¡¯ll be impossible. You won¡¯t understand the underlying method to produce it. Even if you do, the development and the improvement itself will most likely take more than 10 years.] The negotiation continues on. When both sides finally went silent, Giovanni said decisively. [What if we forcefully seize the box and the blueprint? Do you have the power to defend it from us?] Hearing that, Ares¡¯ eyes turned sharp as he also changed his attitude. [It won¡¯t matter to me even if you try. But know that you¡¯re as good as dead already if that really come to pass. Do you honestly think that a mere assassin can kill me?] At that moment, the room was filled with thick killing intent. Lorenzo turned pale, and GIovanni was sweating profusely despite that there was no change in his expression. [It¡¯s a misunderstanding. Stay calm.] It was such a dense killing intent that they never felt before. As if the air inside the room had vanished all of a sudden. [It was just a joke. Young lord. If it¡¯s okay, would you please reduce the pressure?] Lorenzo, somehow managed to find his voice back, quickly said that. Ares recalled his killing intent soon afterward. [¡­¡­fuu. Pardon me.] When he said that, smile returned to his face. At that very moment, the stagnant air also returned to normal. [Then¡­let¡¯s continue.] Ares turned to Giovanni. [The share will be 7 to 3. Of course, the 3 will be my share. But there are some conditions.] [What are those?] [There are three. One, you must not break off the joint venture in the future. Two, the development funding should be as flexible as possible¡­..and three, tell me all the¡ºinformation¡»you have concerning the capital. That¡¯s all.] ===== ¡ô After Nina took Ares outside, both Giovanni and Lorenzo finally relaxed their posture and breathe out in relief. [He hasn¡¯t changed one bit¡­that boy.] Giovanni had met many deadly adversaries during his career to raise his company. But this boy¡¯s killing intent was actually enough to scare him. [Father¡­..that was nerve-wracking. Like stepping on a tiger¡¯s tail¡­.] Lorenzo sighed. [No matter how much money we have, once that boy becomes serious, it¡¯ll be no hard task for him to crush us.] He said that with a bitter smile. [Then why¡­..?] [He was never after the share profit in the first place. What he really wants from Margott House of Commerce¡­is the information regarding the capital and for us to be his ally.] Giovanni then added. [Becoming an ally and even sharing profit, it¡¯s all good¡­..I give him that. But if that boy has no way to threaten others, his belief won¡¯t go far in this wide world.] That said, Giovanni laughed happily. [Lorenzo. Let¡¯s start planning things out.] [Nina¡­she should be able to overhear our talk from the side room, isn¡¯t she? She¡¯s a half-beastkin, yet a member of high ranked aristocrat like him is willing to befriend her? Perhaps his clan is the few places where she can be safe¡­] Giovanni told Lorenzo with a slight bitter look. [That boy is one of a kind. Bonding with him will only bring fortune to Margott. Apparently Nina also realized this. If a child is born between him and Nina, then the future of Margott House of Commerce will be settled in stone.] Giovanni laughed as he said so. [We, the Margotts, will join Archduke Schwarzer¡­no, that boy Ares Schwarzer. This is the right path we have to take. We must not give up on him. Bet all of our property in him if we must.] [Haa¡­.] Lorenzo had a wry face after seeing Giovanni showed an amused smile that he rarely saw before. CH 56 Chapter 56 ¨C The Child of Light After concluding his visits to his acquainted aristocrats and merchant, Ares brought Sigurd along to a big church situated between the South and West Districts. The one in charge of this particular church was Cecil, the youngest person to become a Bishop so far. As the bishop presides over the priests assigned to each church, excellent ability and track record are required to become one. The bishop is responsible for leading the priests in their assigned church and to help the surrounding people. Basically it¡¯s a position with a strong jurisdiction in the church and thus can be considered as a high position within the church body. On the other hand, Cecil is also an active member of the Holy Paladins and is quite popular among the citizens. Pretty golden hair, white fair skin, a well-sculpted nose and above all, his gentle eyes would make many women swoon. Holy Paladins refer to knights who subjugate monsters where not many people can see, and works under the radar in the slums or even the shadier sides of the city. Based on the Sacred Ground Sierra Hazard, just like the other holy knights, they would also be dispatched for armed intervention in other countries. Cecil was in particular a holy knight with some commendable achievements. He¡¯s both an excellent swordsman and a master of the Holy Arts. Often dispatched to dangerous places, but always returning with a success in hand. That made him one of the church¡¯s most trusted men. Although his merits would¡¯ve allowed him to be a high rank holy knight, he instead chose to become a bishop to be able to help the citizens of the capital The reason why he¡¯s so popular among the citizens¡­..was because of the fact that he didn¡¯t discriminate between the rich and poor alike. Nowadays, most churches won¡¯t be willing to treat the injured or sick without a certain amount of offerings. Cecil was different in that he¡¯ll help regardless of anything as long as he had time to spare. Moreover, even though the church teachings clearly despise the demi-humans, Cecil accepted and treated them without any hesitation. Apparently several complaints were thrown from the central church, but Cecil didn¡¯t give a damn. He continued his usual conduct of helping others. As for the central church¡­..they turned a blind eye due to his ability and popularity¡­..as well as because of¡ºlarge amount of financial aid¡». That¡¯s right. Cecil uses his personal wealth and send it to the central church for bribes. Because he originally belonged to a viscount clan, money wasn¡¯t much of a problem for him. But of course, his money alone won¡¯t be enough. [That¡¯s why the Schwarzer clan and Balzac¡¯s men are also raising some funds.] Ares explained to Sigurd on their way to the church. [Such a large sum of money should be spent in a more meaningful way.] [But such a shame. All that has to go to the pocket of those rotten people¡­..] [Well, it can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯re just lending it to them for now. We¡¯ll take it back in due time.] Ares pointed to the front after saying those ominous thing. [Oh, we¡¯ve arrived already. That¡¯s the church where Cecil is working, probably the largest in the South district. Yup, a lot of people has gathered as per usual.] ===== ¡ô The temple where Cecil is working was crowded with people. Mostly poor people and demihumans. The sick, the injured and the hungry¡­all gathered here to receive help. [That¡¯s a large number of people.] Sigurd commented [That¡¯s because there are people from other districts as well. There is no other place that offers free healing after all¡­.] That said, Ares made his way through the crowd toward the church. There were several priests, including Cecil, helping the many poor people and demihumans who had gathered for help. These priests were those who are in tune with Cecil¡¯s intention, thus are willing to help. As Ares approached, Cecil raised his head and remarked in a surprised tone. [Ah, Ares-sama. It¡¯s been a long time.] [Hi Cecil. I want to have a little talk with you, can you spare some time later? Oh, don¡¯t mind me. Just concentrate on what you¡¯re doing. Everyone is waiting for you. I¡¯ll be hanging around here until then] [Pardon me. Then please make yourself comfortable. I will be taking a break in about an hour, please wait until then.] They both laughed at each other before Ares turned around. [Come on Sigurd, let¡¯s wait outside. We¡¯ll be bothering other people if we stick around here] That said, they met back about an hour later. ===== ¡ô [Pardon me for the wait, Ares-sama.] With that, Cecil offered Ares and Sigurd some chairs to sit on. Ares and Sigurd were currently at the back of the church in Cecil¡¯s office. [Is it really okay to talk now?] [It¡¯s my breaktime. So it¡¯ll be alright for a while. Oh, have you had lunch yet? I¡¯ll fix something up if you haven¡¯t] Cecil said so with a small smile. [Ah, of course, don¡¯t expect to get anything special here.] [No, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m famished. Anything will do.] With Ares¡¯ approval, Cecil gave some instructions through the speaking tube installed in the room. [My guest also wants to eat. Can you add two more servings?] Afterward, Cecil turned back to Ares. [It¡¯ll take some time. Well, now that we have time to spare, let¡¯s get to the main topic. What is Ares-sama¡¯s business to come here today¡­..?] Ares immediately replied. [The church¡¯s recent movements.] And then, he added one more thing. [After that, I also want to meet Sirius.] ===== ¡ô In the middle of Ares and Cecil¡¯s conversation, the door unexpectedly opened up. When the three turned around to see who it was, a boy with long pretty blond hair with a tray in his hands entered. [Cecil-nisama. I brought the lunch.] [Oh Sirius. Thank you for bringing us the meals.] Sirius smiled back at Cecil, but when he saw the other person in the room, he involuntarily blurted out. [Ah! Ares-nisama! It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it!?] [Yaa, Sirius. It¡¯s been a while.] The boy cheerily bounced toward Ares who, in turn, gently stroked his head. [I¡¯ve heard from Julius. Thanks for getting along with him.] [Don¡¯t mention it. Julius and Luther have been really good friends to me.] Sirius giggled merrily. The boy definitely looked like an ordinary boy of his age. But when Sigurd saw him¡­.he froze when the boy looked back at him. Sirius was one year younger than Ares¡¯ little brother Julius. He¡¯s still a young boy. His straight long blond hair looks impressive as it is beautiful. Coupled with his statuesque white skin and delicate look, he could easily be mistaken for a girl. However¡­. (What in the world is going on with this child??) As a veteran of battles, Sigurd naturally could sense a person¡¯s disposition fairly well. But this boy had something different. It¡¯s not about battle prowess or magic power¡­.it¡¯s something that somewhat felt inhuman. Simply speaking: [Divine.] Might be the best way to describe him. (It¡¯s like I¡¯m seeing one of the gods depicted in the Great Church¡­..!!) From Sigurd¡¯s perspective, it¡¯s as if a pair of wings had grown on Sirius¡¯ back. After Sirius left¡­¡­..Ares turned to Sigurd. [Sigurd can feel it too, right?] [¡­..I couldn¡¯t even move. That boy has an air that won¡¯t allow anyone else to interfere with him¡­. What in the world is he?] Hearing Sigurd¡¯s impression, Cecil replied. [We call him the¡ºChild of Light¡». It¡¯s possible that he is¡­¡­a god reincarnated in this world.] Sigurd was dumbfounded by that answer. [¡­..it¡¯s hard to belive¡­¡­ something like that actually exist?] [Seeing how I have the memories of three predecessors¡­. I don¡¯t see how it¡¯s impossible.] Ares laughed while saying so. [His power can no longer be considered Holy Art. The other day, he managed to¡ºRestore¡»something¡ºCompletely Broken¡»into its¡ºPrevious Unbroken State¡». That¡¯s something only gods in the teaching could do.] [His power is definitely belonged to no other kinds of art. Therefore¡­] Cecil was the one who completed Ares¡¯ words. [It must not be abused at all cost.] [Luckily we were the first one to find him when he¡¯s still staying in the orphanage. Otherwise he might end up being used as a false idol. We hid him here so that he can learn about many things and to wait for the perfect opportunity for him to make an appearance.] In response to Ares¡¯ explanation, Sigurd asked. [Perfect¡­..opportunity?] [Sigurd. I also wish to reform the church. Not like the rotten church today, but into something that sees everyone as equal in receiving the teaching of the gods. To do that¡­..I¡¯ll need his power.] Ares smiled sheepishly and stuck out his tongue a little. [I know I¡¯m just trying to use him just like how the church would be if they found him first. But, I believe that he appeared on this age because the gods also want the present situation to change.] He then added. [By putting him as topmost figure of the church, I intend to completely reform the church. That¡¯s why¡­¡­I cannot afford to let his existence be known for now.] ===== ¡ô Ares then talked with Cecil regarding the church¡¯s current situation. [Bluntly speaking, it¡¯s even more rotten than I expected. The aristocrats are the same.] [There are many in the church body who are in cahoots with the aristocrats. Even the pope himself seems to have a close relationship with the Royal clan.] [In that case we¡¯ll have to be more careful. Thank you.] After Ares said so, Cecil then said [Ares-sama, and Sirius as well¡­¡­the appearance of you two is a huge sign for this continent. A very big change will soon happen to the world¡­. I wish¡­ I wish to see how you change this world.] Hearing that, Ares let out a gentle smile. CH 57 Chapter 57 ¨C Drunk Why am I here again? Tch. Ares tried to recollect himself to find out what brought about this situation. Two girls stood beside Ares. One was his childhood friend Sharon. The other one was his personal maid Theta. [Let me ask you this¡­why are you insisting on staying on Ares¡¯ side all the time?] [I am Ares-sama¡¯s maid. It¡¯s only natural for me to stay by his side. Sharon-sama, as well, why do you come to this mansion?] [I¡¯m Ares¡¯ childhood friend. Isn¡¯t it natural for me to see him?] The girls scattered sparks all around Ares. Yesterday Sharon arrived at the Royal Capital. Coincidentally, Theta also arrived at the Schwarzer mansion on the same day. Ares just finished meeting the aristocrats who wished to be his allies, but even more would keep coming one after another like river water out of floodgate. And yet¡­ [I didn¡¯t know Theta would come here¡­..Sharon came a bit later than expected though¡­] That triggered it. [Ares has no need to stuck out your nose into this!] [Eh!? Me!?] Suddenly, he got involved into the argument. [Why is Theta here in the first place!] [No, I don¡¯t even know¡­.] [It¡¯s only natural for me to come here!] Theta then loudly said in order to close down the argument.. [Wherever Ares-sama go, I will be there as well. This is fate!] No, please don¡¯t make such a big misconception¡­ Ares began to have cold sweat. [That¡¯s why I¡¯m willing to do anything for Ares-sama!] Having said that, Theta blushed furiously. [E-even this body¡­.I¡¯m willing to give everything!] At that moment, it¡¯s as if the air around them froze. And so did Ares¡¯ mind. [What in the world are you sayyyyyyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!] It was Sharon¡¯s shout that melted the frozen atmosphere. [What do you know of Ares! I¡¯ve spent a longer time with Ares compared to you! I have no need for a nobody to stay by Ares¡¯ side!] Ah, the story is getting confusing¡­ What a day¡­it¡¯s such a mess. Discussion with the other aristocrats is quite important. There may be some of them who are willing to be an ally. Yet everything had to be delayed for later, because of these two¡¯s arrival¡­. Sweating profusely, Ares took a filled glass nearby and proceed to down it in a single gulp due to his thirst. [!? Gohogoho!] [Ares?] [Ares-sama?] When the two girls looked back, Ares was in the verge of falling. [Wait a minute, what did you drink just now?] [That¡­I think it should be water.] [Hold on. This bottle is marked as water, but isn¡¯t this wine?] [Ee? It¡¯s true¡­ That means Ares-sama just gulped down liquor¡­.] [Has Ares drunk something like this before? I¡¯ve never seen him drink¡­.] [Shall we ask Sigurd-sama for help? I¡¯ll fetch some cold water immediately.] When Theta was about to stand up, someone grabbed her arm. It was Ares, who was still lying on the floor at the moment. [Ares¡­sama??] Ares stared intently at Theta and then¡­ [Nn!?] Suddenly Ares rose up and kissed her on the lips. [Nn! Nn!] Ares did not let Theta to free herself. Sharon was stunned by this sudden turn of events. At first, Theta tried to break free but Ares held her tight and refused to let go. Their exchange gradually became more violent. Their tongue started to tangle together, combined with the action of their overlapping lips, the room was soon filled with a somewhat lewd sound. In the meantime, Theta also stopped struggling and quietly accepted it. When Ares finally released the kiss, Sharon shouted while shaking and blushing furiously at the same time. [Y-you¡­..what are you doing!?] [This woman said that she¡¯ll give me everything. I just did as she said.] Watching Theta sobered up, Ares said while grinning. [You¡­.are you drunk?] [Drunk? No. I¡¯m just being honest with myself.] Ares then stood before Sharon and placed his hands on her shoulders. Badum! Sharon¡¯s heartbeat rate rose. [Wait¡­] [Sharon. I know you watched me kissing Theta. You complained about it, yet you didn¡¯t look away at all.] [Nha! T-that¡¯s¡­.] Ares continued while staring straight into her eyes. [I know. I never intended to only do it with Theta anyways. Sharon¡­you, are also an important person in my life¡­] Sharon looked away and replied. [Saying that all of a sudden is¡­] [That¡¯s why¡­.take this as an apology for me to leave you hanging] Then he proceeded to enclosed Sharon¡¯s lips with his. [Nn!] Unlike the kiss with Theta, this one was a short but repeated kiss. And then¡­ [Nnnn!?] Ares slipped his tongue into her mouth. Kuchu kuchu kuchu¡­ Sound of mingling tongues could be heard. The more their saliva mixed together, the redder Sharon¡¯s face became. By the time Ares finally let go of his kiss, Sharon was staring at him like a hungry wolf. [Ares-sama!? Pardon me. But please continue doing that with me.] Theta hugged from Ares¡¯ right. [Ares ¡­I¡­also want more¡­] Sharon also appealed the same as she encircled her arms around Ares from the left. Ares responded while enjoying the feeling of two bodies pressing unto him. [Yeah, of course. Today I will satisfy all of you. The three of us shall enjoy our time together.] Then he added: [However, only up to kisses today. We aren¡¯t married yet after all. But¡­] Ares laughed afterward. [From now on ¡­I will do my best in both body and heart] ===== ¡ô When Ares woke up, it was on the bed. Next to him, Sharon and Theta were sleeping with a contented look on their faces. Ares sighed while holding his head¡­ [¡­.it¡¯s getting back to me bit by bit¡­..ah¡­..I, what the hell did I just do¡­] Saying so, Ares tried to recall what had happened. [Wasn¡¯t that very similar to what Gil would do¡­?] Right then, a voice called out from next to him as if in response to his muttering. [Ares¡­.] [Ares-samaa¡­.] Those voices shook Ares. Looking at the source, he was met with the gaze of the two girls. [I won¡¯t fuss over about it anymore¡­we¡¯ll get along well..] [Please let us stay on your side from now on] What in the world has happened? The wine that Ares drunk earlier today ¡­it was really sweet, yet at the same time very bitter. ===== ¡ô Alchemist Gilbert Goraye used to be a very famous individual in many countries. It¡¯s said that no woman could escape his solicitation and seduction techniques. It¡¯s also said that he spent his night feasting and satisfying the women in his palace, keeping them close to him. But I digress. CH 58 Chapter 58 ¨C Speculations. [Apparently the Schwarzer¡¯s little lord had arrived in the capital last week] [Yes. He brought 5000 soldiers along with him.] Capital¡¯s northern district. The First Prince Carlos¡¯ mansion is situated at the top of the hill from where one can overlook the whole city. In one of the many rooms, a topless man with well-toned body stood there, talking with a formally clothed brown haired man The half dressed man is the owner of the mansion, Prince Carlos, while the man in formal clothes is the Duke of Hoover, Douglas who had followed Carlos since his childhood. The First Frince Carlos is in his late twenties. He¡¯s a formidable general who was known to leave any place he visited in shambles of slaughter and plunder. Therefore, people of other countries gave him the nickname of the¡ºMad Prince¡»out of fear. Duke of Hoover Douglas is also in his mid-twenties. He had been under Carlos since he¡¯s young, a self-proclaimed servant so to speak. Originally, he shouldn¡¯t be able to inherit the dukedom since he¡¯s the second child, but his eldest brother died from an unknown cause, leaving him taking the mantle from a very young age. Currently, he¡¯s both Carlos¡¯ advisor and companion. The two were talking in Carlos¡¯ room. Women in various states of nudity laid sprawled around them. None of the women were lively and their eyes showed hollow emptiness. [They¡¯ve been broken as well. Time for a replacement. It¡¯s time to plunder another territory again.] Carlos said that while looking down at the women. These women were originated from countries that Arcadia¡­no, Carlos had plundered. With their homeland conquered, they were brought to the capital to become sex slaves. [Anyways, Douglas. When do you think he will make a move?] [The day His Majesty gathered up all the lords for assignment, it¡¯ll be the day after tomorrow. That little lord will only have until then to make his move.] [He arrived in the capital only last week. And he hasn¡¯t made any notable moves since then. Are you telling me¡­.he has no intention to be involved with the palace?] [Even so, he apparently visited powerful clans like the McDohl, Arnold and the Rozenburg. Not to forget, Margott house of commerce as well.] [Fuhn! What can that old coot McDohl do? Wave his tail? The Duke of Arnold is a useless boy stranded on sickbed. The Rozenburg is poor. The merchants have no say in the imperial council.] [At present, the acting duke of Arnold is on our side. Please rest assured. The other aristocrats will continue to work for us as well.] Douglas said that while smiling. Then he asked. [Why is Your Highness concerned with that Schwarzer little lord? Indeed they are an Archduke clan, but they¡¯ve been avoiding getting mired in the palace political disputes. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to fear them¡­] [I¡¯m not afraid of him.] Having said that, Carlos turned around. [I just don¡¯t like him. All the goody-goody attitude to keep his face] He¡¯s also being sought after by many, including his father. Moreover¡­. Remembering that, Carlos tightened his fist. Back then, he had a sparring match with this little lord. Until then, no one in the empire had managed to best him in a fight¡­yet this Ares Schwarzer did. The match ended in a draw, but it was obvious to him that Ares outmatched him. Many couldn¡¯t see that back then, but of course there were those who knew. And among those few, was his father, Emperor Sephiros. [He could have easily won.] He was compelled to think that way as well. But above all¡­..Carlos hated Ares¡¯ seemingly foolish but kind facade the most. Then there was that matter with the revolt of the poor folks. Originally Carlos planned to punish them all with execution. But somehow Ares, with clever tactics, managed to take over the matter from him. He¡¯s not going to forget how Ares embarrassed him in front of his own Father and the other lords. [That person, I¡¯ll surely return the favor¡­.] That said, Carlos gritted his teeth ===== [It seems the little lord of Schwarzer has arrived in the imperial capital] On the estate of one of the four Archdukes, the Rozenheim little lord, Scion was listening to his father Otto. Scion was 2 to 3 years older than Ares, and studied in the same academy. From his long and narrow eyes, as well as his slicked up black hair, one can tell that there is something off about him. [It appears to be so.] Saying that, Otto tilted his glass of wine. [The Schwarzer is setting their feet back in the capital. The other aristocrats are making a fuss about it.] Otto once again tilted his glass of wine, signaling his son to continue. [If it¡¯s Archduke Schwarzer himself who showed up, then I won¡¯t be worrying too much. But it¡¯s Ares Schwarzer instead¡­that person isn¡¯t someone I can ignore. He¡¯s like a huge pyrelight that scatters fire powder. People tend to gather around the light. But one will get swallowed within the fire if they¡¯re caught off guard. He even managed to catch His Majesty [Thunder Emperor]¡¯s attention. If anyone got in his way, they will inevitably exposed to his fire powder.] Scion laughed afterward. [But there is no need to worry. We¡¯ve been dominating the council for decades. There is no reason to chicken out early. It¡¯ll be better to remain on standby for a while. Moreover, factions like the ones allied with First Prince or the Second Prince, perhaps even the Archduke Saxon will most likely attack him first. Why don¡¯t we just stay in the sidelines and watch the show?] Otto thought inwardly as he happily listened to his son¡¯s musing. My son is the vessel of the Great King. Having achieved some great results in domestic policy, His Majesty Sephiros will surely remember Scion. In addition to that, thanks to Scion¡¯s work on the council in recent years, the Rozenheim currently held similar level of influence to that of the First Prince. Furthermore, Scion had been promised the hand of the third princess for marriage already. [Things have become more interesting ¡­my Rozenheim clan might end up standing at the top of Arcadia¡¯s hierarchy.] Otto laughed at that very thought. ===== ¡ô [I see. So the Schwarzer¡¯s little lord has arrived.] The second princess Silvia smiled ferociously while saying so. Silvia Arcadia was a famous figure in the capital. Not only for her beauty, but also because the [Rose Knight Brigade] she commanded was well known in the Empire for their undefeated status. She¡¯s also one of the more prominent generals of the Empire, aptly nicknamed¡ºLightning General¡»by others. Enhanced by her fiery red hair, her figure riding around the battlefield was like that of a war goddess, bringing absolute trust and morale for her soldiers. [Yes. Apparently he arrived only last week.] [Last week? What is going on? Shouldn¡¯t we already received the report a long time ago?] [Yes. Apparently¡­..he went out on his own as soon as he arrived ¡­also, it is said that he visited his old acquaintances. And the other aristocrats made a move to visit him only a few days ago¡­.. No more information other than that. My apologies.] Silvia¡¯s assistant officer, Astoria bowed down. [Fine. Then, what about the other aristocrats?] [Some did indeed came to visit the Schwarzer mansion. But¡­] [But what?] [It¡¯s just for formal greetings. No gift has been given and it is said that the meeting only lasted for a short time.] [Ha! They don¡¯t consider him as a good partner to work with?] Silvia laughed while crossing her arms. The First Prince Carlos and the Second Prince Joseph were hard at work to expand their factions. Perhaps to pave their way to the succession of the throne. The first princess Elizabeth planned to take the lead with her husband Archduke Lombardia, while third princess Annerose was already engaged to Archduke Rozenheim¡¯s heir. Duke of Hellion was also working behind the stage. Silvia herself was one of the three most outstanding military forces in the Empire, thanks to her Rose Knight Brigade, and is currently not affiliated to any faction¡­for there was something that concerned her. [I need someone to help me protect my dear Cornelia and Zerias.] First prince Carlos, second prince Joseph, first princess Elizabeth, and third princess Annerose¡­as well as all the aristocrats backing them, they all have their own ambitions. After the eastern campaign is over, a battle over the throne succession will break out. And esteemed father Sephiros never bothered with his children¡¯s conflict. To him, his children are merely tools to further his cause¡­. Silvia once fought side by side with this Ares Schwarzer before. It was during a large scale bandit subjugation on the north. That fellow appeared as her reinforcement. She clearly remembered that he got such an excellent swordsmanship and commanding ability despite his young age. [I¡¯ve never really talked that much with him¡­just what kind of man he is now] Hopefully, his heart lies in the right place.. Thinking so, Silvia could only sigh. ===== ¡ô Few days later, the lords received the order to gather up in the palace. [Well, shall we go then?] Ares laughed, he was already standing in the entrance of the mansion. [It seems that Esteemed Father has gone ahead. Ares should also resolve himself¡­] [It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to fight a war right away¡­] Ares laughed at Sharon¡¯s concern for him. [It¡¯ll be alright. It¡¯s going to be about the eastern campaign. Not about me.] Then he added. [But the capital will be in turmoil after this. We have no choice but to prepare for anything. As for me, the wind will bring me to rise above them all.] Having said that, Ares climbed into the carriage that will bring him to the palace. CH 59 Chapter 59 ¨C War The main hall of the Royal Palace. The lords of the Arcadia Empire had gathered here. What was left is to wait for the Emperor to arrive. Some of the aristocrats were engaged in gossiping and chatting, while some went through with what they need to do. [Lloyd-dono! Lloyd-dono!] [Yaa, if it isn¡¯t Earl Morale. How are you doing?] The one who called Earl Lloyd Roxietta just now was Earl Morale who owned a territory in the northern region just like Llyod. [Oh dear, where is the little lord of the Schwarzer! I thought he¡¯ll be going in along with you!?] [Well ¡­I think he¡¯s still busy with my daughter¡­haven¡¯t seen him since this morning, I think?] [Good gracious, as usual you are too lenient of a father! That boy is the center of attention at the moment!] Morale wiped the sweat off his forehead. Yes. Ares Schwarzer had become the main topic of conversation among the aristocrats. First, he belonged to one of the most powerful clans in the Empire. Not only that, the Emperor even recognized him as someone with excellent martial prowess despite his young age. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the territory where he lives in is the most prosperous in the Empire. While having so much wealth and power, he avoids the power struggle in the palace, choosing to stay in his clan¡¯s territory. There is nothing more frightening than something unknown. And for the aristocrats, it¡¯s unnerving that someone with enough capability does not actively seek power. As Lloyd laughed listening to all that, the conversation ceased and silence filled the room. Lloyd turned around, and smiled upon seeing that the person had arrived. [Earl Morale, behold the rumoured one.] ===== ¡ô When Ares entered the hall, the lords present stopped their conversation and turned to him all at once. Despite being the center of attention from so many people, Ares stood calm and proudly with a confident smile. Making him stand out more was his pure white battle attire¡­. Even if it¡¯s a battle attire, it¡¯s rare to see anyone wearing that color. Standing on the white tiles, his white silver attire and his similarly white cloak flowing in the wind invoked the image of a high king. Lloyd also paid more attention to this choice of clothes. That was¡­one of the 4 ¡ºGreat King Regalia¡», the [White Emperor]. Ares¡¯ battle attire was called the¡ºWhite Emperor¡». It¡¯s imbued with the spirits¡¯ protection, and has a will of its own. Also¡­¡ºWhite Emperor¡»is one of the¡ºGreat King Regalia¡». Meaning only those worthy to become a king can wear it.. However¡­.in this world, not many know of the existence of this¡ºWhite Emperor¡»¡­..only people close to Ares are aware of it. As far as ¡ºGreat King Regalia¡»go, it¡¯s widely known that the Arcadia Empire is in the possession of the¡ºCrimson Sky¡» which is the current Emperor¡¯s crown. Wearing this crown means that one will be at the topmost position in this country. When Lloyd saw Ares wearing the¡ºWhite Emperor¡»¡­..he could only narrow his eyes at the majestic figure. [Ho, such a young man but already causing many eyes to turn towards him.] [Muu, I can¡¯t draw my eyes away¡­ is he truly a big game just like the rumour said? Or is he just an ignorant fool?] [I have no idea that I¡¯ve become the source of such rumour.] Ares quietly walked toward Lloyd while ignoring the gaze of other lords. [I¡¯m sorry for being late. Earl of Roxietta] [Don¡¯t mention it, Ares-sama. I¡¯m indebted to you for taking care of Sharon the other day.] Taking care of Sharon¡­..hearing that caused Ares to remember what happened that day, making him blush a little. [Eh, yeah. I¡¯m grateful for her companionship.] Seeing how Ares reacted a little overtly to such a casual remark, Lloyd let out a small laugh. However, the surrounding crowds read the friendly exchange between these two falsely and promptly cut in. [Schwarzer Little Lord, can we have a small talk?] [Schwarzer Little Lord, this is the first time we meet. I, am Viscount Crom from southern Arcadia. How about some talk¡­.] [I spoke with him first! Get lost!] Each and everyone of them wanted to make some connection with Ares. This is the next in line of THE Archduke, and one with a prosperous and wealthy territory at that. If I could match him with my daughter¡­even if only to become his mistress, I can still expect something good in return. Also, since Ares is still a young man, won¡¯t it be easier to manipulate him? That¡¯s what crossed most of these people¡¯s mind. Seeing this situation, Ares sighed. [Everybody. His Majesty will be arriving soon. I¡¯ll hear what you want to say later¡­ Isn¡¯t it wiser to keep quiet for now?] He said to free himself up. Right then, the chamberlain entered the hall hastily before making a loud announcement. [His Majesty Sephiros has arrived!] As soon as they heard that announcement, the aristocrats quickly fixed their posture and lowered their head toward the throne. After a short pause, the Emperor of the Holy Arcadia Empire, Sephiros Arcadia made his entrance and sat on the throne. Following him was Duke of Clark Gilford. At that point, a strong and overwhelming pressure filled the hall. The more cowardly aristocrats were clearly affected by it to the point of stunning them. [Everyone, at ease.] Everyone promptly raised their head back upon Emperor Sephiros¡¯ words. As expected¡­..Ares thought. Glancing around, the tense air caused the aristocrats to have various expressions. Respect, worship, fear¡­. However, there was no disgust. This is the charisma of the person that is known as the ¡ºThunder Emperor¡». [His Majesty Emperor has an announcement. Please listen carefully.] At Duke of Clark¡¯s notice, the lords began to pay attention to what Emperor Sephiros is about to say. [It was reported that there is unsettling movement going on in the eastern countries. We can no longer stay on the sidelines and must take action. We must field our army. Do you people have any opinion?] To that question, Archduke Saxon was the first to raise his hand. [His Majesty¡¯s judgment and command is truly wise. We will obey and do our best to fulfill that order. But this lowly one has a few questions. How much of the army will we field, and up to where this campaign will last?] On behalf of the Emperor, Duke of Clark replied. [We will field 100,000 of the Imperial army and 200,000 from all the lords combined, making a total of 300,000 troops. The goal this time is to conquer the Grants Principality who has shown clear sign of opposition against our Empire. Then the Trevoir Kingdom, Requidor Kingdom, and Brittany Federation.] [Too lax!] It was First Prince Carlos who raised his voice just now. [We must take this opportunity to swallow the entire eastern countries. If it¡¯s up to me, I will cut down all of them!] [Ho, this one agrees with that suggestion. The strong warriors of Archduke Saxon are willing to assist that effort anytime we are needed. This one is electing the First Prince Carlos to be the campaign leader!] Everyone looked at Carlos enviously after seeing how Georg supported him. Then a mocking laugh could be heard. Ares smiled quietly as the lords turned toward the source. The supporters of Carlos and Georg clearly looked on with disdain. [You¡­..are you making fun of me?] Carlos stared at Ares with hostility. [No¡­my apologies. I don¡¯t mean to make fun of anyone. Pardon me.] After saying that while lowering his head, Ares turned his eyes toward Emperor Sephiros. [Even if we conquer all those countries, don¡¯t we still need to govern them? Do we currently have the capacity and human resources to govern them all at once? Your Majesty only plan to conquer 4 countries¡­because that¡¯s probably the limit we can take at best. Furthermore, Grants Principality is surrounded by a monster lair in the west, barbarians with their cavalry in the north, dwarves that refuse to ally with us, and the infamous Aryan warrior tribes along the mountains. We cannot afford to take too many losses. Why do you think we never managed to defeat Grants Principality up until now¡­..please think about the reasons for a while. By conquering those four countries, particularly Requidor, we will have a strategic foothold, allowing for two directional attacks for future campaign.] Ares then proceeded to call on Carlos. [If you cannot govern them well, they¡¯ll revolt. The other tribes will not forgive us either. At that point, we¡¯ll end up being cut off from our base. And if that happens, that will also be the end of the dream to unify the eastern countries. Do you understand that?] [Kuh¡­..you don¡¯t say, boy.] Carlos was jealous of Ares. But clearly he had no way to rebuke. It was Archduke Rozenheim¡¯s son who stated his opinion following Ares¡¯s. [I agree with Schwarzer¡¯s young lord¡¯s opinion. It¡¯ll be best if we can finish the campaign before winter arrived, otherwise it¡¯ll be hard for us to go on. I¡¯m also concerned about the movements of the largest country in the east, Byzerd Principality. Their national power is said to rival that of our Empire and three major powers, so we can¡¯t ignore them. Especially with how Zachard¡¯s forces are crawling around the continent. He¡¯s not an enemy we can afford to fight just by relying on temporary momentum. There is also the emerging country Dormadia that we should be cautious about because we know nearly nothing regarding them.] [Noted.] After hearing Scion¡¯s opinion, Emperor Sephiros turned toward other lords, and said. [If there is nothing else, we can now officially start the campaign. Losing is not an option. Be aware that this eastern campaign must be finished before the new year comes. So first, we have to make our way to Grants. We can start by capturing Redgear territory. Anyone else has a suggestion?] [Leave it to me.] [Yes! We¡¯ll be the vanguard.] Carlos and Georg were the first to respond. Then many others who also raised their hands. Why of course,Redgear is the key route to march toward Grants. It¡¯s imperative for the Empire to take hold of this place first so the merit will be very high. Small countries like Trevoir and Brittany Federation cannot be compared to it. [Then I¡¯ll take Trevoir and Brittany Federation] It was Ares who said that. Carlos and Geord¡¯s eyes became bright, so were Scion and Lloyd¡¯s. At the same time, Leo McDohl and Duke Rozenburg gave an interested look. [Hou¡­.to think he choose to go there instead of Redgear?] [Yes. Apparently no one wants to go there. But someone still has to go there. That¡¯s why he chose to do so.] Ares then continued. [Retainer Ares, are you sure you want to take that part?] [It doesn¡¯t matter, allow me to..] [H-hold on!] It was Carlos who complained. He just realized that there is an absolute benefit from being the only one willing to go to a place where others don¡¯t want to. This guy is up for something¡­. Carlos thought but he was immediately shot down. [This Emperor is not asking for your opinion, but Schwarzer¡¯s little lord¡¯s opinion. Keep your mouth shut] [¡­..yes.] [Schwarzer little lord, continue.] Sephiros urged Ares to explain. [Let¡¯s take another look at Redgear. It¡¯s said that they¡¯ve built two fortresses in the aftermath of Arcadia¡¯s previous attack which the Redgear is quite proud of: Lasse Fortress and Soran Fortress. One will be attacked by unit led by first prince Carlos, and the other will be attacked by Archduke Saxon¡¯s forces. These fortresses are known to be impregnable, but I believe that the two of them will manage somehow. As for me, I will be [attacking the two countries] so that I can offer reinforcement by [attacking Redgear from another direction].] Sephiros was clearly fascinated. He motioned Ares to go on. [I won¡¯t be needing any Vice-General. The forces I brought myself should suffice.] Right then, another opinion was thrown. [Your Majesty. May I speak my mind?] It was the second princess Silvia who had remained as a silent observer all this time. [Go on.] [I think Schwarzer¡¯s little lord¡¯s suggestion is feasible. However, trying to conquer two countries with only five thousand troops sounds like a bit of a stretch. Shall I join him as a back-up forces?] Emperor Sephiros closed his eyes to give it some thought. When he finally opened his eyes again, he called the Chancellor Duke of Clark Gilford to give out an order. [Yes! Right away!] Gilford then announced that the Emperor will give out his final decision. [This time, this Emperor will adopt the Schwarzer¡¯s little lord suggestion of attacking Redgear from two directions. The first team will be led by the First Prince Carlos, while the subjugation of the two countries will be the responsibility of the Second Princess Silvia. Schwarzer¡¯s little lord will serve as the vanguard to take control of the two countries and to provide reinforcements to attack Redgear.] The Emperor then continued [The first team will march in advance toward Redgear and to separate into two forces once arriving there. The rest of the main forces will depart soon after.] And lastly, he said: [This is the war to conquer Grants, the beginning of our eastern campaign. Defeat is not an option. Keep that notion firmly within your heart. The vanguard will depart in 3 days while the main army five days from now. Prepare yourself as needed. That is all] ===== ¡ô [Ares-sama. What is the meaning of this?] Lloyd who rode the same carriage as Ares asked. [Are you really going to give up the merits to Prince Carlos and Archduke Saxon?] In fact, earlier, Carlos and Georg looked at Ares with a pitiful stare while the other aristocrats were giving him strange looks. Ares managed to take control of the council in the middle. So¡­.would it be better if he chose to lead the offense against Redgear? Many would¡¯ve thought so. [Lloyd-dono¡­.what I wish to achieve this time is something that I don¡¯t want anyone else to know.] Ares laughed. [Princess Silvia participating was something outside of the plan¡­but otherwise everything went well as scheduled. Well, please look forward to what will happen next. Oh, earlier, I also requested for Lloyd-dono to be my support officer, and His Majesty approved it. After all, it¡¯s an undertaking that require me to work with the person that I can trust¡­.. So let¡¯s give it our all.] [No problem¡­] Lloyd seemed to be still a bit unconvinced. [Right right, will Lloyd-dono attend the banquet tonight? I¡¯m not really good at this kind of event¡­so I will appreciate it if you can come.] Ares soon changed the topic. [Of course, I will attend it. I think Ares-sama should prepare yourself. A lot of people will surely come to speak with you.] Having said that, Lloyd then proceeded to apologize. [By the way, Sharon won¡¯t be coming along¡­although she actually wants to come¡­ because the invitation was only for myself¡­] [So it¡¯s only the Earl himself that was invited] [She¡¯s most likely throwing tantrum back at the mansion. That wild daughter of mine is really¡­] Ares could only laugh as Lloyd sighed. CH 60 Chapter 60 ¨C Silvia Arcadia The royal banquet was supposedly meant as a show of Empire¡¯s prosperity, therefore this time it¡¯s as grand as all other banquets in the recent years. In the middle of the hall, Ares was surrounded by aristocrats seeking correspondence. [Schwarzer Little Lord, this lowly one is called Viscount Tronne from the western Arcadia¡­] [I and Schwarzer Little Lord will surely have a flourishing relationship after this banquet¡­] [My daughter, not only she¡¯s well educated, she¡¯s also homely. How about it? Shall we organize a meeting¡­] To summarize, 40% was trying to make a correspondence, 40% was trying to offer their daughter to Ares and the remaining was just to gauge him¡­so to speak. Ares was beginning to feel annoyed by these aristocrats¡¯ actions. Then a loud voice boomed from behind. [Oi! Little Schwarzer bastard!] Turning to the source, it was Archduke Saxon¡¯s son Rudolf. His face was already reddened due to drinking too much liquor. Rudolf Saxon was Archduke Saxon Georg¡¯s son. Worthy as the heir to the warrior-centric clan such as the Saxon, he¡¯s known as one of the best warriors in the Empire. However, unlike his father, he¡¯s a roughshod and a heavy drinker, earning himself a bad reputation. [If it isn¡¯t Archduke Saxon¡¯s little lord.] Ares puts on a smile on his face as he turned to meet Rudolf. The other aristocrats quietly distanced themselves, unwilling to be caught up in trouble. (Their mouths spout sweet nonsense, but when the first signs of trouble appear, they show their nature as opportunists.) [I see that you¡¯re quite popular there.] [There is no such thing. I think they only see me as something unusual because I rarely show up in the Capital?] [Fuhn! Nevermind. After the campaign is over, our position will surely switch over. At that time, be prepared to never show your mangy face again!] That¡¯s right, Rudolf was just that reckless. He didn¡¯t even care that Ares was currently surrounded by many people. [This time, I¡¯ll personally lead the proud cavalry of the Saxon. While you¡¯re still be wallowing in those two small countries, I¡¯ll already be marching to Redgear¡¯s capital Fran. You little bastard should¡­] Before he finished his sentence, someone called out Rudolf from behind. [Shall I consider that as an indirect challenge for me?] [Haaa?] When Rudolf turned around to see whose voice was that, he was stunned. Yes, because the one standing behind him was the second princess Silvia. [Don¡¯t you know already that the Schwarzer little lord will be working together with me on that operation?] Rudolf hurriedly started to make excuses. [No, I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­ I was told that only Schwarzer little lord will be taking part on the operation, so¡­] [Hou, so you went to slander your own ally even before the battle began. I wonder why?] [Th-that¡¯s¡­] Rudolf was stuck with no answer. Ares saw this so he quickly laughed to rescue him. [It was just a joke. Shall we move away from here?] In response to that was a small laugh. [Fumu¡­I guess it cannot be helped if the Schwarzer little lord himself said so. Here, Archduke Saxon will spy upon us. Does the little lord have a better place to suggest?] Having said that, Silvia turned her head to another direction. True to her words, Archduke Saxon was staring at them with a sharp gaze. [!? E-excuse me!!] Rudolf excused himself from Silvia to join his father. ===== ¡ô Silvia Arcadia As the second princess of Arcadia Empire, she held the highest influence in the empire¡¯s military forces. She has a tall stature not unlike that of a man. She¡¯s actually slightly taller than Ares, who had an average height. The short, flaming crimson hair contrasted her white skin, creating an attractive yet striking visage. [Alright ¡­now that there is no one who will disturb us ¡­we can have a nice and slow talk] While saying so, Silvia grabbed two glasses of wine from nearby table before offering one to Ares. [What¡¯s the matter? You refuse to drink even in this kind of event?] [¡­no, I should refrain from drinking any alcohol¡­ unfortunately. Pardon me.] I couldn¡¯t afford to make the same mistake again ¡­Ares thought inwardly as he declined with a sheepish smile. [Fumu¡­ Surprisingly disciplined or you¡¯re just being cautious¡­ whatever] Showing no sign of being annoyed, Silvia withdrew the glass and drank the contents herself. [Well then, I have a keen interest in you. I also want to have a talk with you. How about it? Care to join me for a moment or two?] [Wouldn¡¯t there be any bad rumors circulating if Her Highness do this?] Ares refused politely. [Fuun. I¡¯d end up unable to do anything if I¡¯m bothered with those rumors. It¡¯s no pain, no gain.] Silvia returned the smile. [Well, but now that you mentioned it, it IS important to be more cautious. However¡­ I do want to talk with you before the campaign started, but I guess you have guests who want to meet you. Just know that I bear no ill intent to you. Please believe me on that.] Hearing that, Ares silently looked at Silvia, who returned the stare in kind. After a moment of silence, Ares finally sighed. [Understood. I¡¯ll believe in Your Highness.] Silvia smiled upon hearing that answer. [Thank goodness. I was a bit worried there. What would I do if you keep refusing?] Silvia then grabbed Ares¡¯ hand, [Then we¡¯ll talk. I might ask you several things and perhaps ask you to meet a certain someone. Hopefully you are fine with that?] She proceeded to take Ares somewhere away from the banquet. CH 61 Chapter 61 ¨C Cornelia Arcadia Silvia took Ares to an area inside the Royal Palace called Crown Chambers, known as the area where the Royal Clan resides in. [Come in.] When Silvia opened the door, a young woman talking to a boy could be seen from outside. [Ah! Elder sister!] The boy promptly pounced at Silvia and hugged her with a smile. [Zerias, I told you to not jump at elder sister like that.] After she reprimanded the boy and put him down, the young woman turned to Silvia. [Sister, it surprised me that you visited so suddenly. Are you not in the middle of a banquet?] [Yes, sorry. That kind of event doesn¡¯t suit me at all. I like this peaceful place better anyways.] Silvia smiled as she said so which prompted the young woman to smile along. [As always, elder sister. Just like that. And who is that person standing behind you?]. [Oh, didn¡¯t you say that you want to talk with him for once? He¡¯s the Schwarzer¡¯s little lord.] Having said so, Silvia turned to Ares. [I haven¡¯t introduced you yet. These are my younger sister Cornelia and my younger brother Zerias. These two are the people I wanted you to meet.] Silvia smiled to Ares afterward. Ares was a little taken aback by the unexpected introduction. He quickly responded as soon as he realized that he¡¯s been gawking for a moment there. [¡­ Pardon me. This is the first time for me to meet Her Highness Cornelia and His Highness Zerias¡­. I am Ares, Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s first son. Please call me as Ares.] Replied Ares as he bowed. [Ares-sama, please raise your head. We are pleased to meet you as well..] Cornelia also bowed in kind, then called out Silvia.. [Elder sister, how come you did not inform us first? It¡¯s rude for our guest here.] Silvia laughed as she apologized to both Ares and the slightly annoyed Cornelia. [Well, sorry. I didn¡¯t get to inform you in advance. I just thought that today is my best chance. And there, you two haven¡¯t had dinner yet, have you? I ordered the servants to bring some dishes here, so how about we entertain ourselves with some pleasantries while waiting?] ===== ¡ô Cornelia Arcadia was 18 years old, a year younger than Ares. Earlier, he had involuntarily gawked at her. Yes, Ares was an acquaintance with beautiful girls like Sharon, Theta, Maria, the Rozenburg sisters, and Nina. In addition to that, Ares had also met several other beautiful daughters of the aristocrats, so he should¡¯ve been quite used to it. But he wasn¡¯t prepared for anything like Cornelia. Glossy black hair and clean white skin. Twinkling eyes and well shaped nose. Her body was slim, but with a firm, sizable bust. Above all, what probably attracted Ares the most was the spark of strong will in her eyes. (No wonder that the people in the slums calls her a Goddess..) The boy standing next to her was Prince Zerias Arcadia, Cornelia¡¯s younger brother. He has a bright blonde hair and a girlish pretty face. Also a lean (more like thin) body that is somewhat shorter than boys of his age. Rumour said that his condition is a bit unwell¡­. Which was fairly obvious here. Ares then had dinner with the three siblings Silvia, Cornelia, and Zerias. It was not extravagant nor lavish, but an enjoyable dinner nonetheless. Cornelia and Zerias seemed to enjoy listening to Ares¡¯ stories, while Silvia contently watched them with a smile on her face. [Why does Your Highness Cornelia choose not to attend the banquet? Being this beautiful, you¡¯ll surely become the prettiest flower in that place.] Ares¡¯ casual question actually caused Cornelia to blush slightly. [Ah¡­.about that. There is this situation.] Silvia was the one who continued the answer. [Cornelia is too beautiful. Even I admit it. That¡¯s why¡­ she¡¯ll attract too much attention if she ever comes to the banquet. The other women there¡­for instance, my other sisters, fell to bribery in that very banquet. I¡¯ve reported this to His Royal Father, yet he didn¡¯t do anything to stop them] After drinking her wine, Silvia resumed. [You may not know this, but despite her status as the fourth princess, her mother was a lowly-birth and thus could not provide Cornelia with backing nor influence¡­ which makes her a prime target for those wolves. No one will ignore her.] Having said so, Silvia gently stroke Zerias head. [Same goes for Zerias. He¡¯s still too young, but there are some who doesn¡¯t care much about this. It¡¯s just that their acts are harder to notice.] Afterward, Silvia turned to Ares and stare at him with a serious look on her face.. [This is the first in a long time since I last saw Cornelia and Zerias looked so pleasant enjoying their meal. Surely it¡¯s because of you. So I have a request to make¡­] Silvia took a deep breath before continuing. [Can the Schwarzer become the backing for these two siblings of mine?] ===== ¡ô The aristocrats supports a certain member of the Royal Clan, ¡®backing¡¯ them so to speak. Since ancient times, if a Royal clan had no backing from the aristocrats, they will be easily deposed then end up banished or even killed. Most of the time, the clan of the spouse will be the backing of the royal clan. Most princes and princesses, including Silvia, had the backing of at least a Duke. But this wasn¡¯t the case with Cornelia and Zerias. [Elder sister.] Surprisingly, it was Cornelia who cut into Silvia¡¯s speech. [We are yet to be familiar with Ares-sama as we only met today. How come you are being so rude to make such a request?] Her face then turned serious. [I have no intention to put such a burden on others, much less someone we only met today. It¡¯ll be a huge burden for Ares-sama to protect me against elder brother. If elder brother doesn¡¯t want us to meddle with him, then Zerias and I can simply leave the Capital.] There was this distinct dignified air around Cornelia. Silvia was left speechless. While Zerias simply looked on. The silence did not last very long. [Very well.] As he turned to Cornelia, Ares continued. [If you have the resolve to go for it, then I won¡¯t hesitate to give up my life for it. Let it be known that the Schwarzer will be backing Her Highness Cornelia from now on.] On that note, Ares smiled. [Your Highness Cornelia. This may sound rude of me, but I¡¯ve done a little investigation regarding Your Highness before. And it makes me want to meet you one day¡­ Well, this isn¡¯t exactly how I planned it though] He resumed while keeping eye contact with Cornelia. [I know Your Highness has been helping with developing the West District using her own private properties¡­] [!? But how?] [I have many acquaintances in the Western District and all of them had only good praise in regard to Your Highness.] Ares then turned toward Silvia. [No one in the Capital had ever given up their own private property for the sake of the commoners, Her Highness Cornelia here is the only exception.] He returned to Cornelia. [That is why I¡¯ve been wanting to meet Your Highness. I have given it a thought today while we were talking. Your Highness Cornelia is worthy to dedicate my sword to. However¡­ there are still a lot of things I do not know yet. Therefore¡­ I want to know more about Your Highness. I would be glad if such an opportunity appears in the future.] Cornelia replied despite her reddened cheeks. [¡­I understand. I will accept this feeling of yours. However, it¡¯s not solely your sword that I want from you.] She then laughed. [If possible, instead of dedicating your sword to me, can we walk side by side? Not as a master and servant, but as an equal] Both Ares and Cornelia smiled gently at each other. Hearing the exchange, Silvia inwardly thought. Among her siblings, Cornelia is probably the one who inherited the kingly nature the most. She herself had gone through a lot of battlefields. The pressure Cornelia gave off, even if only for rare instances, was no joke even for her. Even so¡­ despite the given situation, Ares still wholeheartedly opened up and received Cornelia. [It appeared that my eyes didn¡¯t see wrong¡­ interesting.] Silvia laughed in satisfaction. CH 62 Chapter 62 ¨C Before the War [Fu¡­] When Ares finally returned to his room, he quickly laid himself down on the sofa. There was only Sigurd aside from him. He had already asked for everyone else, including Julius and Theta to not enter. [Thank you for the hard work. How did it go?] Sigurd laughed a little upon seeing Ares¡¯ mood. [It¡¯s tiring to play around with those aristocrats. Each and everyone of them harbour selfish intentions. It¡¯s hard for me to hold myself back.] Ares said so with disgust. [Well¡­ something good did come out of it.] Saying so, Ares was reminded of Cornelia¡¯s face. He was interested in meeting her after hearing Balzac¡¯s story, but turned out she was nothing like what he expected. He had met her earlier today and talked to her too¡­ in the process, he realized that he was drawn to Cornelia. Certainly, her beauty was almost otherworldly. So beautiful even Ares was astonished despite having his fair share of being around many beautiful women before. But that¡¯s just a small part of it. What drawn Ares the most was the intensity of her¡ºWill¡». [I wish to change the livelihood of all the people in the capital. If you don¡¯t mind, would you be willing to help me?] She said. Her attitude when she said that ¡­was exactly that of the ¡ºTemper of a Ruler¡»¡­ Those who were there¡­the veteran of many battles Silvia and even Ares himself felt the intense pressure. Changing the empire with her as the frontman¡­ Ares began to devise a plan even as he travelled back home. [In any case I need to get rid of the obstacle that is right in front of me first. Sigurd, we¡¯ll be fielding the troops in 3 days. How are the preparations?] [We are ready to go at any time.] [Yosh. His Majesty should also receive my letter by tomorrow morning. Once the reply arrived, we¡¯ll leave. In the meantime¡­ Zekka!] In response to Ares¡¯ loud calling, a shadow appeared next to him. [Yes! Answering to the call.] [Have you finished the investigation?] [The Brittany Federation is currently hiring a lot of mercenaries. There is no notable movement on Trevoir Kingdom¡­ Meanwhile, I believe the aristocrats won¡¯t be able to pull through. The Redgear has sniffed the invasion plan and is currently amassing soldiers on their fortress. Their strongest generals, such as¡ºGold Tiger General Zion¡»,¡ºSilver Bear General Garn¡», and¡ºSilver Princess Knight Liliana¡» have also converged to stand their ground.] [How many soldiers are there in the Redgear¡¯s capital?] [There should be around 1000 left as guards, reportedly] [How about the quality of those mercenaries that Brittany Federation hired?] [Vile people. They are mostly those with notorious reputations.] Ares asked some short questions, and Zekka answered all of them with confidence. Sigurd simply listened while also watching silently. [Yosh, with this we have most of the important information] Ares then turned toward Sigurd. [The future of Schwarzer clan depends on the outcome of this war. This is the decisive point. Therefore¡­ I need to make sure that no one will pull my legs down.] Whilst saying so, Ares picked up the gathered information and scanned through it. [Do I have anything to fear? Obviously His Highness Carlos will do something¡­ well, I don¡¯t see the need to be worried. His Highness Joseph won¡¯t do anything, he doesn¡¯t have the brain for it. Lombardia clan will not act, nor will the Saxons¡­ I guess they have their pride as the Archduke clans. So who I should watch out for¡­ is it Rozenheim¡¯s Scion? I suppose he¡¯s the only one I need to be careful with.] Having said that, he then turned to Sigurd. Sigurd unconsciously corrected his posture. [Sigurd¡­ our goal in this war is¡ºto raise merits greater than anyone else¡». By doing so, I will surely catch the most attention among His Majesty¡¯s retainers. That is our aim. To that end¡­] Ares took a deep breath before resuming his speech. [To complete His Majesty¡¯s conquest, I will conquer all 4 countries by ourselves] [I know this may sound unusual coming from me. The usual me will just go 90% Ares, with the remaining 10% being the generals on my side¡­ this time it¡¯ll be all for His Majesty] [I didn¡¯t want to invoke needless conflict before, so I always did most things half heartedly. But this time¡­] Ares laughed. [It will be a big step for me. I need to get it done properly in order to build ourselves a foundation.] Sigurd thought inwardly. Ares truly resolved himself this time around. What this war will entail to, he couldn¡¯t tell yet. Even so¡­ all he needs to do is trying his best to be his lord¡¯s sword. Ares received a command to march on the next day. Ares will be heading to Brittany, while Prince Carlos and Archduke Saxon will march to Redgear. Silvia will be joining Ares. It was announced that the main forces led by Emperor Sephiros himself will be stationed around the area once Redgear has fallen. Ares moved immediately upon receiving that order. Before dawn had even risen, Ares had already left the capital. Along with him were his trusted retainers and the black legion. Riding along the road under the moonlight, Sigurd looked at his lord¡¯s back who was riding at the forefront¡­ in his heart, he knew that this war will change his life from hereafter. ===== Author¡¯s Note: The first Arc, which was quite long for the time being, is over. We will enter the second Arc on the next release. Finally, we ¡¯ll move on to the battle scene. Thanks for the people who waited For the time being, first of all, I would like to post every day in January! CH 63 Chapter 63 ¨C First Battle [We will be crossing the border of Brittany soon.] The one who informed Ares just now was Vulcas, the knight who accompanied him at the front. These knights are working directly under the Emperor; their duty is to report the general and the army¡¯s activities to the emperor. [Right. Shall we take a break for a bit here?] With that, Ares instructed Sigurd to issue a short break command to the soldiers. ===== ¡ô Now, in the capital, Prince Carlos, Archduke Saxon and Princess Silvia were attending the sending-off ceremony. Ares had marched ahead of them as he served as the vanguard. With him were only the soldiers he personally brought from Schwarzer territory, and his retainer Sigurd. Sigurd has been following behind Ares like shadow. Since it¡¯ll be very noticeable if he was to ride the ancient dragon [Zephyr], this time he¡¯s riding his horse [Brad]. [Brad] is a crimson horse magic beast. Its size is larger than normal horse. Originally, it was a subjugation target thriving on the Demon Forest, but Sigurd managed to tame it after it was captured. Now it serves as Sigurd¡¯s steed. Due to its nature as a magic beast, it looked very different than any other horses. Behind him were the 5000 strong [Black Legion]. They have marched for a considerable distance already, but judging from their fluid movement, everyone can see that they are far from being tired. [Ares-sama. May I inspect the soldiers for a bit?] As a knight, Vulcas seemed to be fascinated by the Black Legion. [I don¡¯t mind. You¡¯ll be informed when we started moving again.] [Thank you very much. Excuse me!] After confirming that Vulcas was already far away¡­ [Zekka.] When Ares turned around, a man had already stood before him. [My orders, have you checked it?] [Yes. Brittany Federation did hire a lot of mercenaries as reported before. However, upon hearing that they¡¯ll be fighting against Arcadia empire, most of them immediately cancelled their contract. What¡¯s left are the more unsavory type of mercenaries.] [They are wise enough to know that they won¡¯t be able to hold their ground against Arcadia Empire¡¯s main forces. About those who remained, I suppose they¡¯ll just run amok but escape if the situation tilt against them? How many are they anyways?] [About 10,000. As Ares-sama expected, they¡¯ve started to attack and plunder nearby villages.] [As expected of a merchant country. To be able to pay that much only means that they have a lot of money to spend. Even so, to think they¡¯ll let those mercenaries to plunder around¡­ I guess they never intended to fight seriously. They are reluctant to field their soldiers, but perhaps Redgear and Grants pressured them to do so. If, by chance the mercenaries can drive us out, then they could go to the negotiating table. But if the mercenaries couldn¡¯t, they could say that they were forced to fight, hence putting all the blame to the mercenaries¡­ That¡¯s why they allowed those ruffians to plunder around. How shallow.] After saying so, Ares looked around for a while before finally turning to Sigurd who was standing behind him. [Apparently, we¡¯ll have to resort to some underhanded methods a bit. Shouldn¡¯t the messenger arrive soon? Those mercenaries are unforgivable, but their employers are also vile people. This time around we¡¯ll march in full force to wipe out all those trash.] ===== ¡ô The Brittany Federation was a country made of conglomeration of powerful merchants of the East. These merchants gathered and gained autonomy through negotiation with the neighboring countries, making their history quite different from all other countries. As Ares said, the leaders of Brittany never really wanted to fight in the war. They are merchants after all. Every action has to benefit them in the future. Even if the 4 countries gathered up all their soldiers together¡­ it still won¡¯t be enough to compete with Arcadia Empire, known as the strongest power in the continent. However, with Redgear and Grants being their biggest business partners, in addition to the long history of aiding each other, they couldn¡¯t just stay still when the two countries decided to go to war. Pretending that they¡¯re forced to participate in the war, as well as forcing the mercenaries to shoulder all responsibility, were just their ploy to emerge out of the war mostly unscathed. [I don¡¯t mind using them as a sacrifice if that¡¯ll save us] Following that belief, they allowed the mercenaries to plunder as they please. Originally the upper echelon of the Brittany Federation¡­never really cared about the people of the lower classes. They could afford being negligent about these people becoming the victims of their decision. After a short period of rest, the messenger of the Brittany Federation¡¯s upper echelon actually arrived. Noticing the messenger¡¯s arrival, Ares invited Vulcas to let the knight know of his thought. [They came as expected. The content of the message is most likely¡ºCities are devastated due to mercenaries acting on their own. Need help.¡»or something like that¡­ now what do you think we should do?] [I suppose it¡¯s alright for Ares-sama to kill the messenger? If anything that¡¯ll pretty much show our refusal.] [Nn~, that¡¯s fine as well¡­ but if we kill him here the mercenaries will be alerted and escape. It¡¯ll be troublesome for us] That¡¯s why Ares told Sigurd earlier that they¡¯ll have to resort to underhanded methods. [Anyways, go meet the messenger and don¡¯t forget to treat him well. If he asked, tell him that the one in charge of the army is this young man, so he should go and talk to this young man instead.] [Ha? Then what about the letter?] [I¡¯ve prepared the reply that they wanted. ¡ºWill head there after defeating the mercenaries. Convey that to your lord properly¡»or something along that line¡­yep, he¡¯ll convey my intentions properly¡­ for sure. After that messenger gone off to deliver the reply, we¡¯ll begin our march. . Firstly, we¡¯ll give those mercenaries a light tap.] ===== Arcadia-Brittany border. The mercenaries freely attacked and plundered nearby towns. [Commander! Emergency!] Hearing the voice on one of his subordinates, the ¡®commander¡¯ turned his head around. [I¡¯m in the middle of fun time here! Didn¡¯t I order you to not disturb me?] Around him were several naked women. Their eyes were empty and lifeless. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯ve been violated by the mercenaries. [No, this is really important! The Arcadia Empire¡¯s army had arrived near the border!] [What did you say?!] The commander flew into a fit of rage. [Dammit! I didn¡¯t expect them to arrive this soon. I thought I¡¯ll be able to sack one more village before I have to run!] Just like Ares had expected, these mercenaries also never intended to fight the Arcadia Empire. The payment from Brittany was good, but all they planned to do was pillaging some villages and towns before escaping. Brittany has always been a rich country. So it¡¯s a particularly a very enticing place to plunder. [Shit! How many are they!?] [Thousands according to the scouts.] [Yosh¡­ we have 15,000 soldiers here¡­ we should be able to beat them if we attack with everything we got] The commander then licked his lips. [Oi! Tell this to the other mercenaries! Prepare for battle! After we rout the Arcadia Empire forces, we¡¯ll immediately escape! Do it right away!] [Y-yessir!!] ===== ¡ô Ares was watching the mercenaries¡¯ movement from atop the hill. [Looks like they¡¯ve started moving. Look at them trying to form a formation¡­a mish-mash pack of stupid mercenaries who only gathered together due to the desire to pillage. Of course their movement will be that bad with only 1 person leading all of them.] [But we cannot afford to meet that many head on. How come they have such a large number? With only 5000 on our side, if we don¡¯t work up something¡­] Ares simply laughed at Vulcas¡¯ assessment. [The opponent here is at least 10.000 strong. A lot of bandits from around here might¡¯ve joined up along the way since they¡¯ll be allowed to rob and plunder freely. Oh well, this will make for good practice for the Black Legion. No need to do anything, just meet them head on.] [Ares-sama. We are always ready for your command.] Sigurd who was waiting behind him spoke. [Can I leave this one to Sigurd? The mission is to destroy the enemy. No need to keep them alive. Just smash them all to smithereens.] [Yes.] Sigurd immediately rode back on his horse to meet the Black Legion cavalry. [Ares-sama¡¯s has spoken! Our mission: eradicate the enemy, leave no one alive! This is the time for us to show them the might of Ares-sama¡¯s Black Legion! Let them know the horror of our cavalry forces!!] [ [ [ [ OOOOOOOOooooooooooooo! ! ! ! ! ! ] ] ] ] The Black Legion whose members had remained eerily quiet during the march replied with such intensity all of a sudden. Vulcas who witnessed this was dumbfounded. At the same time, Ares used wind magic to transmit his words to the soldiers. So unlike Sigurd, he spoke rather relaxedly. [Show them the might of the Schwarzer. However¡­ don¡¯t you dare to lose your life. Everyone must return safely alive.] When Ares¡¯ voice echoed in their ears, the Black Legion let out an even more enthusiastic cry. Almost like they are a horde of beasts. [ [ [ [ OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo! ! ! ! ! ! ] ] ] ] [Go, my brave heroes. All forces, charge!] ===== ¡ô It was a one-sided slaughter. Everywhere the Black Legion cavalry passed through, there would be dead bodies in their wake. Arrows never hit them as their spear would skewer the archer on the next moment. [Commander!! These guys are too strong!!] [Shit! Move! Run away!] [Impossible, they¡¯re too fa¡­gugeee!] When the commander turned around, his subordinate had already become a corpse. [What the hell¡­ these guys¡­ one after another appearing like waves¡­ what the fu..] Before the commander was the so called black wave that had taken many of his troops¡¯ life. Riding at the front was their leader who was riding an abnormally large horse and wielding a spear so stained in blood it makes you wonder how many soldiers had met their end in its tip. Seeing this, the commander started running away. But at the same time the black wave also caught up to him. The next thing the commander saw after that¡­.was pitch black darkness. ===== ¡ô [T-this is¡­] Vulcas who witnessed everything from atop the hill was rendered speechless. [It¡¯s merry-go-round charge; The Black Legion¡¯s strongest maneuver.] Ares casual words left Vulcas in daze. [They rushed one after another like a wave. At least that¡¯s how the opponent will see it. But in fact, it¡¯s just repeated charges with a movement that draws a circle¡­ that may sound simple, but that kind of movement is only possible if both the general and the cavalry are superb.] (TL Note: I imagine it something like this. If you watch anime Grancrest Senki, one of the major character using this formation to crush the traitor¡¯s army) [So they are Ares-sama¡¯s private army¡­and there are more back at the territory?] [Indeed they are. I think if Red, Blue and the strongest White legion numbers are combined¡­ together with Black Legion they made around 20,000 strong.] Vulcas was surprised by that reply. [A total of 20,000 strong¡­ you could fight a country with that many forces¡­ and there is actually a legion stronger than the Black Legion?] [Yeah. The White Legion is small in number but each one is equal to a thousand men. It won¡¯t be strange if the member of that legion could become a general elsewhere. It¡¯s just that, they are a bunch of weirdos.] Ares smiled at the thought of the White Legion. However Vulcas couldn¡¯t even let out a dry laugh. (These Black Legion is probably far more skilled than even Arcadia army¡­ and there are 20,000 more like them¡­ and to think these fearsome soldiers are owned by an individual instead of the bigger Schwarzer clan. This Ares is truly scary. No wonder His Majesty Sephiros put so much attention on him.) The Arcadia army had won with an overwhelming momentum. But the cavalry didn¡¯t stop. They kept charging, chasing and killing mercilessly until none of the enemy was left alive. Those mercenaries had no chance to escape. Watching the Black Legion¡¯s might from the top of the hill¡­ he felt a terrible fear, especially to their leader Ares. But Vulcas decided to keep this to himself. CH 64 Chapter 64 ¨C Clean Up The next day, in the Brittany Federation¡¯s capital Trahn. Ares¡¯ arrival was greeted with welcoming hands by the merchants. Everyone had a smile on their faces. This made Ares uncomfortable. [Welcome to Trahn city.] [Please follow me; the chief is expecting your arrival.] Ares followed the merchant while keeping his thoughts to himself. They guided him to an extremely large mansion even for a wealthy city such as Trahn. Ares was directed to the mansion¡¯s main hall where 5 fat men were already waiting for him. [This would be our first meeting. We five are the executives responsible for Brittany Federation¡¯s administration.] One of them spoke up. Apparently, this one acted as the representative among the five Brittany Federation executives. The other four were simply staring. In their eyes were both resentment and relief. (It seems to be working as I thought) Ares laughed inwardly as he stealthily observed those executives. [Well then, pardon us for we are still in an emergency. As you can see, Trahn city is full of mercenaries¡­] Ares cut off the speech by presenting a sheet of paper. [What is this?] [A letter from His Majesty Emperor. I believe it¡¯s directed to all of the upper echelon of Brittany Federation.] [Hoho. Then I¡¯ll be pleased to read it.] Having said that, the representative read the letter. Soon, his face turned pale and he started shaking. [Ho, how can this be? Confiscation of 90% of the commodity owned by merchants involved in politics; moreover, banishment from Trahn city!?] [What!?] [That unfair!?] [Madness!] [Bullshit! They dare to do that!] The other four executives immediately raised their voices in protest. [It wasn¡¯t us, the mercenaries did it. We have nothing to do with what they did on their own accord.] The representatives tried to explain. [I can¡¯t talk with this young man. I need someone who would understand¡­] When the representative said that, Ares presented another letter. The representative crumpled that letter instead. [Outrageous¡­] [Do you not want to know the content of that paper?] Ares spoke up, interrupting the representative. The representative hesitantly fixed the crumpled paper and his face turned even paler. A plundering permit and some words of encouragement written there. [Are you alright? Don¡¯t tell me you want to refute the fact here.] And right there, Ares hammered the table with his hand, shocking the merchants present. [We are the victors of this war. You have no right to say anything. Otherwise, I can command the five thousand soldiers outside to go on a rampage.] The merchants¡¯ face turned blue at Ares¡¯ threat. Ares then continued. [You are disqualified to be a ruler once you allowed your people to be plundered. I don¡¯t need any of you, so you must go away. Moreover, I did my personal investigation, and I found out that you guys at the upper echelon really love to do some exciting things, don¡¯t you? Bribery, blackmail, sometimes even assassination¡­] Ares then leaned forward. [This city and the entire Brittany Federation won¡¯t grow any further while any of you still around. You guys are nothing but parasites.] [Screw you! Guge.] One of the executives had had it enough and attempted to attack Ares, but was immediately cut down by Sigurd who was on standby at the back. The merchants screamed in terror; some even fell on their butt. [So¡­ somebody¡­ help¡­] [Yes, that¡¯s what we originally intended to do. I told you to leave and I¡¯ll even leave some for you to live¡­. But you just had to do that.] Ares said so as he moved his face closer to the representative¡¯s. [Can you tell? This is the reality of what happened if you lose a war. You may not know it since you were always busy with sipping soup in a warm room called the power of money, but this is what happens in the outside world nearly everyday. This is the reality.] The representative lost his mind upon hearing that. Vulcas spoke to Ares as he watched the merchants being taken away into custody. [What will become of Trahn city then? I need to inform Silvia-sama who is currently rushing here on who will govern this place¡­] [About that, I actually have an idea already. Looks like he¡¯s just arrived.] There were a couple of men heading towards them. Apparently merchants and craftsmen, but they didn¡¯t show any sign of fear despite coming here. One of the men asked Ares. [What do you want from us? We have no money, nor we are educated people] [No, I don¡¯t particularly need anything from any of you. The upper echelon has gone. In exchange for that, I¡¯ll leave the commoners to govern this city, and later the entire Brittany. Everyone was caught surprised by those words. [Can you tell us why?] Another raised a question [There are a lot of things I¡¯m going to need to know here if I were to govern this place myself. But there are already people doing business here and there and they should know the situation better than me. Above all¡­ if I let you do business properly without any backhanded methods, then wouldn¡¯t that bring profit to the city itself?] All of them seemed fascinated by that reasoning. [However, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll let you go scotch free. I want you to make the city prosper in 1 year time. If you can¡¯t do that, I¡¯ll naturally find a replacement.] The man asked once more [Will you give us some time to consider?] So Ares replied. [Of course I¡¯m not forcing you to give your answer now. But if possible, I hope that there will be a reply by tomorrow. I¡¯m planning to march out of this city tomorrow.] That revelation was the most shocking. [What!? You¡¯re just going to leave the land you¡¯ve conquered!?] [As I said, I¡¯m leaving the governing of this place to others. Using my forces to suppress this place won¡¯t bring me any benefit] Therefore Ares took the man¡¯s hand and said. [The rise and fall of this city will be up to you. I believe it¡¯ll be one hell of a challenging job.] ===== ¡ô Ares looked on at the merchants through the window. All of them had a complex look on their face as they returned home with a lot to think about. [Can you please tell me why?] Ares turned around and saw Vulcas standing there. [Normally one would station a deputy officer to govern the land they¡¯ve occupied. But I will not do that here. Can you guess why?] [The residents won¡¯t be convinced if a stranger suddenly takes charge?] And that¡¯s why Ares sought those merchants. [Have you seen those merchants¡¯ face? Normally, if given such an offer, anyone will just jump in at the first chance. But they didn¡¯t. That¡¯s because they know how hard it is to govern. Knowing that, they¡¯ll think things through first before giving a reply.] [But they have no political experience] [There is always a first time for everyone. Although reluctant, they¡¯ll keep trying¡­and hopefully, they¡¯ll eventually find their way. I believe they can handle this]. Ares turned to Vulcas once more. [I¡¯ve sent a messenger to Her Highness Silvia the other day. I will also conquer Trevoir before Her Highness arrives.] [What?!] [You probably didn¡¯t think that Brittany will fall this fast, did you? We¡¯re aiming for something big here. And as much as possible¡­I want to reduce casualties to a minimum¡­ for both allies and enemies alike.] Ares continued on while keeping eye contact with Vulcas. [I can¡¯t take a break yet. I need to make preparations so we can leave as soon as we get their reply!] After saying so, Ares headed out to the door. CH 65 Chapter 65 ¨C Blitzkrieg The Trevoir Kingdom is located east of the Brittany Federation. The Grants Principality is at its east, and Redgear in the south. Despite being a small country, it managed to remain stable by establishing a good relationship with the surrounding countries. Its cities were beautiful; a testament to its riches. And war finally reached it. Although they received pressure to join the alliance to defend against Arcadia, the royal palace is still divided whether to go to war or to let Arcadia forces pass peacefully. This dispute is still ongoing. The Trevoir Kingdom is a small country in which, unlike most other countries, the aristocrats hold the greatest power. Despite the confusion, the King of Trevoir merely chose to keep watch silently. [Your Majesty, we can still make it. Please send reinforcements to Brittany immediately] [Are you out of your mind!? We can¡¯t defeat the Arcadia Empire!] [No, is it still possible to send help to both Brittany and Redgear at the same time?] [If we lose, not only the king, but the whole aristocrat clans will also perish.] [No, the Thunder Emperor will surely pardon us if we surrender. But if we fight, we¡¯ll die¡­] [Pardon me!] Several aristocrats looked on unpleasantly when the door was suddenly opened. [You cur, do you know what we are currently doing here¡­] [Pardon me! The Arcadia Empire forces are attacking!] Everyone who is present were astonished by the news. [The Brittany Federation has fallen. The Arcadia Empire¡¯s forces are now in position to storm the palace!] [I¡­..impossible!?] [You said Brittany Federation had fallen!? What is going on?!] [Isn¡¯t this going too fast?!] In the middle of that uproar, [So they¡¯re here¡­ it¡¯s time for me to fulfill my duty as a king¡­] King Louis said as he stood up. Some of the aristocrats were already standing up and returning to their abode, probably plotting on how they would act in the future on the premise that Arcadia Empire won. After declaring that the council is adjourned, Louis turned to his childhood friend Simon, who looked upset. Both Louis and Simon were still in their twenties. Simon was the only person that Louis could entrust Trevoir Kingdom¡¯s governing to. Simon wasn¡¯t born of nobility; he was a regular scholar recruited through normal means. [Simon, apparently our dream has come to an end. I wish for the day that we can change the country and uproot those aristocrats away¡­ but this is it.] Loius laughed in sadness, but Simon quickly denied. [Your Majesty, everything is not set in stone yet. According to the information I¡¯ve gathered, the opposing forces are led by Ares Schwarzer. Allow me to go to negotiate with him so that our beautiful Trevoir will remain as it is] Simon then continued. [I may not return alive. Your Majesty, please do your best for Trevoir if that really comes to pass¡­] Simon said so with a strong resolve. Louis looked on. [In that case, I will also do my duty. Summon the aristocrats once more; I¡¯ll announce our surrender¡­] ===== ¡ô Ares oversaw the scenery of Trevoir Palace and the city around it from above horseback. [It¡¯s such a beautiful city. I wish that I don¡¯t have to sack it if I could.] [That¡¯ll depend on the other side.] The knight Vulcas then mentioned. [There has been a lot of aristocrats trying to reach out to us since earlier. Perhaps in secret] In that, Ares could only feel complicated. [Against orders, they already went to seek their own reprieve. Despite ruling the land for generations as aristocrats¡­ none of them actually care for the country nor its people.] [Reporting!] Ares turned around at the sudden report. [A messenger from King Louis of Trevoir has come] [¡­speak of the devil. Well, shall we see what he has to say?] ===== ¡ô Even surrounded by the soldiers of the Black Legion, this person remained unmoved and calm, which somewhat sparked a little of Ares¡¯ admiration. (That¡¯s a face of someone prepared to die. There is actually someone like that in this country, huh?) It was Simon who appeared as the messenger. [Thank you for receiving me. I¡¯m here to convey my King¡¯s intention to the Arcadia Empire¡¯s forces.] Simon said so as I handed over Louis¡¯ letter to Ares. Ares read it, then handed it over to Vulcas. Vulcas was surprised upon reading the content of the letter. [Surrender without a fight¡­.?] He looked at Simon who had a sad look on his face. [Yes, that was my King¡¯s response¡­ unfortunate as it is, we have no troops to rival yours.] Simon continued without missing a beat. [However, it is only under some conditions¡­] ===== ¡ô After Simon left, there were only Ares, Vulcas and Sigurd remained inside the tent. [They¡¯ll take responsibility with their lives. But in exchange, they want us to refrain from using violence and destruction to take over Trevoir¡­huh?] [I have nothing to say but brilliant.] Sigurd was perplexed by Ares¡¯ remark. [Let¡¯s march in to the palace for now. We¡¯ve received permission from the King himself after all] Ares took out a piece of paper from his notebook. Seeing that, Vulcas immediately spoke his mind. [¡­.can I ask a question?] [What is it?] Ares turned around in response to Vulcas¡¯ question. [The letter from His Majesty and then this blitz attack¡­same goes with Brittany¡­Ares-sama seems to have anticipated everything in advance. Just when was this strategy set up?] [Before I left the Capital.] [!?] [This time everything went as planned. Well, there were deviations, but we managed to come up with different solutions. So all is well.] [¡­] Ares¡¯ reply caused Vulcas to feel upset. In other words, what happened up until now, and those letters had nothing to do with the Emperor. It was probably all written by this young man himself. [¡­can I ask another question?] [If it¡¯s something I can answer, sure.] [Ares-sama, how many copies of His Majesty¡¯s letter does Ares-sama still have?] [I did ask His Majesty to write some] [!? How come¡­] [U©`n, that is something I can¡¯t tell.] [Then¡­ change of topic. What will happen to Prince Carlos and Archduke Saxon who are currently advancing?] [Ah, those two won¡¯t be able to breach Redgear.] [!?] [They are about to attack Redgear¡¯s two great fortresses which were built specifically to defend against Arcadia. In addition to that, those fortresses are manned by famous generals such as Gold Tiger General Zion and Silver Bear General Garn. And more than that is Princess Liliana the Silver Princess Knight. Her presence is like a strategic weapon in itself. She can¡¯t be ignored so easily.] [But¡­if given enough time.] [If they have time, then they probably could do something. Those two are Arcadia¡¯s greatest generals. Eventually they¡¯ll breach the fortress and march to the capital¡­ however.] Ares laughed at the end. [I would¡¯ve already taken the capital before that.] ===== ¡ô Inside Trevoir Palace Ares was standing before the upset King Louis and many other aristocrats to accept their surrender. [Well then, I will convey His Majesty¡¯s decree.] Vulcas who was standing on the side opened and read Emperor Sephiros¡¯ handwritten letter with strict and serious tone. [Trevoir will be part of Holy Arcadia Empire, and the King of Trevoir, Louis Trevoir, henceforth, will be the Earl of Trevoir. Trevoir is to continue administrative works as is.] Everyone present was astonished upon hearing that Louis will still be holding the position of Trevoir¡¯s de facto leader. [The official papers will be given once we return to the royal capital. However, this decree can also serve as a valid formal grant, therefore cannot be attested against.] Ares added to silence the astonished aristocrats. When Vulcas saw Emperor Sephiros¡¯ handwriting, he couldn¡¯t his surprise as well. How many more letters does this man have? Moreover, how come His Majesty allowed such a thing? Keeping that question to himself, coughing once, Vulcas continued to read. [Regarding Trevoir¡¯s aristocrats¡­ we guarantee that they can keep their property and wealth. However, their land will be confiscated. All aristocrats will be appointed baronet, and be stationed in the Arcadia Empire] Hearing that decree, the aristocrats present were silent at first, but soon started to raise their voice. [N-no way! I¡¯m a duke in Trevoir! There is no way I can accept being demoted to baronet!] [Land confiscation, you say!? Does Arcadia Empire not know about courtesy between aristocrats!?] [This lord cannot accept that condition!] Complaints started to fly one after another and soon the hall became too chaotic. Seeing this, Ares then said. [Then do you want to fight for it?] The hall which was noisy and chaotic gradually quieted down after Ares¡¯s words. [This place is but a small country. In Arcadia, you¡¯re already fortunate enough to be considered as baronet. Know your place.] [The confiscation is against courtesy, you said? You¡¯ve surrendered. We have no obligation to show any courtesy to you. This is us already giving you preferential treatment by letting you keep your property.] [And more than anything!] Ares refuted the aristocrats¡¯ argument one by one and added a decisive statement. [If you don¡¯t accept, then it¡¯s fine. Just prepare to have your clan completely erased from the face of the continent!] No one dared to counter argument Ares after that. And from that day onward, the Trevoir Kingdom became Trevoir County. The aristocrats did not dare to rebel. Three days later, they packed their belongings and headed to the Arcadia Royal Capital. CH 66 Chapter 66 ¨C Princess Knight The Redgear Kingdom is located west of Grants. Its territory is twice as large as Trevoir, but only half of Grants. It¡¯s not that huge of a country, but sufficient enough to maintain its independence from powers such as Arcadia Empire. Redgear boasted two fortresses The Lasse fortress and Soran fortress. Those two have had many historical battles against Arcadia forces and had remained impregnable. As of now, 30,000 soldiers led by Prince Carlos is heading to Lasse. While Archduke Saxon Georg led 40,000 soldiers to attack Soran. Arcadia forces marched for 3 days then had been engaged in battle for 4 days. A total of one week and still no victor emerged. Carlos who received the battle report was enraged. [You say it¡¯s all because of a mere young girl!?] Lasse fortress was currently defended by General Zion the [Gold Tiger General]. A capable general and a solid warrior, he had saved Redgear from several perilous battles. No matter what strategy Carlos concocted, it was rendered useless thanks to Zion¡¯s ironclad defense. And above all¡­ [That white haired witch always got in our way over and over again!] Intercepting them as the flying squadron was the first princess Liliana Redgear, said to hold the greatest military power in the kingdom. [Our soldiers were decimated by princess Liliana alone. Her using¡­that holy sword Alflex¡­is like a moving strategic weapon already.] As they spoke, a silver haired young woman was wading through the battlefield, blowing away Arcadia soldiers with her shining blue sword with so much ease to the point that the Duke of Hoover Douglas who served as military staff could see her with his bare eyes. [Arcadia forces is just at this level!? How pathetic!] The silver princess said so as she dug deeper into her enemy ranks all by herself. Being in the midst of the enemy, naturally the soldiers went in to surround her, but¡­ With a flash of blue light, those soldiers were blown away. [It¡¯s all because of that magic sword and princess Liliana as its wielder¡­I have to admit it after seeing this myself.] [I don¡¯t like this¡­ I don¡¯t like this at all!] Carlos stood up, taking his spear along. His spear¡­ was emanating dull dark red glow due to certain magical enchantment. [Demon Spear Killburn.] It was said that it belonged to an unknown demon warrior before it somehow made its way to human hands and now, it¡¯s Carlos¡¯ spear. [This spear should be able to counteract that holy sword. I¡¯ll fight her myself¡­] [Please reconsider. A general shouldn¡¯t act only by following his whims.] Douglas quietly advised Carlos. [Although we sacrificed many soldiers, it doesn¡¯t really matter since they are all lower ranked aristocrats¡¯ soldiers. No need to worry about them.] Douglas laughed. [More will come after this. I wonder how long she could endure¡­ isn¡¯t it better to wait for that?] [¡­understood. Very well, there are still some time until Esteemed Father arrives anyways. So let¡¯s do things carefully] In Carlos¡¯ face, a smirk unbefitting of a prince bloomed. [Just wait you silver hair witch¡­ you¡¯ll regret your folly one day. I¡¯ll be sure to capture you and make you my sex slave. Yes¡­ I¡¯ll definitely enjoy messing her up!] Looking at the battlefield, the Redgear was clearly the one on the lead. And most of it could be attributed to one person, Princess Liliana. If one looked at the Arcadia forces, the troops provided by the aristocrats were obviously already in tattered state. [Let those Redgear weaklings do as they like for now and execute all the aristocrats who dare to retreat later. Afterward, we¡¯ll advance with the royal army.] Carlos announced as he left the battlefield. ===== ¡ô On the other front, Silvia who finally joined Ares was unable to hide her surprise. [When I heard that he had conquered both Trevoir and Brittany in such a swift manner, I couldn¡¯t believe it¡­ but he actually did it¡­] [Even if they were small countries, taking over two of them within a short five days is¡­ unheard of before. Not even the history of the whole continent ever mentioned such a feat.] Silvia¡¯s assistant officer, Astoria also added with astonishment. Silvia was supposed to take over the command of the forces to conquer Trevoir and Brittany. That¡¯s why she left the capital three days after Ares ¡­but it turns out that Ares had already taken both countries. When Silvia arrived, she was greeted by the sight of a man in white battle attire, with soldiers in black armor stood behind him. [It¡¯s good to meet you, Schwarzer¡¯s little lord] Silvia climbed down from her horse. [Your Highness has had a long journey. The resting place has been prepared in Trevoir palace, if You may.] Ares stepped forward and greeted back. He then walked side by side with Silvia. [Conquering two countries and not to mention in mere 5 days. Can you tell me your method so I can study it later?] [Nothing special in particular. It¡¯s all thanks to the soldiers¡¯ hard work. For details, Your Highness may ask Vulcas about it.] Ares replied with a laugh to Silvia¡¯s question. ===== ¡ô [Merry-go-round charge formation was it¡­? I¡¯ve never heard of it before.] Commented Silvia upon hearing the battle details from Vulcas. [But to think he took down Trevoir Palace without a fight.] [Perhaps, it¡¯s likely because the enemy did not anticipate for the blitz. Ares-sama said, the opponent¡¯s decision making capability will be dulled when facing such sudden pressure.] [I see¡­ I understand now. Alright then, Vulcas.] [Yes!] [You know that being an aide knight for him isn¡¯t your only duty¡­ so could you report the result now?] Before becoming a knight serving directly under the Emperor, Vulcas was originally one of Silvia¡¯s knights. His loyalty actually tilts more toward Silvia than the Emperor. The reason why Vulcas was appointed as Ares¡¯ observer this time was because Silvia had pulled some strings behind the scenes. Silvia asked him to observe Ares. [Ares-dono was astonishing. To the point that I¡¯m looking forward to what he¡¯ll do next¡­] Vulcas¡¯ face turned serious afterward. [Your Highness. You must not make an enemy out of him at all cost. I couldn¡¯t see through this man. This continent may have a lot of Heroes¡­ but I have a feeling he¡¯s a vessel that will go beyond that.] [¡­is that so?] [The world will change and he¡¯ll be at the center of it. I¡¯ve only spent about a week with him, but I was made sorely aware of this.. He¡¯s not exactly a horrible person to get along with anyways.] Silvia often relied on Vulcas¡¯ ability to judge a person¡¯s characteristics. If Vulcas even said that¡­ Silvia smiled silently in agreement. [Was my gut feeling was right? Then we cannot afford to let go of that man¡­ interesting. Very interesting¡­] CH 67 Chapter 67 ¨C Redgear Capital Fran Ares and co. left Trevoir immediately after Silvia joined. Originally, a deputy lord should be stationed on Trevoir for future government¡­but Ares decided to leave that to the Trevoir king who surrendered to him. [How foolish! You¡¯ll just get attacked from the back if you do that!] [There is still some discontent in Trevoir. What if they revolt?] Naturally, this decision was opposed by Silvia, as well as Astoria. [¡­let me explain the reason behind the decision.] [Can someone who doesn¡¯t trust their people¡­.be able to understand their heart?] [Are you saying you trust Trevoir king?] [He¡¯s no longer a king when he surrendered. He¡¯s now Arcadia Empire¡¯s servant. If he happens to revolt¡­ then my army will handle it, and it¡¯ll be my full responsibility even if it¡¯ll cost me my life.] Silvia who rode next to Ares, considered his words quietly. [Very well. I will trust the Schwarzer little lord¡¯s judgement this time] Thus, the entire army once again marched, this time under Silvia¡¯s leadership, leaving Trevoir under Louis¡¯ care. This time heading to Redgear. ===== ¡ô [We¡¯ll be entering Redgear border soon.] When Vulcas reported so, Silvia raised her voice. [Redgear¡¯s two fortresses are facing a siege at the moment¡­ making the capital vulnerable, is it not?] She turned to Ares. [Did you seriously plan all this in advance?] [Redgear is a strong country. Breaching the two fortresses will surely take some time. However, even if I did not expect that the two countries will fall in less than a week. I intended to make use of this head start to poke right at the opponent¡¯s heart] [That¡¯s why little lord applied for this front.] [Brittany and Trevoir were reluctant to participate in the war. They didn¡¯t even field their soldiers. Therefore, I believe that the two countries would fall easily if we move swiftly. And¡­ there is also the fact that Redgear capital city is only two days march from those two countries.] The capital of Redgear was already within sight. [Well, shall we attack?] Ares promptly replied to Silvia¡¯s question. [No, we cannot just yet. Let¡¯s wait for a while since not all the actors are in their position yet.] Ares said with a laugh. [If we attack now, the other side will most likely resist us desperately. Worse comes to worst, it¡¯ll cause the civilians to go against us. Even if we have the best of the best here, the casualties will still be great.] [But the capital will fall for sure if we attack now. At the moment, Redgear¡¯s three generals are busy at the frontline. Sacrifice is common in war, we should attack now¡­] [I prefer that no one has to die, even if it¡¯s my enemy. The less sacrifices we have to make, the better. And¡­ above all, it¡¯ll support our future endeavor if this plan succeeds.] Standing on the side of Silvia and Ares, Vulcas raised a question. [So Ares-dono is waiting for something¡­ but what are you waiting for?] [That is¡­] Ares replied with a mischievous face. [The strongest of Redgear, [Silver Knight Princess] Liliana Redgear.] ===== Lasse fortress was celebrating their success in intercepting the Arcadia forces. [Somehow, the guys at Soran fort are also doing okay.] Zion responded to Liliana¡¯s remark. [Yes, apparently Garn did his job well. Having Her Majesty here working with us is truly godsent.] [Nonsense. It¡¯s all thanks to both General Zion and General Garn¡¯s hard work, and most of all the soldiers] Riding the Heavenly Steed Pegasus, she¡¯s been going back at forth between the two fortresses. Whenever one of the fortresses was in peril, she would ride there to intercept the Arcadia forces and repel them valiantly. [Your Highness, are you not tired? The war is still ongoing. Pushing yourself too hard will put an impact on the future. Please get some rest. This Zion will manage the rest¡­] [Excuse me. A messenger from the capital has arrived¡­] The soldier apologized for interrupting their conversation. [A messenger from the capital¡­? Please bring us there.] Liliana remained silent¡­ but her mind was filled with a bad premonition. ===== ¡ô [Soldiers are sighted near the capital¡­?] [Yes. We are currently at a standoff. Even His Majesty Himself has donned His armor to lead the defense force. I was tasked to inform Princess Liliana to immediately return to the capital.] [Impossible¡­ does that mean both Trevoir and Britanny have fallen!?] Zion who was standing next to Liliana asked with a harsh voice. [Your Highness. This lowly one and Garn will handle the defense of the fortresses. Immediately return to Fran. The situation might still be unclear, but the fact remains that the enemy has come knocking on our door. If Fran fell, then everything is over. Please¡­ protect Fran and His Majesty.] Liliana responded to Zion¡¯s plea. [Understood. My brother is inexperienced in terms of war. Hurry up and lead me to Fran. General Zion, I leave the rest to you] [Yes!] Liliana then hurriedly walked out the door. [Hopefully, brother stays safe until I arrive¡­] ===== ¡ô The King of Redgear Wilfred is young but highly praised. Redgear was originally known for being regularly attacked by monsters. Therefore its military forces have to be tough enough to handle it. In recent years, the kingdom was blessed with the presence of Gold Tiger General Zion, Silver Bear General Garn and Silver Knight Princess Liliana who brought immense help in maintaining domestic security. Not only subjugating monsters, but they are also the backbone of the kingdom¡¯s defense against foreign invasion. On the other hand, the current king is young, but exceptionally capable in terms of politics and bureaucracy, promoting reforms in domestic management and enhancing national power. But for Wilfred, this would be the biggest crisis he had to deal with. One he never expected. [Liliana, returning for duty.] [Thank goodness you¡¯ve returned! Liliana!] Wilfred was leading the forces outside the palace. Although he¡¯s well capable in political matters, he¡¯s lacking in experience when it comes to war. That¡¯s why he was overjoyed to see Liliana¡¯s return. [Speaking of which, has the battle not started yet?] [Umu¡­at the moment I don¡¯t know what is going on¡­ we are still at a standoff¡­] [Their number is around 25,000. Similar to our own. They¡¯re probably being cautious.] Liliana looked at the enemy, which remained eerily quiet. [We must not let the standoff to last for far too long. Let¡¯s move out. I will take the lead.] With that, Liliana whipped up holy sword Alflex. Wilfred also responded in kind. [Wasting time like that, let them understand that we are the hunter here, not the prey!] ===== ¡ô [Enemy forces have started moving! A silver haired woman is in the lead¡­ it¡¯s Princess Liliana!] Hearing the scout report, Ares and Silvia stepped forward. [They¡¯ve started moving.] [Now all the actors are in position. The soldiers will meet them head on. If we delay it anymore, the damage will increase as well. Let¡¯s be on our way.] Silvia rode alongside Ares, watching as the army marched. Ares drew out his sword atop his steed, Saint. Sigurd called in from behind him. [Ares-sama. Shall I go to the front this time?] [I wish I could order you to¡­ but I need you to protect Her Highness Silvia. I should be fine on my own, although even I don¡¯t know how this will end.] Silvia¡¯s 10,000 Rose Knights and Ares¡¯ 5000 Black Legion marched in fervor. But the 10,000 Arcadia Empire army was lagging behind. Liliana did not miss this detail. [Blow aawaaaaaaaaaaaay!] Everytime Liliana waved her holy sword Alflex, many knights and soldiers were blown away like dry leaves in the wind. [Well then, I guess it¡¯s my turn.] Ares rode to the battlefield in a fairly relaxed manner. CH 68 Chapter 68 ¨C Sword Saint and Princess Knight Everytime Liliana waved the holy sword Alflex, many soldiers are blown away by the wave of magic. There are several famous swords in the continent. Those that aren¡¯t part of the [Seven Heavenly Swords] are called [Holy Swords]. Only three have been classified under this category. The holy swords are widely regarded as the ultimate swords for carrying the power of the goddess and naturally, they carry an immense amount of magic power. One of such swords is the Alflex Liliana is currently waving around. However, these holy swords have one major drawback. It chooses its wielder. In that respect, Alflex had chosen Liliana as its wielder and thus, an irreplaceable companion to her. A sword destined for her, so to speak. [I am Liliana! The first princess of Redgear Kingdom! Is there anyone in Arcadia who dare cross swords with me!?] Liliana rode through the battlefield while shouting that challenge. Faced with such an overwhelming power, naturally no one among the soldiers dared to accept her challenge. [The Arcadia army, said to be blessed by the heavens is unexpectedly sloppy. Is there no real man amongst you lot?] Liliana snorted as she decimated the fleeing soldiers. At that time, suddenly, she sensed a huge pressure approaching. She involuntarily looked toward the direction from where the pressure came. [Something is approaching me¡­ what in the world is it?] As she looked closer, she found a young looking knight on a white horse riding calmly towards her. [Oh, is it that woman? Is she Princess Liliana?] [O Master, that fellow brings along with her a strong capability. Better take this seriously¡­ or you might find yourself in peril.] [¡­are you worried about me?] [I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll lose.] He was riding in such a slow pace as though he¡¯s not in the middle of a battlefield. But Liliana realized that this young man is a strong opponent. Also¡­ [He¡¯s riding a talking horse? A magic beast?] Liliana was whispering to herself. But it still reached Saint¡¯s acute hearing. [That girl! How dare she compare me to those lowly magic beasts!] [Well, I bet anyone seeing a talking horse will be as surprised as she is.] Ares urged Saint to approach Liliana still. [This will be our first meeting. I am the son of Holy Arcadia Empire¡¯s Archduke, Ares Schwarzer. One of the generals of Arcadia forces. Might you be Redgear¡¯s Princess Liliana?] Liliana quietly grasped Alflex, pointing it toward Ares without giving any reply. [I do not know what are your intentions, but you are in my way. Are you prepared to bear the consequence?] [¡­good grief, you don¡¯t even let me explain myself. Why are you so hot headed?] [Well, it¡¯s only normal to have those kind of expressions in the midst of battlefield¡­what are you expecting?] [¡­Saint should just keep quiet¡­] Ares also drew out Divine Sword Oldeus from the [Seven Heavenly Swords] hanging around his chest. Oldeus emitted blue glow when charged with magic. Liliana eyed the sword with suspicion. [Is it a holy sword or a magic sword¡­ either way it¡¯s just a sword.] [Indeed¡­it¡¯s a sword that I couldn¡¯t say the name even if you force me to. It¡¯s that kind of sword.] Hearing that reply, Liliana laughed. [Interesting! I suppose I¡¯ll have to correct myself there! Perhaps I¡¯ll enjoy this exchange!] Ares also responded in kind. [Now that we are here¡­ allow me to gauge how good you truly are.] ===== ¡ô Everyone around could only bear witness to the duel in silence. There was no other sound but the whistling wind. The battlefield was unbelievably quiet. It was Liliana who made the first move. She galloped toward Ares to attack. [Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!] Following that roar, Alflex exploded in blue brilliant light that threatened to engulf Ares. [Too slow!] Ares received the blow with Oldeus, letting his own magic power to surge out. The magic power of Oldeus and Alflex clashed, creating a shockwave. Liliana laughed joyously. [You actually managed to receive my first attack. I think I¡¯ve finally found an opponent where I can go all out for once!] That said, without waiting for Ares¡¯ reply, Liliana released Alflex¡¯s power once again. It is said that holy swords and magic swords have their own special characteristics. The special trait of Oldeus is its [Invisible Slash]. As for Alflex¡­ [¡ºBody Strengthening¡»¡­what a troublesome ability.] [Show me what you are made of!] With the Body Strengthening improving her power exponentially, Liliana lunged towards Ares with a lightning fast thrust. [Kuh!] Ares involuntarily retreated a few steps. [This is it!] Liliana was convinced that victory is already within her grasp. She could slay high ranking demons, said to be the natural enemy of humankind, with this attack. She had this confidence. The opponent seemed to be slow in reacting and apparently, had been caught off guard. The thrust was certain to hit. Liliana had her sword pierced Ares¡¯ neck¡­or so it seemed. At that point, it took her a moment before realizing that she had been blown away. [¡­.ku¡­what is going on? Why am I the one being blown away¡­?] [Because what you pierced was just my afterimage.] The voice came from behind which made Liliana to turn around in a sudden reaction. What she saw there was the smiling face of Ares. Liliana had merely pierced Ares¡¯ afterimage. His movement was so fast that probably no one here had noticed. He had moved so quickly to avoid Liliana¡¯s attack. [There is still more!] But Liliana¡¯s attack did not stop there. She immediately attacked right after turning around. Due to Body Strengthening, the speed of her sword slashes were much faster than usual. In fact, the slashes were nearly invisible to normal eyes. Even so, Ares calmly watched the storm-like slashes. Alflex¡¯s special characteristic is that its [Body Strengthening] not only greatly improves speed but also strength to the point that one can cut down a golem made of stone in ease. Ares did not cower before that kind of power. He looked at it calmly, seemingly working on something. At this point, Liliana also began to understand the level of her opponent. At the same time, she started to feel humbled. [Why! Why it won¡¯t hit!?] [You have a lot of useless movement. I could tell that much.] [W-what!?] Ares jumped backward to disengage from Liliana. He then raised three fingers. [Three exchanges. We¡¯ll decide this duel in 3 sword exchanges.] Feeling underestimated, Liliana was visibly upset. [You¡­you gotta be kidding meeeeeeeeeee!!] Liliana jumped at Ares once more. Looking at the incoming attack quietly, Ares poured magic power into Oldeus. Responding to him, Oldeus started glowing in a dazzling bluish white light. [One!] An invisible slash attacked Liliana as Ares swung Oldeus. [Kuh!] Liliana did not stand idle as she willed Alflex to meet that attack but was still knocked back in the aftermath of their clash. [Kuh! What in the world is this?!] Meanwhile, Ares had already snuck in when Liliana regained herself. [Two!] Ares swung Oldeus in a vertical arc from below. Liliana still managed to block this attack as well, but couldn¡¯t accept it properly, resulting in her letting go of Alflex as her body being flung into the air. [Dammit!] [And the finishing strike!] A voice came from above Liliana who was still floating in the air. Looking up, Liliana saw Ares swinging Oldeus down. [I¡¯ll be careful not to kill you, but pardon me for it¡¯ll hurt a little¡­ three!] Ares smacked at Liliana¡¯s silver haired head with the flat of his sword. She was slammed to the ground as a result. (The world is wide¡­ I really can¡¯t afford to take it easy¡­) Liliana thought inwardly¡­as her consciousness faded. CH 69 Chapter 69 ¨C Capitulation The King of Redgear Wilfred watched as the nation¡¯s trump card, his sister Liliana, was swiftly defeated. Looking around, he found his vassals were disturbed by this result. [Her Highness is defeated? I-impossible] [W-what should we do now? The Arcadia army is just over there] [No, we still have our soldiers. We will make it somehow, right?] The vassals were in unrest. It¡¯s obvious that everyone of them was upset. Wilfred felt his innards boil. [Hurry up, prepare the formation! The enemy has the momentum now that Liliana is gone. They¡¯ll attack for sure!] Wilfred tried to rally the troops. But the unrest won¡¯t stop. It was particularly more intense among the soldiers who greatly respected the ¡ºSilver Princess Knight¡». For the Redgear army, Liliana, who had won many battles for them, was their symbol of power. Now that she¡¯s defeated, the entire army immediately fell into confusion. [Damn it! Is this what the enemy¡¯s real goal is¡­] Wilfred prepared for the attacking Arcadia forces. But nothing happened, even after some time had passed. ===== ¡ô [Please tell me why!?] Vulcas raised his voice. [If we attack the enemy forces now, we¡¯ll surely be able to take the King¡¯s head. But why we are not attacking now!?] Already, the General under Silvia showed some discontent. Meanwhile in the distance, Redgear army was still in confusion. [If we attack now, we¡¯ll conquer them in no time] [Then¡­] [But that¡¯s not the result I want.] Hearing that answer, Silvia probed further. [Then tell us. What results are you waiting for that you choose not to claim the victory right away?] Ares had advised Silvia to forbid the soldiers to go on offense and to order them to wait. But the knights as well as Vulcas wanted to rush in immediately with the gained momentum. Silvia, unable to discern Ares¡¯ real intention, was also curious. [As I said before, I want to minimize the casualties on both sides. We may be able to take the king¡¯s head if we attack now. But afterward, the Redgear army will turn into desperate forces unafraid of death. We¡¯ll be hard pressed to handle them, as they are actually quite strong.] [Also, if we forcefully destroy the troops here, the remaining forces at the two fortresses will continue to resist until the bitter end.] [There is also the consideration for future governance. The Redgear clan has their place in the commoners¡¯ hearts, especially princess Liliana. The whole army of Redgear Kingdom practically worships her. If we end this war by killing them, we¡¯ll also have to handle the revolt that will come afterward.] Ares laughed before resuming his explanation to Silvia. [Then why do we capture Liliana-dono¡­it was to cut down the enemy¡¯s hope. If she¡¯s still around, the situation will still be manageable for them. Now that their hope has been shattered, we only need to¡­.] Ares laughed once more. His tone sounded like he¡¯s playing a prank. [¡­..convince them to surrender] ===== ¡ô Wilfred spent the night sleeplessly, afraid that the enemy would attack at any given chances. That Arcadian silver knight who duelled Liliana. For Wilfred who considers Liliana as godlike being since childhood, her loss was a very heavy shock. [Reporting!] A knight entered Wilfred¡¯s tent and bowed respectfully. [Any movement?] The knight was evidently panicking when he reported to Wilfred. [A-a messenger from Arcadia forces has arrived!] Wilfred stood up without much thought. [I see¡­ then, could you tell me why you look so upset?] [That¡­well, Your Majesty, the messenger is¡­ the same person who defeated princess Liliana.] [What?!] Wilfred¡¯s reaction was a bit too much. It obviously caused the surroundings to become more upset. The demon-like Liliana was Redgear¡¯s symbol of victory. And now the one who defeated her is here¡­of course it was such a horror for them. After swallowing his saliva, Wilfred told the knight. [I understand¡­ let us meet him.] ===== ¡ô [I¡¯m the King of Redgear, Wilfred.] [Greetings, Your Majesty. I¡¯m here on behalf of the army commander Princess Silvia. My name is Ares Schwarzer.] The meeting started on a calm note. [Honored messenger-dono, I don¡¯t think we need any pleasantries. Let us get to the point. Liliana was defeated by you so your army should¡¯ve been able to defeat my confused troops with ease. But you didn¡¯t. Why? And what have you come here to tell me?] Ares observed Wilfred carefully. His kind and soft figure is rarely seen in royalty, much less being a king. One can see that from how he doesn¡¯t use honorifics on himself. Even so, his eyes are sharp and, as of now, they are trying to probe on what Ares¡¯ real intention is. (His skill that made Redgear flourish in recent years isn¡¯t only hearsay) Ares smiled quietly before revealing his intention to Wilfred. [Surrender.] [!?] [And if Wilfred-sama agrees, I will ensure the safety of this Redgear territory and its civilians.] What Ares proposed to Wilfred was to pull out the forces defending the 2 fortresses and an unconditional surrender. Otherwise the Redgear will be history. If the king himself is willing to work for Arcadia Empire, the Redgear would be able to preserve their territory. [I promise that we will not harm any of Redgear civilians. The whole Redgear territory will be preserved. And I promise that we not interfere further with your governance. As for the aristocrats, the Arcadia empire can promise them the position of baronet. You may also keep them around as mercenaries.] [So we¡¯ll still have our autonomy and the only change would be the name of the country¡­are you telling the truth?] [Yes, I am.] After a while, Wilfred finally said. [This is too good to be true.] Naturally, Wilfred was suspicious. If his army was defeated, the enemy would be able to plunder Fran freely. Moreover, the Arcadia Empire was famous for dealing with the resistance brutally after all. [Sure it sounds like a reasonable offer. But¡­] Ares cut in before he could finish. [Then would you please believe in me? You may not trust the Arcadia army, but you can put your trust in me, Ares Schwarzer.] ===== ¡ô Wilfred soon announced his surrender and that marked the end of Redgear Kingdom. And then, Ares¡¯ party entered Redgear capital Fran, waiting for the arrival of Emperor Sephiros. CH 70 Chapter 70 ¨C Three Countries Conquered [This is¡­] When Liliana opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a large chandelier. She was lying in the royal bedchambers. [You¡¯ve come around, Liliana.] That voice belonged to her brother Wilfred, who was sitting next to the bed. [Dear brother¡­why are you here? And why am I resting in this room instead?] Liliana couldn¡¯t made any sense about the situation. Wilfred them slowly told her what happened after she was defeated. ===== ¡ô [I lost¡­ and the Kingdom is no more.] Liliana muttered while biting her lower lip. [That is indeed what happened. However¡­ our country is still intact.] Wilfred said as he looked out through the window. Wilfred and Liliana were currently under house arrest. They are now at the western tower of the Fran Palace, waiting for their judgment when Emperor Sephiros arrives a few days from now. The scenery of the cityscape of Fran was reflected on Wilfred¡¯s eyes. He then asked. [Liliana, what makes a country?] [A country is¡­] [The country is made of its people, not its royalty.] Wilfred then turned to Liliana. [As long as its people remained, the country will be preserved as well¡­ regardless of what form it takes.] [B-but!] Liliana woke up in a jump. She held Wilfred¡¯s hand and raised her voice. [Emperor Sephiros is known to destroy any resisting countries thoroughly. If he comes¡­ the people, the city¡­ and dear brother will be done for.] [I still have ¡®his¡¯ promise.] Wilfred smiled reassuringly to Liliana. [The very same man who defeated you¡­ Ares Schwarzer said that he¡¯ll do something about it. I have chosen to believe in him.] [No way¡­ how would the Thunder Emperor be willing to listen to a mere army commander¡­?] [Right. Normally I would think so as well. But this man is really a strange one.] Wilfred cut in before Liliana could finish her sentence. [When you meet Ares-dono¡­and talk to him, you¡¯ll understand why. I feel that he¡¯ll make do somehow, which make me feel at ease. This is why I chose to believe in him] Wilfred gently smiled then turned to the window again Liliana could only sigh as she watched her brother. What this decision will bring in the future¡­ she couldn¡¯t tell. But she knew for sure that she and her brother would protect the country, even if it costs them their lives. Liliana resolved herself as she looked at her brother. ===== ¡ô Emperor Sephiros arrived at Fran two weeks after Redgear had fallen. Sephiros roamed around the palace alongside several aristocrats. Among them were the first prince Carlos and Archduke Saxon. They had a complex look on their face. When Sephiros arrived at the throne room, there were already Ares and Silvia waiting there. In addition to them, there were also the former king of Trevoir Louis, Wilfred, and the new representatives of the merchants of Brittany. When Sephiros finally sat on the throne, he began by speaking to those who present. [Everyone, what a great achievement. This way, We could march to Grants with ease. Your efforts will be rewarded in due time. But first of all, I will announce My decree to the surrendering Redgear, Trevoir, and Brittany.] Emperor Sephiros signaled the person standing beside him, who in turn handed him a piece of parchment. [I hereby decree, first of all, that the Brittany Federation is to pay taxes twice a year. The amount will be decided in the future accordingly. Other than that, Empire will not meddle in the businesses and autonomy as much as possible.] Some, who were present, were surprised at this unexpected decision. [As the King of Trevoir Louis has submitted to the Empire, henceforth he will serve the Empire as the Earl of Trevoir. His territory will include the entirety of Trevoir just as we agreed upon.] [Thank you very much.] Louis bowed deeply while throwing a glance at Ares, who responded with a smile. [And lastly, regarding Redgear Kingdom¡­] Sephiros was known to deal with any countries that went against him violently. This time, Redgear resisted the advance of both the first prince Carlos and Archduke Saxon. Kill the entire royal clan¡­raze the capital Fran¡­ he would not hesitate in doing those kind of things. It raised the tension of everyone present. [Fort Lasse and Fort Soran are to be emptied and demolished immediately.] The two fortress the Redgear was most proud of are going to be demolished. It¡¯s something within everyone¡¯s expectations. It¡¯s nothing surprising. The most important thing is what follows afterward. The disposal of the royal clan and the people of this country. Everyone was waiting in apprehension. He then resumed. [The King of Redgear Wilfred is hereby given the status of an Earl. The Redgear Kingdom will henceforth become the vassal territory to the Empire with the Earl of Redgear to govern it. Redgear¡¯s aristocrats are given a choice to report to the Empire should they want to serve the Empire as a baronet or to remain on Redgear and be confiscated from their title and land. It was just as Ares said which immensely surprised Wilfred. The other aristocrats couldn¡¯t help but to discuss about this quietly. [And that¡¯s it? Just like that?] [Such an unprecedented benevolence. But why..] The discussion became more heated in a brief moment. [Asking for permission to speak!] A man stood up in the midst of that commotion. Everyone immediately turned to the source of that voice, which was the First Prince Carlos. [We suffered great damage from the Redgear forces¡¯ resistance. That decision is too kind for what they¡¯ve done. Please reconsider.] Carlos glared at Wilfred then turned back to Emperor Sephiros. Sephiros merely watched as Carlos shouted. [Then do you have any suggestions?] [Yes. Execute the entire Redgear royal clan. Raze the capital Fran to ashes. Otherwise, there will be others who dare to oppose the Empire.] [You said so much. And yet you couldn¡¯t even breakthrough the fortress.] [!? T-that¡¯s¡­] Carlos couldn¡¯t say anything to refute that. But he didn¡¯t seem to be content yet. Following that, another aristocrat also raised his mind. [This lowly one feels that the title of Earl is too high. Was it part of the agreement for the capitulation?] Sephiros turned to the source of that sound this time then replied. [Both Redgear and Trevoir are powerful. Only the title of Earl would fit their strength.] Sephiros then stood up. [That is all for My decree. Now, Ares Schwarzer, as leader of the vanguard of the first team, has procured a great achievement. In regards to conquering Grants, I will leave it to him] [Ha..] [Now we start the full scale battle against Grants. As the vanguard, I will leave this to Ares Schwarzer once more. I hope he will continue his success this time as well.] [Asking for permission to speak.] Another one raised his hand, which Sephiros motioned to talk. It was the little lord of the Rozenheim, Scion. [I wish to suggest that both the first prince Carlos and Archduke Saxon to become the vanguard this time. The forces of both generals are still in high morale and ready to play an active role. Ares-dono and Her Highness Silvia have gone through a lot of things in this previous battles, thus would it be better for them to take a rest for once?] [Fumu¡­] Sephiros gave some thoughts to Scion¡¯s suggestion, then turned toward Carlos and Georg. Both of them immediately strode forward. [Please give me the chance to redeem myself!] [We will do our best this time!] The other aristocrats soon followed suit. [We will follow His Highness and His Honor Archduke. ] [Chance to redeem ourselves!] Many raised their voices. For other aristocrats, having Ares take the reins will not bring them benefits. The Schwarzer is already frightening as is. If they allow Ares to raise more merits, his influence will bring disturbance to the factional dispute in the capital. Witnessing this, Sephiros finally made the decision. [Very well. Carlos and Georg will be the vanguards this time. Ares and the rest are to lead the reserve forces. Good?] [This Ares has no objection.] Ares also deeply bowed. ===== ¡ô Everyone had different thoughts in their mind right now. Scion was laughing in satisfaction. It won¡¯t benefit Scion if Ares were to gain more merits. And by offering a suggestion here and agreed upon by the Emperor himself, he could show his influence to the others. And if Carlos and Georg do well¡­ it¡¯ll also be a good development for him. On the other hand, Carlos was struggling to restrain his anger. He was once again being done in by Ares. If he also failed this time, his path to the throne succession will be impeded. He also feared that he had played himself into Scion¡¯s hands. But he had to take any opportunity that came in his way. [I won¡¯t forget¡­ this humiliation.] Keeping that in his mind, Carlos could only glare daggers at Ares. Ares merely smiled as he listened to his surroundings. Silvia looked suspiciously at Ares. He didn¡¯t object to Scion¡¯s suggestion. No matter how one¡¯s think, it¡¯s the aristocrats¡¯ ploy to impede Ares¡¯ achievement. Ares should¡¯ve aware of this as well¡­ but why? The person in question merely smiled calmly as if nothing happened; no, he¡¯s enjoying this situation. This fellow is definitely planning something again¡­ Aside from all the speculations, Arcadia empire finally entered the phase of direct war against the Grants Principality. CH 71 Chapter 71 ¨C Grants Principality [What are you planning?] In the hallway, after Emperor Sephiros left and the court was adjourned, Silvia grabbed Ares¡¯ hand and asked. [This time around, no matter how you think about it, it¡¯s a trap set up by others. Are you fine with it? At least tell me something] Ares then looked at Silvia closely. [I was expecting this. Certainly, I¡¯ve done too much to warrant that trickery.] He said so as he smiled quietly. [But it¡¯s fine. They may try to prevent us from getting more merits.., but the Grants Principality¡¯s soldiers are not to be trifled with. Truly one of a kind. Even if both Carlos and Archduke Saxon work together, it¡¯ll still be difficult for them to achieve victory. Even if they bring the entire Arcadia Empire¡¯s military forces with them¡­ I think it¡¯ll still be difficult. No worries, we¡¯ll have our turn.] Silvia was surprised upon hearing his reply. [That is ridiculous¡­ they are no more than 30,000 strong. Our Empire has more than 300,000 soldiers. How in the world¡­] [I¡¯ve received information that their actual number is actually closer to 50,000. Some of the soldiers are in hiding. And¡­these hidden soldiers are different from others. If they are led by an excellent general¡­then I don¡¯t think Carlos and Archduke Saxon will stand a chance.] ===== ¡ô The Grants Principality is a unique nation in both geographical and cultural terms. To its west is the Arcadia Empire, its east are large mountain ranges, its north is a vast grassland and the smaller eastern countries like Trevoir and Redgear are in its south. [Cursed Land] Grants was known as such. In the northern grasslands lived another ethnic group called the Horsemen, feared for their raiding habits. In the eastern mountain lives the dwarves that hated to socialize, constantly engaged in skirmishes with neighboring countries. And to the south of the mountain ranges, there lives another ethnic group called the Aryans. Their tribe took pride in their powerful physique. Appearing from time to time, they would wreak havoc and pillage small towns and villages. That¡¯s not all. In the west, there is ¡ºThe Mysterious Earth¡», where various magic beasts and demonkin lives. That place was ruled by the¡ºDemon Lords¡». Grants, Redgear, Trevoir, and Brittany¡­ if those four countries were conquered, the road to unite the east will be wide open. It¡¯s really important, but Grants had thwarted all of Arcadia¡¯s efforts up until these days. The reason why Grants Principality is so strong¡­ most likely tied to the fact that they have to continuously fight with those different ethnic groups as well as the magic beasts and demonkins led by the demon lords. There is no discrimination between the demihumans in this country. Such things are trivial matters when strength is justice and the need to defend their country is greater than anything else. ====== ¡ô [An excellent general you say¡­ do you mean the Sovereign of Grants, Gail? But he¡¯s been sick¡­] [Only the ignorants would not know about Sovereign of Grants Gail. He may not be able to participate in battle due to his sickness. But¡­ his heir turned out to be an excellent individual as well. Not many knows about him yet, but Darius¡¯ heroics will soon surpass even his father.] [Darius? I think I¡¯ve never heard that name before?] [I heard that he mostly deals with the northern barbarians and the demon lords. Apparently that¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t participated in regional war yet.] After giving it a thought, Silvia asked Ares. [Well then, what should we do?] [For now I¡¯ll just accompany Your Highness and wait. As for the upcoming battle¡­let¡¯s just enjoy the show.] Ares smiled mischievously. Silvia looked at that smile¡­and frowned. Wondering what would happen on the battle to come. CH 72 Chapter 72 ¨C Darius Grants One week after the forces led by the first prince Carlos and Archduke Saxon marched, the main forces led by Emperor Sephiros departed from Redgear. The Emperor went to war for the first time after several years. This emboldened the aristocrats who were accompanying him. The report about the current war situation arrived two weeks after the departure of the vanguard. The messenger entered Sephiros¡¯ tent. The main forces is about to enter Grants¡¯ territory. [Pardon me! Archduke Saxon¡¯s 30,000 strong forces is almost routed!] [Pardon me! Prince Carlos¡¯ forces was repelled! Currently trying to retreat and regroup!] The aristocrats became noisy upon hearing the reports. [Impossible!] [Archduke Saxon and Prince Carlos: both of them led the elites of our army! Both are renowned generals of Arcadia Empire. There must be some mistake!] [I can¡¯t imagine Archduke Saxon¡¯s elites being routed!] Sephiros watched intently as the aristocrats are making a fuss before finally speaking in a dignified tone. [We will march to the capital Heinz earlier than planned. Tell Carlos and Georg to regroup with the main force after they¡¯ve recouped their army.] The aristocrats calmed down. Regrouping with the main force means that the vanguards had failed their task. The fuss between the aristocrats continued, albeit silently©`©`©` ===== ¡ô [I heard they are Arcadia¡¯s greatest generals, but this is surprisingly boring.] The certain general who led the Grants¡¯ army personally to battle watched on as Carlos¡¯ army retreated. This person stood there in the midst of piling corpses. [The world-famous Arcadia forces¡­ I thought that they¡¯ll be more entertaining.] [No, our Boss is just too strong.] The person standing next to him responded. [Our Boss has been tempered through fights against barbarians and demonkins. Otherwise¡­ we wouldn¡¯t be following Boss here.] Another person standing nearby, who happened to look like a brigand, the deputy officer Dirk, laughed. At the same time, the man he called his master also had a ferocious smile on his face. That Grants army general was a person named Darius. Not only he is the prince of Grants, but he¡¯s also the heir to the throne. Darius is a black-eyed, 2 meter-tall man. His face was cool and neat looking, while his body consisted of well-developed muscles, casting a very striking image while he stands in the battlefield. There was no horse that could handle being ridden by him so he rode a bull instead. It¡¯s because a normal horse would soon collapse in exhaustion while being ridden. He wields a 4 meter-long great spear forged from the heaviest black iron, the overall weight no less than 100 kilograms. [Overwhelming Violence.] The only words fit to describe Darius. He doesn¡¯t use magic since he has no affinity for it. However, his might alone was enough to turn the entire battle around. Whenever the great spear was swung to a direction, several enemy corpses would fall in its wake. Darius was not originally born as a warrior. He was born from Gail Grants¡¯ relationship with a female beastkin. Then why was he recognized as the heir to the throne? It was due to his overwhelming valor. For a country of fighters like Grants, strength is the most important factor. Therefore, they don¡¯t discriminate between beastkin, dwarves, and even demonkin as all of them are considered important to their forces. Seeking more strength, its people were often involved in a liaison with various people. As a result, 30 to 40% of the population are mixed blood. Among those mixed blood of humans and beastkin, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that Darius is the best result of these decades old cross-breeding tradition in Grants. The nobility, honor and the Grants¡¯ royal combat technique that had been passed down for years, the superb agility of beastkin, the strength of dwarves, the valor and ferociousness of the Aryans and the aggression of the Northern Horsemen. All of those were combined within Darius, who was recognized as a member of royalty after defeating his numerous other siblings. No one was actually against this decision. Darius never appeared in regional battles between countries before. It¡¯s because there were his other siblings and generals to lead the army. However, the battles against the barbarians, Demon Lords and the Aryans are a different matter. They would invade Grants with an overwhelming power every time. Thus Darius was dispatched to contend against these invaders each time and won each of his battles through his power that could overwhelm demon lords and barbarians alike. The similar case happened here. He pounced upon Arcadian vanguard with pure violence, routing the Archduke Saxon¡¯s army and repelled Prince Carlos¡¯ forces. [Excuse me!] A messenger reported to Darius. [The retreating Arcadian army seems to have regrouped at Depay River!] Hearing the report, Dirk asked Darius. [Well then, how do you want to do it?] [¡­do you need me to answer?] [Understood. Alright then, let¡¯s rout their entire force.] Darius smiled ferociously upon hearing Dirk¡¯s response. ===== ¡ô The Depay River flowed south from the Grants capital Heinz. Although terrible when it flooded during the rainy season, the river was usually calm. And beyond this Depay River¡­ was a view that enraged Carlos. [Regroup quickly! If we don¡¯t attack Grants once more¡­ if I can¡¯t conquer it, I will be asked to bear the responsibility!] That only means he has retired from the race to the succession of the throne. Carlos knew Emperor Sephiros does not tolerate failure, not even towards his own relatives. For Carlos who was known as the Mad Prince and Arcadia¡¯s Young Lion, this would be his first and probably greatest defeat. He couldn¡¯t do anything. Unafraid of arrows and magic, Grants¡¯ soldiers would charge on again and again. And above all, was that bull-riding giant of a man who led those madmen. That man should be the general known as Darius. Just from a simple swat of Darius¡¯ spear, many soldiers would fall like flies. [In any case, I must kill that man¡­ no matter what¡­] Carlos then nodded to himself. [E-enemy! The Grants soldiers are attacking from the north of the river!] A nearby soldier came in to report at the same time. A roar reverberated throughout Carlos¡¯ body. [Their numbers are unknown. Y-Your Highness should immediately esca¡­eeergh!!] The body of that reporting soldier was swatted away as if he had no weight. [W-what¡­] Again, a roar reverberated within the soldiers¡¯ very being. Following that¡­ was a loud explosion on the nearby rocks. And the item stuck on what was left of that rock was a single iron spear. [H-how do you even throw this kind of spear¡­?] It was nothing but a declaration that his life can be snuffed out at any time. [Y-Your Highness! Please escape from this place. There will be another chance if you stay alive!] Douglas Hoover, who served as Carlos¡¯ deputy officer, rushed to his side. [B-but¡­] [At this rate, we¡¯ll be routed by the enemy. Our opponent this time is in a completely different league than that white-haired wench. Anyways, let¡¯s retreat from this place. Raid! Raid, where are you!?] Douglas called for one of the remaining Carlos¡¯ best generals, Raid. [Yes! Did you call?] [We will retreat from this place. You¡¯ll become our Lord¡¯s rearguard.] [Haha! I never fear the Grants! Leave it to me for they shall not pass.] Having said so, Raid bravely rode to the battle. Looking back, Carlos was overwhelmed with a sense of defeat. [Daaaaaaaaaaammmmmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!] And so, Carlos¡¯ forces were routed. His army¡­ was destroyed in no time at all to the point that they won¡¯t be able to recover anymore; just like what happened to Archduke Saxon¡¯s forces¡­ ===== Dirk had spent a long time alongside Darius, but he was lost for words seeing his lord¡¯s action this time. [Our Boss is¡­ someone who is beyond any common sense] When Darius arrived in the battlefield, he promptly threw his iron spear. The spear was thrown with such force that it caused loud roaring sounds as it broke through the ranks of the remaining Arcadia soldiers. [The enemy is retreating! Now is our chance!] Darius rode happily toward the fleeing enemy, leaving the stunned Dirk behind. [Hoooooooooooooo!!] Everytime he roared, the Arcadia soldiers around him would become corpses. [Darius-sama had already charged in! Don¡¯t get left behind! They are neither demonkin nor the Aryans nor the barbarian horsemen! Just regular men!] Behind him were fearless soldiers who had spent many battlefields along with him It was a one-sided massacre. When Darius and his soldiers were rampaging chaotically¡­ [Are you the general of this army?] A person stood before Darius. Darius saw a man around his height approaching him while wielding a hexagonal rod. [My name is Raid! The one who leads the glorious army of His Highness Carlos! Come!] After saying so, Raid attacked Darius. Raid was a general in the capital. Formerly the head of bandits, he bought his way to serve under Carlos. Despite his upbringing, his ability was a real deal, forcing Carlos to take note of him and personally recruited him to serve him at the capital. Raid himself has ambition and is confident with his own ability. He saw this situation as a chance. If he managed to defeat Darius and turned the situation around by himself, Carlos would surely reward him immensely. [Haaaaaa!!] Raid swung his hexagonal rod with all his might. Yet Darius received it calmly. Raid¡¯s hexagonal rod clashed with Darius¡¯ iron spear five times. After that, Darius lowered his spear, obviously disappointed. [The Mad Prince of Arcadia, Carlos. I was actually looking forward to seeing you in battle¡­ how disappointing.] [Wha! What the!] Those words greatly hurt his pride. Raid recklessly charged in. A warrior can discern the ability of the opponent after clashing weapons with them. This time Raid sensed an overwhelming difference in ability that he never felt before. £¨¡­There is no such thing! I¡¯ve reached my current place through my ability alone. This must be wrong.£© [Such a nuisance¡­now die.] Saying so, Darius moved his spear rapidly¡­with such an unprecedented speed. [Hagya!] Raid could barely block that attack with his hexagonal rod¡­ even so, the spear pierced through the rod and through his head. At that point, his head exploded into pieces of blood and flesh. After confirming his kill with a glance, Darius roared at the soldiers. [Alright¡­let¡¯s march ahead. Kill them until they are completely crushed!] [HHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!] ===== ¡ô In one corner of the Arcadia encampment, Schwarzer¡¯s army camp. Ares was receiving Zekka¡¯s report. [So far, both the forces of Archduke Saxon and Prince Carlos have been routed, but safe to say that those two managed to escape with their lives still intact.] [I see¡­ thank you.] Ares laughed and turned towards Sigurd. [As expected, those two were defeated. Both of them will now have to act like an adult for once. His Highness is the most pitiful. He¡¯ll now be one step behind in the struggle for the succession of the throne.] [It¡¯s just as Ares-sama predicted.] [No¡­ it¡¯s not exactly as I predicted. Rather, it¡¯s beyond my expectations.] He was reminded of a certain warrior on Zekka¡¯s report. [The main force of Grants Principality¡­ turns out to be stronger than I expected. And Darius Grants who leads those armies¡­ suffice to say that he¡¯s a nightmare.] [That¡¯s rare for Ares-sama to praise others.] [I have to re-evaluate the situation. Whether they are old or young, they are still considered heroes. The Saxons and their army are not weak. They were defeated because someone grossly overpowered them. And this someone is a person of unusual valor. Even if Sigurd and I worked together, we still may not be able to defeat him. For once¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­ if I can win.] [I thought as much when I heard Zekka¡¯s report. I¡¯d rather not to meet him in battle.] [¡­shouldn¡¯t you be happier to find such an opponent?] Ares laughed a little when he saw that Sigurd¡¯s eyes were brimming with anticipation. Sigurd is always happy to find anyone who he can compete with for real. Certainly¡­ even if he can¡¯t defeat Darius, Sigurd would still be able to hold that scary man off. Although it may cost Sigurd his life. [If only¡­] Ares muttered quietly. An army that could overwhelm the Arcadia Empire forces and a warrior of overwhelming might such as Darius. [I wonder if he¡¯s the right person for me to get along with for my ambition? Interesting, most interesting¡­] Sigurd could only inwardly thought when seeing Ares said all that while laughing eerily. (When Ares-sama makes that kind of face¡­it¡¯s not that he¡¯s gone insane. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s found someone who he must absolutely obtain no matter what method he must use¡­ somehow I feel sorry for that Darius already¡­] Sigurd bids his condolences for a guy he never even met before. CH 73 Chapter 73 ¨C The Battle of Heinz Part 1 [I see. So His Highness Carlos and Archduke Saxon have returned to the capital¡­ well, they virtually did nothing.] Rozenheim\s little lord Scion murmured as he read the report. Carlos and Georg¡¯s return to the capital was a shocking news. Failure is unforgivable. Regardless of whether those two are the Empire¡¯s great generals, they¡¯ll still be punished for their failures. It goes to show Emperor Sephiros¡¯ attitude to his army. Scion crumpled the paper and threw it away. [Only those two were deemed responsible for the defeat¡­.weren¡¯t they? I suppose I can consider this as my luck¡­ but they are really not worth it. The names of the¡ºArcadia Young Lion¡»and¡ºTiger of Saxon¡»have been smeared.] It was Scion who proposed this plan. He meant it to win the generals¡¯ favor, thus giving him some benefits¡­that was his original intention. But on the contrary, both of the generals suffered losses and had become a liability. Fortunately he himself was not held responsible, but there are various aristocrats blaming him for the failure. [Those aristocrats are ignorant fools¡­ unsightly pulling my leg down.] And there is also one fact the doesn¡¯t interest Scion¡­ the growing demand for Ares to take the lead in lieu of his achievement in previous battles. [At this rate, that guy will tilt the tables¡­ and that won¡¯t benefit me in the future. Let¡¯s try to erase him before he can make any changes¡­] Muttering that, Sion looked at the small box nearby and picked it up. [I¡¯ve decided that it¡¯s time to use this¡­ I need to move carefully¡­] Scion stroked the box¡¯s lid as he said so. ===== ¡ô Sephiros switched his battle plan into using the entire Arcadia forces to siege the capital Heinz. While Scion and Silvia remaining at the rear, Ares was stationed near the Emperor Sephiros. Sigurd and the Black Legion readily following behind him. [I never intended to make this battle a war of attrition. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll commence all-out war.] That was the order Sephiros had commanded to the entire army. This caused so much tension among the aristocrats as they waited for the next morning to come. But tomorrow, should the Arcadia forces suffer another loss, then it will be¡­ ===== ¡ô [Looks like the siege will be finished soon.] [And in the morning¡­ will be an all-out war.] Darius and Dirk discussed as they oversaw the situation from atop the hill. [That means¡­ the best moment is tonight.] Having said so, Darius commanded Dirk [Alert the Thousand Knights. We are going to attack tonight. The target is the Arcadia forces¡¯ ¡®headquarters and Emperor Sephiros¡¯ head. The reward for those who took it is freedom!] [Yes!] And so, the Battle of Heinz that will propel Darius¡¯ name worldwide, began. ===== The Arcadia army refrained from attacking the next morning. The area was covered by thick fog, reducing visibility to a minimum. Despite supposedly preparing for a total war, the size of the Arcadia forces is still very large. Many of them are still sleeping soundly in their tent. The day was very calm. The silence was broken when a long spear was thrown to the tent where Emperor Sephiros was staying in. [Enemy! They are attacking¡­ from behind!] The 300,000 strong army was sent into a panic by that single spear. The Arcadia soldiers were not really aware of their surroundings as they had little to no grasp to the geography. On the other hand, for Darius, the campsite of the Arcadia forces is already like a playground which he knew every nook and cranny. The knowledge of the surrounding terrain and the heavy fog allowed Darius to plan his ambush without a hitch. Darius did not stay inside Heinz and instead marched through the back of the hills with the Grants army. He succeeded in laying the ambush and came very close to the Arcadia forces¡¯ headquarters.. [Take the Emperor¡¯s head! That¡¯s the only thing you need to do! No need to think about other things!] Everytime Darius screamed and swung his spear, the number of corpses on the ground would increase. The Arcadian elite royal guards were slaughtered without mercy. [I have never heard about this guy back at the capital¡­huggya!!] [Barbarian fools! You¡¯ll become the rust of my swo¡­haggyaa!] The royal guards who were supposedly elite knights were taken down with ease by Darius. When Darius caught sight of the Emperor¡­ He also noticed another man standing there at the corner of his sight, smiling. He did not give it much thought at that point¡­ Darius still didn¡¯t know¡­ The man who stood next to the Emperor, would be the one who¡¯ll change his destiny. CH 74 Chapter 73 ¨C The Battle of Heinz Part 1 [I see. So His Highness Carlos and Archduke Saxon have returned to the capital¡­ well, they virtually did nothing.] Rozenheim\s little lord Scion murmured as he read the report. Carlos and Georg¡¯s return to the capital was a shocking news. Failure is unforgivable. Regardless of whether those two are the Empire¡¯s great generals, they¡¯ll still be punished for their failures. It goes to show Emperor Sephiros¡¯ attitude to his army. Scion crumpled the paper and threw it away. [Only those two were deemed responsible for the defeat¡­.weren¡¯t they? I suppose I can consider this as my luck¡­ but they are really not worth it. The names of the¡ºArcadia Young Lion¡»and¡ºTiger of Saxon¡»have been smeared.] It was Scion who proposed this plan. He meant it to win the generals¡¯ favor, thus giving him some benefits¡­that was his original intention. But on the contrary, both of the generals suffered losses and had become a liability. Fortunately he himself was not held responsible, but there are various aristocrats blaming him for the failure. [Those aristocrats are ignorant fools¡­ unsightly pulling my leg down.] And there is also one fact the doesn¡¯t interest Scion¡­ the growing demand for Ares to take the lead in lieu of his achievement in previous battles. [At this rate, that guy will tilt the tables¡­ and that won¡¯t benefit me in the future. Let¡¯s try to erase him before he can make any changes¡­] Muttering that, Sion looked at the small box nearby and picked it up. [I¡¯ve decided that it¡¯s time to use this¡­ I need to move carefully¡­] Scion stroked the box¡¯s lid as he said so. ===== ¡ô Sephiros switched his battle plan into using the entire Arcadia forces to siege the capital Heinz. While Scion and Silvia remaining at the rear, Ares was stationed near the Emperor Sephiros. Sigurd and the Black Legion readily following behind him. [I never intended to make this battle a war of attrition. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll commence all-out war.] That was the order Sephiros had commanded to the entire army. This caused so much tension among the aristocrats as they waited for the next morning to come. But tomorrow, should the Arcadia forces suffer another loss, then it will be¡­ ===== ¡ô [Looks like the siege will be finished soon.] [And in the morning¡­ will be an all-out war.] Darius and Dirk discussed as they oversaw the situation from atop the hill. [That means¡­ the best moment is tonight.] Having said so, Darius commanded Dirk [Alert the Thousand Knights. We are going to attack tonight. The target is the Arcadia forces¡¯ ¡®headquarters and Emperor Sephiros¡¯ head. The reward for those who took it is freedom!] [Yes!] And so, the Battle of Heinz that will propel Darius¡¯ name worldwide, began. ===== The Arcadia army refrained from attacking the next morning. The area was covered by thick fog, reducing visibility to a minimum. Despite supposedly preparing for a total war, the size of the Arcadia forces is still very large. Many of them are still sleeping soundly in their tent. The day was very calm. The silence was broken when a long spear was thrown to the tent where Emperor Sephiros was staying in. [Enemy! They are attacking¡­ from behind!] The 300,000 strong army was sent into a panic by that single spear. The Arcadia soldiers were not really aware of their surroundings as they had little to no grasp to the geography. On the other hand, for Darius, the campsite of the Arcadia forces is already like a playground which he knew every nook and cranny. The knowledge of the surrounding terrain and the heavy fog allowed Darius to plan his ambush without a hitch. Darius did not stay inside Heinz and instead marched through the back of the hills with the Grants army. He succeeded in laying the ambush and came very close to the Arcadia forces¡¯ headquarters.. [Take the Emperor¡¯s head! That¡¯s the only thing you need to do! No need to think about other things!] Everytime Darius screamed and swung his spear, the number of corpses on the ground would increase. The Arcadian elite royal guards were slaughtered without mercy. [I have never heard about this guy back at the capital¡­huggya!!] [Barbarian fools! You¡¯ll become the rust of my swo¡­haggyaa!] The royal guards who were supposedly elite knights were taken down with ease by Darius. When Darius caught sight of the Emperor¡­ He also noticed another man standing there at the corner of his sight, smiling. He did not give it much thought at that point¡­ Darius still didn¡¯t know¡­ The man who stood next to the Emperor, would be the one who¡¯ll change his destiny. CH 75 Chapter 75 ¨C Plotting Due to Darius¡¯ ambush, Arcadia army temporarily gave up the siege of Heinzand retreated. The Arcadia army, said to be undefeated, actually retreated. Of course, the Heinz palace was overjoyed with the news. [As long as Darius-sama is with us, we will never lose!] [Arcadia army is nothing compared to the demons!] Cheers boomed within the palace. However, as he listened silently to those many joyful cheerings, Darius had a solemn look on his face. Noticing this, Dirk called him out. [Oya, Boss. Why do you seem to be in a bad mood?] [No idea¡­] Darius replied while looking outside the palace. He didn¡¯t say anything else afterwards. Darius had been thinking since then. About the first meeting with the two warriors that he could fight seriously. [We¡¯ll surely meet again soon¡­ can I win when that time comes¡­? Even so, it¡¯s exciting.] ===== ¡ô On the other hand, the Arcadia army was demoralized. The encampment was filled with arguing voices. [Letting that bastard near His Majesty, it¡¯s your fault!] [What did you say? You didn¡¯t do anything at all as well!] They blamed each other, unwilling to take responsibility. It¡¯s only natural. They all did escape before the enemy. Overseeing the conflict between the aristocrats, Ares merely smiled¡­ as though he already expected this to happen. And at that moment, Ares noticed that someone was staring at him. The gaze belonged to the Rozenheim¡¯s little lord Scion. Scion quietly looked away when he realized that he¡¯s been found. [His Majesty, the Emperor, has arrived!] The chamberlain announced the emperor¡¯s arrival loudly. The aristocrats hurriedly returned to their place and bowed until the emperor finally reached his chair. Of course, that also included Ares and Scion. After taking a glance at the surroundings, Emperor Sephiros spoke. [This time around, this Emperor has bothered everyone. This is our responsibility. Please forgive us.] [There is no need to say so, milord.] The first Princess Silvia was the first to respond, followed by the other aristocrats. These people were relieved because nobody had to take responsibility. [However¡­ We noticed that many present today are cowardly and disloyal people. They¡¯ll show themselves eventually. So be prepared.] Sephiros¡¯ cold words caused their faces to turn blue. [However, depending on their future merits, they might just be pardoned] [ [ [ [ Yes, Your Majesty! ] ] ] ] Everyone here knew. Standing there was their very Arcadia Empire¡¯s¡ºThunder Emperor¡»Sephiros Arcadia. He could¡¯ve killed them all right here right now. They certainly can¡¯t miss the chance. [Now, it¡¯s thanks to the great achievement of the Royal Guards and several others that We managed to retreat safely. They will be given rewards in due time. But first of all, We¡¯ll begin with the great achievement of Ares Schwarzer for his success in holding and repelling Darius Grants back.] Everyone on the spot immediately turned towards Ares. Many people witnessed Darius battle against Sigurd and later Ares, which ended up with the former retreating. [This achievement will surely be rewarded properly. Any objections?] No one showed any sign of objection. No, nobody dared to but¡­ [This servant has a request to Your Majesty.] Someone actually spoke up. It was the Rozenheim¡¯s little lord Scion. [Very well. Speak.] [Milord! As of now, the number of achievements Ares-dono had procured, while we are thankful for that, has surpassed anyone in this camp.] Saying so, Scion turned to Ares. [And everyone witnessed how Ares-dono repelled Darius. Probably, other than Ares-dono, nobody else is capable of defeating that beast.] What is he planning now¡­ all aristocrats thought the same thing. Ares also glared back to Scion, waiting for his next words. Scion took a deep breath and resumed. [I saw that Darius isn¡¯t someone who will wait for the opportunity to pass him by. If we strike out now, he¡¯ll surely come out of the palace.] After saying so, Scion turned once more to Sephiros. [Therefore, we should let Ares-dono to handle that beast. Meanwhile, we¡¯ll use our entire army to attack Heinz which has been spread out too thin.] [Oh, that¡¯s a good idea!] [I cannot think of a better way!] The other aristocrats also showed their agreement. Facing Darius is equivalent to suicide for any of them. Nobody wants to do it¡­that was the truth. Ares didn¡¯t seem to be against that idea as well. If by chance, he managed to defeat Darius¡­ then the emperor¡¯s attitude may ease up as well. Furthermore¡­. the implications are clear. The greatest achievement doesn¡¯t come from defeating Darius, but from conquering Heinz itself. To the one who killed Sovereign Gail Grants. Sephiros had been giving it some consideration himself. He finally raised his hand gently, signaling a hal to the noise the aristocrats made. They obediently fell silent, awaiting his next words. [The Rozenheim little lord¡¯s suggestion, We can understand. Does Schwarzer little lord have any objection?] [I don¡¯t.] Ares replied shortly. [In that case, Schwarzer¡¯s little lord Ares, hear your order. Defeat Darius and open the way to victory. How many soldiers do you need?] [We¡¯ll need to discuss that further.] When Sephiros asked about how many soldiers Ares would need, Scion once again spoke up. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Scion once more. [Ares-dono is a great general who managed to conquer 3 countries in less than a week. I hear that he also brought his own soldiers with him. Heinz is famous for being impregnable.] He then continued. [We cannot afford to reduce our own troops to topple it. I believe that the soldiers that Ares-dono had brought with him is enou¡­] [Impossible!] Silvia who had remained silent all this time finally spoke loudly. [It¡¯s the same opponent that defeated both my brother and Archduke Saxon as well as repelling back the 300,000 strong Arcadia army. Do you have any idea how much soldiers needed to put down that kind of enemy!?] [That¡¯s why, we can only rely on Ares-dono¡­] [Cut the nonsense! You have no idea how the war actually goes! Moreover, Ares-dono brought no more than 5000 troops with him] The two started to argue, but Ares himself actually raised his hand, taking everyone¡¯s attention to him. [¡­. I can be careless about that.] That words from Ares diffused the situation. [I¡¯m grateful that Her Highness Silvia spoke up for me. I thank you. However, as a measure, I have to agree with Scion-dono¡¯s suggestion. It¡¯s the best path we can take. I¡¯ll be Lord Darius¡¯ opponent.] Ares then resumed after a brief pause. [It¡¯s undeniable that we¡¯ll need all of our forces to topple Heinz. First, I will provoke Lord Darius to come out and fight me. The whole army can make use of the opening to conquer Heinz in the meantime. It may prove to be difficult to defeat Lord Darius¡­but it¡¯s true that we won¡¯t be able to conquer Heinz otherwise.] Silence spread throughout the audience. After narrowing his eyes for a short while, Sephiros finally announce his order. [Very well. Here is My order: Schwarzer little lord Ares and his troops are to hold back Darius Grants.] [Please wait!] It was Silvia who interrupted Sephiros. [Last time, Darius managed to repel the 300,000 strong Arcadian force. Ares-dono this time will only lead 5000 strong troops with him. I can only think of this as equivalent to suicide. At the very least, please add my troops to his¡­] [Ares-dono had conquered 3 countries with the same amount of troops. Shouldn¡¯t he be able to do so again?] Hearing Silvia¡¯s plea, Scion laid down his argument. [Rozenheim¡¯s little lord! Do you realize that it¡¯s the same as you are sending Ares-dono to his death!?] With the two started arguing again, the army leader as well as the head of the Imperial Knight, Randolph, finally raised his voice. [I must agree with Scion-dono. As Scion-dono said, judging from Darius¡¯ character, he¡¯ll surely come out to fight. However, he should also know better than to leave the palace empty. He won¡¯t bring too many army with him this time, am I correct?] Everyone stayed silent, listening to the words of the man who controls the entire military power of the Arcadia empire. [Lord Randolph¡¯s statement is exactly what I meant. Your Majesty, command us] Sephiros took that cue and announced his command. Adopting Scion¡¯s suggestion, only Ares and his private army will head out to Heinz. The entire main force will march back to Heinz a few days later to conquer it. With the decision made¡­ the war council was adjourned, and all those present returned to their own camp. ===== ¡ô When Scion returned to his camp, he called for a man. A man whose face was covered in mask and dressed in gray robe appeared before him. [O Gala, everything went according to your plan.] [¡­.thank you very much. With this, my hatred to that vessel of the¡ºWar God¡»will finally be appeased¡­] That man called Gala let out a creepy laugh. [That man will only have his own troops. Even I do not have any idea why he did not show any objection¡­ however, his actions still fit within my plan. After this, if everything went as planned, then all is fine. Without that man, milord will be able to reign over Arcadia¡­] Scion looked at the laughing Gala with a cold gaze. He picked up this man a few years ago, mostly because they have mutual interests. Scion was [to reign over Arcadia Empire] While Gala was [to bring chaos into Arcadia Empire] Scion did not understand one bit of what in the world the man is thinking or why he refused to show his face in public. However, thanks to Gala¡¯s help, Scion was able to become the head of the largest political faction in the empire. And he¡¯s still gaining even more power up to this day. This time, Gala insisted in removing Ares Schwarzer from the map. Gala referred to him as a vessel of the¡ºWar God¡»and showed clear hatred to the young man. Gala¡¯s proposed plans may also lead to the decline of Arcadia Empire. Of course, Scion thought that it¡¯s no good. However¡­ with Ares having gained too much recognition that he might overshadow Scion in the future, he had no choice but to follow Gala¡¯s suggestion this time. [I have to do it anyways¡­ especially in regard to¡ºthat¡», we must proceed with utmost care¡­] Scion whispered to himself as he looked at the small box that Gala has handed out to him.. ===== ¡ô Meanwhile, Ares was being lectured by Silvia. [Why did you not say any objection to His Majesty!? What are you thinking!? Are you seeking for death!?] Silvia shook Ares body violently with her two hands out of annoyance¡­ [Well¡­can you calm down and listen to me?] [How can I be calm?! Who will back Cornelia and Zerias if you are gone¡­] [Now now¡­ please listen to me.] Ares spoke gently as he peeled away Silvia¡¯s hands. [First of all, I must make this clear. His Majesty won¡¯t change his decision now.] [Guh¡­] Silvia couldn¡¯t refute that. Ares was right. Sephiros never took his words back. [Scion is undoubtedly planning something. Lord Randolph also acted suspicious, seeing how he had always remained silent up until then. I suppose he also wanted a bite out of me.] [That man should¡¯ve been in my brother¡¯s camp¡­ I see, he¡¯s changing his mind after my brother¡¯s previous failure] Silvia was hit by a realization. [But if you know that, why did you still go along with them? You shouldn¡¯t have given way so easily?] Ares responded with a smile. [Didn¡¯t I told Your Highness already back at Redgear?] Ares stuck out his tongue mischievously. [I want to rack up great merits and achievements that no one else could hope to compare. I¡¯m just that greedy.] [But you already¡­] [No, it¡¯s not enough yet. In this war, conquering Grants is the greatest goal. The one who managed to capture Heinz will get the greatest of merits. If I make such an achievement in this war, don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be a great backing for Cornelia and Zerias?] Ares continued to speak after laughing heartilly. [If one wants to gamble¡­ and it¡¯s best to go all in. When this battle is over¡­let¡¯s see what kind of face Scion and those aristocrats will make.] ===== The next day, Ares marched along with his 5,000 strong Black Legion. On the other hand, hearing the news, Darius also set out with 15,000 elite Grants soldiers. The battle that invoked so many speculations is about to begin. CH 76 Chapter 76 ¨C The Land of Demons Ares, unlike the Arcadia Empire forces that marched from the south through the Depay river, opted to lead the Black Legion elsewhere instead: to the¡ºLand of Demons¡». To the west of Heinz is a dense forest where demons and magic beasts live. The demon lords¡¯ residences were also scattered in this place. Thus the people of Grants called the forest the [Land of Demon] and never got to develop the region. More like they [cannot]. [Heinz has the Galia mountains in its east and the grassland in its north from where the threat of barbarians always existed. And there is this Land of Demons in its west. The only open path was from the south. Heinz is truly impregnable as other countries can only invade it through the south. The Land of Demon acts like a natural shield for Heinz, yet also one of the threats for Heinz itself.] Ares explained the reasoning behind his decision to Sigurd. [This area is already like lord Darius¡¯ playground. If we attack through here, he¡¯ll surely come¡­ in fact, this is the only place where we could afford to have a showdown with him] Ares nodded lightly. [After that¡­ what kind of hand Rozenheim¡¯s Scion will play next¡­ it¡¯s a bit worrying.] According to the information that Ares had, Darius left many soldiers back home and only marched to the Land of Demon with about 10,000 men. Also, the two forces will clash in two days. ===== ¡ô [Black armored cavalry¡­ this is the first time I¡¯ve seen something so spectacular¡­] On Dirk¡¯s comment, Darius squinted his eyes to have a better look at his opponent. He could only agree with his lieutenant. [None of the soldiers I¡¯ve seen so far are these unified. It shows a high level skill¡­ we should be careful when engaging them¡­ hmm?] While Darius and Dirk were exchanging thoughts, a single arrow flew towards Darius with loud swishing noise as it cut through the air. [What!?] [Boss!?] Darius caught the arrow with its tip merely a few centimeters away from his face. [So you are trying to imitate me¡­hmm?] Darius noticed that there is a letter strapped on the arrow. He read the contents and grinned. [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.interesting. The enemy general has invited me for a meeting.] [¡­.Boss will just beat him¡­ is he stupid or what¡­] [No, this goes to show how confident he is ¡­back then, I only managed to sample his strength for a short while. I might be able to enjoy myself this time.] After crushing the paper with his hand, Darius headed to the appointed hill. ===== ¡ô When Darius arrived one the appointed place, a young man in white battle attire was already waiting there. [This will be the first time we officially meet.] Darius laughed at Ares and got down from his bull steed¡­ he¡¯s just that kind of man. Ares jumped down from Saint as well and also laughed. It¡¯s like two best friends greeting each other. [That¡¯s right¡­ If we don¡¯t do this, a lot of lives would be lost in vain.] Staring at Darius, Ares continued to speak. [Anyways, is it really okay for you to come here on your own just because I proposed it?] [A person¡¯s general characteristics¡­is easy to understand after exchanging blows with them. But¡­] Darius freed his iron spear from its trapping and proudly held it out. [I¡¯am the Prince of Grants Principality Darius! Never have I tasted defeat in my entire life! I¡¯ll make you regret your decision to cross swords with me! En garde!] At that moment Darius¡¯ body was enveloped in his golden fighting spirit, attacking Ares in an explosive burst of speed. [Schwarzer clan heir Ares Schwarzer, going in!] Similarly Ares strengthened his body with magic power and clashed with Darius head on. The¡ºDivine Sword Oldeus¡»of the¡ºSeven Heavenly Swords¡»was swung into action. Ares¡¯ bluish magic power collided with Darius¡¯ golden fighting spirit, erupting in violent and destructive shockwave. [Gaaaaaaaaaa!] Ares blocked Darius¡¯ great iron spear with the flat side of Oldeus. [Ha!] Then swiftly changed into an attack that targeted the enemy¡¯s hand. [Weak!] Darius calmly twisted his spear to evade the sword, transitioning into another attack right away. Ares was forced to retreat, but immediately unleashed [Invisible Sword] to halt Darius from advancing. [As expected¡­ fighting this way won¡¯t do, huh¡­] Ares prepared his sword once more. On the other side, Darius was also calmly brandishing his iron spear. [Then let¡¯s try the other method.] Having said so, Oldeus disappeared from Ares¡¯ right hand. [Holy Sword Excalibur!] And in its place was a different sword shining in silver light. [Hmmm¡­?] Ares said to the seemingly confused Darius. [Now let¡¯s do it with pure physical and magical power combined. Here I come!] This time around, Ares attacked Darius with a speed vastly different than earlier. [Impudent!] Not to be outmatched, Darius also wielded his iron spear with an equally fierce momentum. Ares drove his sword in, aiming at the moment when Darius began to swing his spear. But Darius still managed to block his attack in time. That kind of exchange repeated itself several times. (Dammit! Even after raising my physical and magical ability with Excalibur, I still couldn¡¯t deal a decisive blow!) Ares clearly had the faster speed. And yet, Darius blocked each of Ares¡¯ attack with precision and patience as if waiting. Yes, he¡¯s waiting for Ares to be exhausted. After a couple more exchanges, Ares once again retreated. [Is it still too easy for you?] [Indeed it is¡­ do you still have another thing hidden in your sleeve?] Hearing that Ares could only sigh. [To be honest, this will be the first time for me to attempt in real battle while in this body ¡­I¡¯m not even sure if it¡¯ll work¡­ but you¡¯re not someone I can beat so easily, and now that my magic power is enhanced by Excalibur¡­ maybe it might work somehow. I can only try.] Ares took a deep breath, then began chanting a spell. He suddenly roared loudly. [Hah!] At that moment, Ares¡¯ body was enveloped by golden fighting spirit. [!? You can use fighting spirit as well!?] Ares replied to the surprised Darius. [Of course. And this isn¡¯t all!] At the same time, his magic power also blanketed his whole body. The blue magic power and the golden fighting spirit mixed together, forming a white aura. [Infusing both magic power and fighting spirit to my entire body¡­. This is the Sword Saint Shinn Oldeus¡¯ [Magic Sword Style]. Combining physical strengthening and magical strengthening, also Excalibur¡¯s strengthening on top¡­. This is my ace in the hole¡­ Come, let¡¯s try it again.] Having said so Ares poised his sword once again. [¡­..interesting. Truly interesting! One secret move after another. This is the opponent I¡¯ve long searched for!] Darius showed a ferocious smile after seeing the situation. [KAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!] He roared loudly and, along with that, his body also grew even bulkier. [Just how great of a fighting spirit you have¡­] Darius merely smiled widely at Ares¡¯ comment. [Yes! Come now, let¡¯s begin anew!] And with that, Darius jumped toward Ares. Ares also met him head on. Thus a battle that went beyond common sense continued. ===== ¡ô Later on, after several dozens more exchanges¡­ The surrounding terrain had been heavily altered, now adorned with numerous craters. Both Darius and Ares were breathing heavily. But Ares evidently was more exhausted than the former. (No way¡­ There is no way I can win if this goes on.) In his short moment of respite, Ares calmly thought. What he needed to defeat Darius is not speed. Without enough strength, his attacks will only leave little to no damage to Darius. All he needed to do was to disarm him of his iron spear¡­ yes. A blow strong enough to break even the hardest of iron used to forge that long spear. Ares current attack was not enough to destroy Darius¡¯ weapon. If only he could use his entire magic power reserve to strengthen his physical strength to the utmost limit. Thinking so, Ares undid the ¡ºHoly Sword Excalibur¡» [What¡¯s wrong? Want to stop?] Seeing the situation, Darius provoked lightly despite his rough breathing¡­ but he never left his battle stance. He knew that this young man before him isn¡¯t someone who would easily break down under such pressure. Ares quietly closed his eyes, ignoring Darius¡¯ provocation. His hand grasped the bladeless¡ºSeven Heavenly Sword¡»tightly (All I need now¡­ is a sword that could break through his defense. I should be able to unlock it now!) [This is a magic sword, an ancient one forged in the fiery flames of hell.] Muttering to himself, Ares raised his hand. [Magic Sword Gram!] At that moment, a dazzling light and powerful magic were emitted out from the hilt. Many who witnessed the duel couldn¡¯t keep their eyes open due to the blinding light. When they opened their eyes once more¡­ they saw a new sword within Ares¡¯ grasp. One with an ebony colored blade and crimson colored magic power swirling around it. CH 77 Chapter 77 ¨C Magic Sword Gram Sigurd was surprised to see Ares managing to unlock a new sword from the¡ºSeven Heavenly Swords¡» (No way¡­ Ares-sama succeeded in pulling out a new sword¡­) Sigurd tried to remember the condition Ares had mentioned to unlock a new sword out of the Seven Heavenly Swords. [That said ¡­it means that Lord Darius is truly an opponent to be reckoned with] Sigurd was struck with complex emotions. Someone else is actually comparable to his lord, Ares¡­ He didn¡¯t really want to admit it. And one more thing. He also wants to fight. Fight to the best he could. Watching the duel unfolded¡­ Sigurd could only think so. ===== ¡ô [What the? That sword¡­.?] Darius looked curiously at Ares¡¯ sword. It was truly a mysterious thing, Darius thought as he looked at the Seven Heavenly Swords. A blue magical sword that could produce invisible slashes. A sword with white aura that clearly improves all parameters. And then this¡­ [A sword with red magic aura..huh?] Ares said after confirming the sword and tightening his grip on it. [Now then, you showed me yet another ace in the hole¡­ I¡¯ll enjoy it then!] Darius wielded his great iron spear, charging straight at Ares. At that moment¡­ looking at the incoming Darius, Ares swung Gram. What followed was a terrible roar and a strong storm. [What?!] Darius involuntarily stopped his charge. Looking at the situation, Ares muttered. [Magic Sword Gram¡­ its special characteristic is improving my attack power immensely¡­ shall we call it¡ºHerculean Strength¡»then¡­.?] That said, Ares held Gram with both hands and brandished it towards Darius. [Well, thank you for waiting, lord Darius. It appears that the real battle starts here. Here I go!] And with that, Ares ran toward Darius. ===== ¡ô Ares¡¯ Gram and Darius¡¯ great iron spear had clashed for more than 50 exchanges. Magic power and fighting spirit collides, but the stalemate remained unbroken. The both of them had started to get out of breath. They¡¯re no longer capable of reserving their energy for exchanging words. Ares infused even more magic unto Gram, dyeing the blade with a blood-red glow. The goal is to destroy Darius¡¯ spear. Ares had already given up on beating Darius by himself. His endurance did not allow him to. So to ensure victory¡­ he had no other choice but to destroy Darius¡¯ weapon, rendering him unable to continue fighting. However, Darius¡¯ iron spear was custom made using the rare material called the [Black Iron], considered as the [King of Iron] for its durability and lightweight. But everything will eventually deteriorate. Unlike other swords Ares currently has, Gram¡¯s blow caused accumulating damage to the great iron spear. (I¡¯ll smash that spear by combining both magic power and fighting spirit on the next blow!) Ares thought in a hurry while avoiding Darius¡¯ onslaught. And when Darius slammed his spear down, he had sprang the trap. [There!!] After some deliberation, Ares swung Gram vertically. Clank! The black iron spear let out a dull sound. At the same time, it broke apart into two pieces. [!? Impossible!] Ares¡¯ Magic Sword Gram smashed at Darius¡¯ spear with so much momentum it broke the spear in half. Darius managed to back away the moment the spear was broken. However, Darius¡¯ breastplate, touched by Gram¡¯s tip as it swung down, was cleaved. Fresh blood trickled out from Darius¡¯ chest. Darius who still managed to jump back to safety looked at his broken spear in disbelief. [No way¡­this custom made spear is actually broken¡­] [Well then¡­what will you do now?] Ares asked Darius. [Kuh!] Darius¡¯ face turned sour for a moment¡­. [Ku¡­kuhahahahahahahahahahahahaha.] Then he laughed loudly. [I never thought that this spear would ever be broken¡­ I guess I lost this duel¡­] Darius threw away the two halves of the iron spear. He had the grace to admit defeat. Ares also smiled and then laughed in response. As if the previous battle was just an illusion. At that point¡­the entire Land of Demons was rumbling Ares and Darius noticed this, thus moved their gaze towards the source¡­. And there they found. Dozens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands¡­ A countless amount of demons and magic beasts were heading to the capital Heinz.. From within the forest, the underground, the river, the swamp¡­they overflowed from everywhere. If one looked closely, they¡¯ll notice that a demon lord must be among this horde. Even from a distance, it¡¯s obvious to see that both the demons and the magic beasts have been rendered senseless and insane. [What is this¡­? This has never happened before?] Darius was perplexed. Ares muttered to himself quietly. [All of them act like they are insane¡­ Is this due to¡­the influence of¡ºDemon King Galgain¡¯s Artifact¡»?] On the other hand, the soldiers are making a ruckus. Especially¡­ the Grants soldiers as it was their hometown that got attacked. Seeing the upset soldiers and the advancing horde of demons and magic beasts, Ares spoke to the confused Darius. [Lord Darius. If this goes on, they¡¯ll soon trample over us and breach Heinz.] [You don¡¯t say¡­ We, along with Heinz, will be overwhelmed by such a large amount of enemies¡­ it¡¯s over¡­] Darius replied in a bitter tone. Instead of responding to Darius, Ares spoke to another direction instead. [Zekka!] [Yes! I¡¯m here.] When Ares called out to him, Zecca appeared as if out of thin air. [How far has the Arcadia main forces marched in?] [That is¡­.] Zecca seemed to hesitate as though it¡¯s very difficult for him to convey the news. [The Arcadia main forces was trapped by a sudden flood coming from the Depay river¡­ and is currently temporarily retreating back toward Redgear.] [¡­¡­¡­.I see¡­¡­] Ares muttered quietly. The flood that caused the Arcadia main forces to retreat coincided with this invasion of demons and magic beasts. [It¡¯s been arranged no matter how I think. Scion, did you actually join hands with the force of darkness¡­.? This is completely beyond my expectations¡­] Deciding something, Ares spoke to Darius. [Lord Darius! Do you have a way for us to get out of this predicament!?] [I could manage somehow if I were alone¡­ but I won¡¯t be able to protect my compatriots and Heinz.] Ares then turned his attention back to the incoming horde of demons and magic beasts. [If that¡¯s the case¡­. please follow my instructions.] Ares spoke quietly, but oddly intimidating. [The Arcadia main forces cannot be counted on. I¡¯ve been abandoned here as well. I¡¯m going to save my troops and Heinz as well¡­ but I¡¯m going to need your help.] Darius turned to Ares, whose tone had become somewhat grimmer than before. Ares kept his gaze towards the horde, merely waiting for Darius to reply. [¡­¡­¡­..can you really save us all?] [If you are willing to help me, then I¡¯ll definitely save us all.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­.then it¡¯s a deal. Interesting.] Darius then called out to Dirk who was nearby. [From now on our entire forces will follow the instruction of this Ares Schwarzer. I¡¯ll take full responsibility. Tell that to the whole army.] [Are you sure, Boss?] [Is there any other way?] Darius turned to Ares again. [This man told me that he can save Heinz when I can¡¯t. So let us bear witness to how he¡¯ll do it.] Darius then continued. [Moreover¡­. I understand everything through my spear. He¡¯s not someone who would tell a lie. Right, Ares Schwarzer-dono?] Ares responded to that remark¡­was just a grin. And just like that, the Black Legion and the army of Heinz who were previously enemies joined hands and retreated back to Heinz. And from there¡­ began the battle between Ares and the horde of demons and magic beasts, which would later be known in history as the [Miracle of Heinz]. ===== CH 78 Chapter 78 ¨C Miracle of Heinz 1 [Please explain to me what in the world is going on!] [As if marching back alongside the Arcadian soldiers isn¡¯t insane enough?] [For some reason, we have to mind ourselves around some unknown young man as well!!] The Grants soldiers brought by Darius inevitably fell into discontent after having to return to the capital alongside the Arcadia forces. As soon as the begrudgingly allied forces entered the city, many Generals, civilians and soldiers alike started to throw questions. It¡¯s only natural. The two countries have always been hostile to each other, not to mention that the other party had just invaded with 300,000 strong soldiers. Even if they¡¯re quite used to Darius outrageous actions, they couldn¡¯t help but to complain on this one. Darius opened his mouth bitterly. [¡­.hundred thousands of demons and magic beasts are currently marching towards Heinz as we speak.] Darius¡¯ words put a great shock on everyone. [I¡¯m out of ideas on how to protect Heinz. But¡­] He then turned toward Ares. [This man claimed that he could save Heinz. Regardless of what will happen, we¡¯re only waiting for impending doom to come. But until then, I can only cling on any thread of hope.] Everyone present was startled. But then on the next moment, someone raised their voice up. [Impossible!] [I¡¯ve never heard of a beast stampede that large!] [What are you plotting against us!?] Listening to the noise, Darius struck his fist on the wall. The fort went silent. [If any of you think that it¡¯s a joke, then feel free to ask the soldiers accompanying me. They¡¯ve witnessed that horde of monstrosity advancing like a sea of black cloud¡­ each of them will testify the same.] [¡­.however¡­] One of the warriors raised his voice, [That man sought to conquer Heinz¡­ yet he claimed that he would save it from peril?] A voice came from the rear of the group. Hearing that, everyone except for Darius and Ares began whispering to each other. Turning around, they saw a man being supported by two aides. That man, Sovereign Gail, stood up with an air of a ruler after freeing himself from the support of his aides It¡¯s said that he¡¯s currently undergoing medication. But his eyes were still sharp enough to force any normal man to run away on the spot. [We have heard the news from Darius¡­ so you are Ares-dono? Are you really saying that you can save us from this impending doom?] Ares who had remained silent up until now looked back at Gail, then finally spoke. [Yes. I have confidence that I¡¯ll somehow manage, Grants Sovereign Gail-sama. However¡­] [However¡­.?] [It¡¯s¡­ only under the condition that all soldiers of Grants¡¯ army is willing to follow my command¡­] The warriors who heard that raised their voices once more, complaining one after another. [Are you shittin¡¯ me!] [Why do I have to obey to an Arcadian army general¡¯s command!] [I¡¯d rather choose death!] They kept complaining against Ares. [¡­.cut the crap!] Once again Sovereign Gail showed the intensity unlike that of a sick person. [Darius¡­why did you bring this man along with you?] Gail asked Darius, turning his intense gaze to his heir. The others also turned their sight on Darius. [I can¡¯t save Heinz¡­ but he claimed that he can. He defeated me. His sword was straight and heavy¡­ judging from that and my intuition, I could tell that he¡¯s a reliable man. In any case, destruction will eventually reach us. But if there is still even a sliver of hope, I¡¯d choose to cling on it¡­. That is all I have to say.] Gail listened attentively then closed his eyes. Darius was defeated. That news was shocking for them. To that small man no less. Darius¡¯ intuition¡­ it has saved Grants on many occasions. And that same Darius put his complete trust in this person to save his country. [We understand.] Gail then turned to Ares, dropping on his knees slowly with the help of his two aides. [Ares Schwarzer-dono. We can¡¯t possibly hold off more than millions of demons and beasts on our own. Would you¡­ please save this country?] Those sentences surprised the warriors. However, Ares immediately took Gail¡¯s hand [That will, I¡¯ll carve it in my heart.] Hearing that reply, Gail looked up to Ares¡¯ eyes before standing back up slowly. He then commanded the warriors. [From now on, Ares Schwarzer will have the full authority over the army. Are there any objections?] No one dared to speak out. It¡¯s clear that some of them were actually against the decision for a very obvious reason. But Grants is a peculiar place where the strong has absolute control over others. Therefore no one dared to go against valiant heroes like Gail or someone as strong as Darius. And both showed their support for Ares this time. This was equivalent to have surrendered the entire Grants Principality to his hands. Everyone quietly bowed their heads and kneeled before Ares. And so, Ares managed to gain control over the Grants Principality. ===== ¡ô The war council began. Currently present were Ares, Sigurd, Darius, and several Grants generals. Sovereign Gail also insisted to participate despite his illness because the safety of the country is at stake here. Of the 50,000 strong Grants¡¯ army, Ares had the 10,000 led by Darius to wait outside the fort alongside his 5,000 Black Legion. The remaining 40,.000 are to defend from the interior of the fort. [As I mentioned earlier, these hordes have been driven insane by ¡ºDemon King Galgain¡¯s Artifact¡». Their attack will be rabid and hard to read. Therefore, we must not let them breach the fort at all cost. Soldiers defending outside should be constantly moving while reducing the numbers of the horde approaching the fort as much as possible. Never stop moving. Otherwise you¡¯ll end up overwhelmed by their number.] [The soldiers atop the fortress must stop the enemy from scaling the wall at all cost. Use everything you have, be it rocks, pebbles, anything.] [The archers and mages should conserve their attack for airborne enemies. Leave enemies trying to scale the wall to the soldiers.] After giving such instructions, Ares began to appoint generals for the defensive battle. [Despite your sickness¡­I¡¯d like Gail-dono to manage the defense of the fort¡¯s interior. Can I entrust the protection of all sides to Gail-dono?] Gail was unable to move freely due to his illness, but still listened to Ares attentively and nodded. [I will do as commanded. Leave it to me.] Then Ares turned to Sigurd and Darius. [The horde is attacking from the west gate. Darius will be positioned at the right of the gate, while Sigurd will be responsible for the left side. Darius, leading the 5,000 Grants¡¯ army, and Sigurd, leading the 4,000 Black Legion will freely move to smash the invading beasts. As for the gate itself¡­ I¡¯ll lead the remaining 5,000 Grants¡¯ army and 1,000 Black Legion myself to defend it.] And lastly, Ares shouted. [Zekka!] [Yes! Here I am!] Everyone was surprised at the sudden appearance of a mysterious man at the war council. But Ares could be careless about that and proceeded as is. He passed a compass and a dagger to Zekka, then commanded. [Probably a¡ºDemon King Galgain¡¯s Artifact¡»is hidden somewhere around Heinz¡­ or someone is in possession of it¡­ find it, and destroy it. This compass should show you the direction. Once you find it, destroy it with the dagger¡­ if someone has it¡­ kill that person.] [Yes!] Zekka thus disappeared just as how he appeared. Ares delivered his final instruction while spreading his gaze to everyone. [Zekka is excellent. But even he will take at least 1 day to find his target¡­ if we can defend the fort until then, it¡¯ll be our victory.] ===== ¡ô The next day after Ares entered Heinz, it became possible to see the sea of beasts heading to the fort in the distance. Demons and magic beasts that were driven crazy by the¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifact¡»gradually approached Heinz. [This is amazing. So I will be fighting with these guys from here onward¡­] [There is no way we¡¯ll win¡­ only death awaits us all.] Even some of the Grants¡¯ army couldn¡¯t help but to have a nervous breakdown in the face of such predicament¡­ When Darius was about to raise his voice to at least shut them up¡­he heard a voice that also reverberated in the ears of all the people in Heinz. Looking to the direction of the voice, he found Ares, standing atop the hill so that everyone could see him, speaking while utilizing the wind magic so that his voice could reach everyone. [All the courageous soldiers and citizens of Heinz! Listen to me!] [As I speak, more than hundreds of millions of monsters are upon us. They probably came here to lay waste upon Heinz¡­ however, their crazed mind does not know one thing. Who is the hunter and who is the prey!] After taking a short breather, he resumed. [Soldiers of Grants! What have you all been fighting for all this time! Why did you all fight against the barbarians, demons and the Aryans? It¡¯s because of family, friends and compatriots¡­ to protect the people around you!] [Residents of Heinz! Have you always been living in fear? The answer is not! You are all the most noble and courageous people in this land for having survived in the harshest environment in the continent!] Finally, Ares raised his fist. [Heroes! Let us show to the whole world! Who is the most noble and the strongest of this continent. Let those demons and beasts know firsthand! That we are the hunters, and they are our prey. We are not going to fall here. To battle and survive! Come, heroes!] With that, Ares pulled out Divine Sword Oldeus of the Seven Heavenly Swords, infusing it with magic power. In response, Oldeus emitted blue light like a beacon. [Follow meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!] Ares then proceeded to swing Oldeus down. At the same time, an invisible slash cut down a large swath of the incoming hordes with a loud explosion. At the signal, the west gate is opened and the first to charge out was the Black Legion led by Sigurd. Darius looked at the Grants¡¯ soldiers he led. There are no longer any hateful comments. Moreover, the residents are also no longer panicking. [No way I can imitate that¡­ well done.] Soon afterward, he raised his voice. [We will charge out! Let us show them the might of the Grants¡¯ army!!] [HAA!] There are no terrified looks on their faces anymore, only resolve and eagerness. That speech earlier had ignited their warrior blood¡­ Darius showed a ferocious smile himself and began his assault. He¡¯s confident that they might just have what it takes to emerge victorious against the hordes of monsters. CH 79 Chapter 79 ¨C Miracle of Heinz 2 [OOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooohhh!!] Darius commenced yet another assault with a loud scream. The Grants¡¯ soldiers under his command followed suit. The demons and the magic beasts kept pouring in without any signs of ceasing. And yet, no one seemed discouraged. None of them gave up. When any of them felt like they wanted to give up, they only need to see their commander. Overwhelming. Smiling excitedly. The heart of each Grants soldiers were encouraged by such a presence that did not change no matter how many charges they had gone through. In that sense, Darius has the most important thing as an army leader. Some people call it leadership¡­others call it charisma. ===== ¡ô When Darius attempted to mount yet another charge¡­ An unknown huge humanoid monster appeared before him. Its height was about 5 meters tall. It has bluish skin, dark brown hair¡­and what appeared to be a pair of unfocused eyes which became obvious if one took a good look. Darius involuntarily wrinkled his eyebrows before commenting. [Hoh¡­ so even the giants are attacking Grants?] [The giants normally loathe fighting¡­ does that ¡ºWhatchamacallit Artifact¡» truly have such ability to drive them crazy?] The lieutenant Dirk commented with a sigh. [Interesting¡­ it¡¯s a rare opponent to encounter. Let¡¯s see who is stronger then!] Darius left his great sword to Dirk and even dismounted the bull he was riding. The giant seemed to march forward with an empty, lifeless stare, but was soon distracted by Darius¡¯ arrival on his path. [GAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!] It roared and began rushing to attack. On the other side, Darius readied himself to receive the attack head on. [Oraaa!] Darius launched his own fist to meet his enemy¡¯s fist. Crack! There were sounds of bone breaking. In the aftermath, the giant backed off as it held its right hand with its left in agony. [What the hell? Just that much¡­?] Darius looked at the retreating giant with slight disappointment. The giant visibly trembled. [Since I heard that you are actually gentle in nature ¡­then I won¡¯t kill you today. However ¡­I need you to sleep here.] Darius rushed towards the giant immediately. [Ugaa!] Darius released his fist at the giant who was still holding his right hand with his left, trying in vain to fight back by flailing its arms around. [Guhaaa¡­.] The giant involuntarily crouched, letting its head go undefended. Taking the opportunity, Darius kicked at the exposed head. The giant fell over with a loud thud. Darius mounted back on his bull steed as if nothing happened. [Well then¡­shall we mount another charge..] He laughed. [Jeez, I really don¡¯t know anymore if Boss is still a human or a monster.] Dirk sighed as he watched Darius¡¯ back as he once more led the army to charge out with a joyful face. ===== ¡ô On the other side of the battlefield, charging south after exiting the west gate, Sigurd and the Black Legion rampaged around. They were the earliest to charge outside, the first to make contact with the enemy, and yet after countless repeated charges, they still hadn¡¯t suffered any losses. Soldiers serving directly under Ares Schwarzer. To be a part of this¡ºLegion¡»is their greatest pride. Even such a perilous situation was not enough to deter them. Sigurd quietly confirmed the battlefield before him. Their next opponents would be a flock of goblins. Looking closely, he discovered a [Goblin King] at the back of that flock. Upon a more thorough inspection, he noticed that there were higher versions of the species such as Goblin Masters and Goblin Generals were also amongst the crowd. Sigurd quietly judged the situation and gave a signal. Accordingly, the Black Legion quickly entered battle formation. [Alright¡­. Here we go again. The enemy is that flock of goblins. Thrash them completely for the honor of our Black Legion!] With Sigurd¡¯s cue, the cavalry started their charge. [Gugya!] [Gyaha!!] The goblins disappeared as if being swallowed by a black tsunami. [Our opponents are the goblins. Don¡¯t let any of them to escape. Clean them all up thoroughly!] Whilst saying that, Sigurd observed the goblin king¡¯s movement and then went ahead of his troops toward the upset creature. His steed Brad galloped fiercely at terrifying speed. [Drop deeeeeeeaaaaaaad!] Sigurd charged his body and weapon with magic as he rushed at the goblin king. The creature¡¯s shield could not contend with Sigurd¡¯s spear and neither did its armor. The spear pierced through them like a hot knife through butter. [Gaaaahaaaaaaaa!!] Sigurd slayed the goblin king in a single strike. This demoralized the remaining goblins. But Sigurd merely regrouped with the Black Legion as if nothing really happened. ===== ¡ô Ares who is guarding the center observed both Darius and Sigurd on both wings. [Those two are still fighting. The problem is¡­] Ares turned around. In his sight, the monsters are already trying to scale the wall. Even if Sigurd and Darius kept reducing their number, some still managed to slip past and rush to the city wall. Initially, Gail and the other generals were still managing to prevent the monsters from scaling the wall by dropping rocks on them. But the situation had changed. The soldiers at the top of the ramparts were starting to get tired after the seemingly endless enemies. They¡¯ve dropped stones and drew arrows non-stop. [Moreover, there is this one who¡¯ve just appeared¡­] Ares line of sight turned to a lone beautiful woman standing among the monsters¡­ No, she is¡­ [A demon?] Other than her striking pink hair, she¡¯s wearing a regal dress with a very low cut on the breast area, showing much of her voluminous assets. [I can sense a strong magic power from her¡­ could she be a DemonLord?] The Demon Lords are divided into two, the high and low ranks. The high-ranking demon lords boast immense amount of magic power, and followers ranging from monsters to even low rank Demon Lords. Anyways, she¡¯s been launching magic missiles at the wall from time to time, creating a deep crack. If the wall collapsed, the monsters would be able to freely enter the city. [That¡¯s it¡­ I just have to do something. If I lose my cool now, it¡¯ll just end here¡­right?] Ares muttered atop Saint. [Milord, shall I bring you closer to that female demonkin?] [Yes, please do.] [That one is a succubus. Don¡¯t fall to her¡ºEnchantment Arts¡», alright?] Having said that, Saint galloped through the horde of monsters, lightning bolts shooting out with each step. Any beasts trying to approach Saint were charred black by the lightning bolts. Once he could clearly see the Demon Lord, Ares alighted from his steed and jumped in that direction. The demon lord turned her empty stare to Ares but¡­ [Too slow!] Saying so, Ares drew out his sword, striking the demon lord¡¯s neck with the handle. She fell over, unconscious. [It¡¯ll be for your body and us all if you let that immense magic power running rampant¡­ So sleep until everything is over.] Ares caught the Demon Lord¡¯s falling body and, as he said that, laid her gently on the ground. [Even if driven crazy, she¡¯s still a Demon Lord¡­ as usual, milord has a weird sense of morality. Also ¡­being overly kind to women.] [¡­..good.] Ares looked at the wall once more, ignoring Saint¡¯s comment. There were no more monsters scaling the wall for the moment. [We could¡¯ve ended up in a worse situation¡­ if we are late for even a moment¡­] ===== ¡ô Gail went up to the top of the wall while being supported by his two aides. For Gail who had gone through many battles, breathing the air of the battlefield once more actually sharpened his senses and his ailing body. [I knew being on the battlefield is what fits me the most. Even if the opponents are demons and magic beasts.] He then looked down the wall. Defending the gate below were Ares, Sigurd, and Darius, slaughtering the enemies left and right. It¡¯s clear from above here that those three are particularly standing out, even among the elites. [Those two are warriors comparable to Darius¡­. Is this really fate¡­?] Gail turned to observe the wall. The battlefield is changing at every moment. Even with the three¡¯s valiant efforts, there were still several monsters that managed to escape and reached the wall. [Inform the soldiers at the east gate. Dozens of monsters are scaling the south gate. Send some men to reinforce the wall.] [Here¡¯s an order for the mage squadron. The gargoyles are attacking the east gate. Repel them at all cost.] In this ever-changing battlefield, one has to deploy the soldiers properly according to the situation at hand¡­ exactly what Gail is excel at back in his heyday. However, even Gail couldn¡¯t help but to feel a bit anxious. [Sunset is about to arrive¡­ the soldiers¡¯ endurance is nearing the limit. The wall seems to be still holding strong¡­ should I let them to replenish their strength or¡­] Regardless of Gail¡¯s leadership and experience, anyone would feel scared when facing countless monsters. There seemed to be no end, which slowly drove the soldiers towards despair. Any fallen monster would be replaced with another just as soon. Once the soldiers lost their morale, then it¡¯ll be the end for them. [Gail-sama, the defence of the east gate is about to be breached!] [Several gargoyles managed to breach the defense line! Currently heading here! Guge!] While listening to the hopeless report, Gail turned around, only to see the reporting soldier shedding blood from his shoulder. A gargoyle had stabbed the poor soldier from behind with its sword. Finally, a breach¡­the east gate is really at their limits. When Gail thought so¡­ The Gargoyle stopped moving. No¡­ All of the monsters had stopped moving. Time seemed to be in a standstill until the demons lowered their weapons and, along with the magic beasts, retreated back to the forest to the [Land of Demons]. The soldiers were stunned at the sight. Then a voice sounded from somewhere. [The magic beasts are retreating¡­] [Isn¡¯t that¡­good?] [We are saved¡­] [We¡¯ve won¡­] [We have¡­protected the city!] [We have successfully protected the city!] And soon afterward, Heinz was filled with cheers. ===== ¡ô An incident happened in which Grants capital Heinz was attacked by hordes of monsters. Why the monsters attacked in the first place and why they suddenly retreated¡­. Is still a mystery. This is what was written in the history books. [It¡¯s not a battle to gain profits nor for selfish purposes. It was to protect the people.] And the conclusion was as follows: [And that day marked the beginning of how the infamous¡ºCursed Land¡»turned into the¡ºLand of Happiness¡».] CH 80 Chapter 80 ¨C Miracle of Heinz ¨C Behind the Scenes ¨C The capital is currently under siege by millions of monsters. Everyone who could fight headed to the wall, while the children and the elders gathered up in the hall on each district, praying. At the city center of Heinz¡­ This place was originally the busiest part of the city, but now nobody was there at the moment. Zekka ran through the road like a gale. Ares¡¯ instruction to Zekka was: [To destroy the Demon King Galgain¡¯s Artifact or to kill whoever has it.] And therefore, Zekka had several of his subordinates to look around with him. Zekka was given a compass by Ares. The instrument would show him the direction to the item he¡¯s searching for. The search was more difficult than expected. For he had no prior knowledge about the city interior and there was no one he could ask around¡­ Even so, they silently continued on. Because they knew, that they are racing against time. And then¡­ Zekka saw a certain house. ===== ¡ô [Head, the reaction apparently comes from this house.] [It seems to be so¡­] Zekka discussed the situation with his subordinate while observing the house from a distance. Although they had the general direction set, it¡¯s still very difficult to pinpoint a single house within a capital city like Heinz, even for a Dragon¡¯s Eye agent like Zekka. Looking at the sky, the sun had begun to set. Starting from last night when he began the search, it took almost a full day to find his target. [Looks like there is no mistake here¡­ let¡¯s hope that there are no more surprises¡­] Zekka cued his subordinates with hand gestures. The two men quickly approached the entrance of the house silently according to the signal. With that timing¡­ A person popped out from the entrance, followed by an explosion. [! Did they notice us!?] Trying to escape, the person emitted some kind of shockwave from his mouth. Taking a hit directly, Zekka¡¯s men were blown away to the adjacent house¡¯ wall, instantly knocking them out. Zekka took a good look at this ¡®person¡¯. It has the head of a goat and a thick muscled body. On its hand was a big eyelid that stared back at Zekka with its golden eyeball. [¡ºWar God¡»¡¯s dog¡­ huh?] The goat headed creature said upon noticing the emblem of the [Eye] on the cloth wrapped around Zekka¡¯s arm. [That means¡­ you are a ¡ºDragon¡¯s Eye¡»?] That said, the goat headed creature struck its broadaxe to the ground. Right afterward, the ground in front of it parted with a crack. Zekka, instead of giving an answer, questioned the man as he dodged away. [How did you know that we are here?] [Anyone would be able to tell if you run around with that much of magic power. Immature.] The goat headed creature repositioned its broadaxe up. [Well then¡­ let me tell you, being the¡ºWar God¡»¡¯s dog, it means that I must kill you. Especially since I¡¯m now all excited thanks to this¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifact¡»!] The goat creature leapt with great momentum. ===== ¡ô [Guh!] Zekka kept his distance, but he¡¯s slowly losing momentum. Seeing the situation, Zekka shouted at his remaining men who hadn¡¯t been knocked out cold. [Ginga! Retsuga! Take Souga and Kouga. You two are not this creature¡¯s opponent. Hurry and inform Ares-sama.] Zekka drew out the two swords hanging in his waist. [Let me tell you, I¡¯m going to go all out now. Too bad for you.] Having said so, Zekka unleashed his magic power, which blanketed his body in red aura. [But¡­ Head¡­] [Heed my words! It¡¯ll be all over once you all reach Ares-sama] [¡­.yes. Godspeed.] The two subordinates called Ginga and Retsuga carried their unconscious companions and left [Hou, that was surprising. You ordered your subordinates to escape. But to think you harbor even more power than I thought. Then I should also take this seriously.] The goat creature¡¯s body was wrapped in a black aura. [You cur¡­ that power¡­] [Correct. This is the¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifact¡»¡¯s power. It¡¯s not only capable of driving demons mad, it can also give an overwhelming power.] Then he added. [Equal to that of the ancient demon king, Galgain himself.] [That means¡­ those forms too is¡­] [Correct¡­ This is due to the influence of the demon king¡¯s power. Now, let¡¯s test it out¡­ just how strong this power is!!] Having said that, the goat creature rushed towards Zekka with a speed much faster than before. It swung down the broadaxe. [Diieeeee!] Zekka barely managed to block the attack with his two swords. But he was slowly losing ground as the opponent pushed with overwhelming force. [Ha!] Zekka created some distance once more, making his way around the goat creature. He moved so fast that he left behind afterimages, throwing the goat creature off. [Noisy small fry¡­ are you trying to trick me with your speed¡­ but!] The goat creature swung its broadaxe sideways. [Gah!] That swing took Zekka by surprise and sent him crashing into the wall. The momentum was enough to cause the hard wall to crumble. [Too easy¡­ Too easy¡­ oh, dog of¡ºWar God¡». Your lord will fall here. The ¡ºWar God¡»will be consumed by the monsters and be forcefully returned to the¡ºEternal Cloister¡». Arcadia will be in jeopardy. The world will become turbulent. And the world I¡¯ve dreamed of will come true.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.what the hell do you actually want?] The goat creature grinned at Zekka¡¯s question. [Let¡¯s treat this as a souvenir for your journey to hell. We are the¡ºSnake of Darkness¡». Our lord, once a great deity, was destroyed by the¡ºWar God¡»in the past] He continued on. [Our dream is to set the world in chaos. Where no human, demi-human nor demonkin live. That is what our lord, the¡ºLord of Chaos¡»wishes.] [Lord of Chaos¡­?] [Well, time to stop this nonsense. Die now. It¡¯s hard to control this overflowing power of the demon king] The goat creature swung his broadaxe with a laugh. At that moment¡­ The goat creature¡¯s arm disappeared. No¡­ It was torn apart. [Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!] It couldn¡¯t even react on time. Its golden eye turned toward Zekka. [You¡­ what¡¯s with that arm?] Zekka¡¯s right arm had turned into a large green scaled claw. In his grasp was the goat creature¡¯s hand. [I don¡¯t really want to show this true form¡­] Zekka said as he rose slowly. [You¡­ what in the world are you¡­] [I¡¯d be grateful if only you speak up some more information. But this is it.] Following that, Zekka¡¯s other arm, then his torso, both legs, and head ¡­transformed. A pair of horns grew on his head. His body became covered in green scales, with bulging muscles underneath. He also grew¡­ a tail. The goat creature was visibly upset upon seeing his appearance. [No way¡­you are a dragonkin!? Why, why would [a race closest to God] willingly serve under a human¡­] [That man has always been the master of us, the dragonkin. As per the ancient contract.] Zekka bared his fangs. [As the dragonkin, we shouldn¡¯t involve ourselves into the conflict of other races. However we can still lend our aid from the shadows by becoming his eyes. Thus, the¡ºDragon¡¯s Eye¡».] [That means, your kind aren¡¯t supposed to be allowed to take other¡¯s lives¡­] [Didn¡¯t you hear me? Indeed, we should keep our hands off, but that doesn¡¯t mean we must.] Zekka quietly approached after throwing away the goat creature¡¯s severed arm. In exchange, a condensed lump of magic power could be seen on his hand. The goat creature crawled on the ground trying to get away. The situation was reversed in such a short notice. [You sure are strong¡­ my subordinates might have a hard time fighting you even in their true form. But¡­ I am the first of the dragonkin.] A huge flame took form on Zekka¡¯s palm. [Your power is lacking. If you want to match me on equal ground¡­..bring along a demon lord¡­or an ancient dragon or someone as strong as our lord.] [Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamnnnnnn yoooooooooouuuuuuuuu!] [Secret Dragonic Arts¡ºZekka¡»!] At the same time, the goat creature¡¯s body was enveloped in a whirl of flame. After a while, the flame gradually died down. What¡¯s left was a small black lump. [The Demon King¡¯s artifact¡­ devious instruments that Galgain left behind. Will its present affect this era? This is troubling.] Zekka silently stabbed the lump with the dagger that Ares entrusted to him alongside the compass. The lump immediately disintegrated into nothing. [But¡­unfortunately for¡ºthat man¡»¡­. Ares-sama is here. The plot that the lord of chaos weaved¡­ has come to an end.] Zekka turned his gaze towards the ramparts. Hearing the sound of cheers and joy gradually building up from the distance, he smiled calmly. ===== ¡ô Dragonkin Literature found in churches said of [a race closest to God]. They took a different evolutionary path than the Ancient Dragon, gaining a humanoid body, high level of intelligence and a large amount of magic power. Aside from wielding [katanas], they are also known for their [Jutsu] and unique culture. (TL Note: I somewhat imagine them as Isekai Ninja) When they released their power, their body partially turned draconic, having power that was said to be comparable to an Ancient Dragon. They normally avoided contact with other races, and very rarely appeared in historical accounts. They were said to be a proud and solitary race. CH 81 Chapter 81 ¨C After the Battle Inside the Heinz palace; the throne room. Emperor Sephiros sat on the throne with Arcadia aristocrats standing on the left and right. In the center were Ares and Sovereign Gail, waiting for their fate. ===== ¡ô The Arcadia Empire main army retreated to Redgear and reorganized. Silvia urged the Emperor to send reinforcements, but their progress was slow. No wonder. They have never seen that many monsters before.. Each of aristocrats deliberately slowed down to prevent their side to sustain damage. A messenger came five days later. The content of the message being, that Ares had repelled the advancing horde of monsters and the capitulation of Grants Principality. Is it a lie or the truth? Is it an enemy tactic? The wary Arcadia forces headed to the Grants principality after finishing their preparation¡­ There, they could see the flags of Arcadia Empire fluttered, and the gate to the capital is wide open. Ares greeted the Emperor at the gate. [Schwarzer little lord, well done.] Delighted, Sephiros got off of his horse and shook Ares¡¯ hand. No one has ever seen the Emperor to act that way so the aristocrats were immensely surprised. It¡¯s obvious to them that Ares had obtained a good position in the Emperor¡¯s heart. An eerie silence struck as they entered the capital. It¡¯s only natural, as their enemies are still walking around the city. However¡­.there was no hostility. Apart from Sephiros, the aristocrats and the military officers¡­ they all felt as though they¡¯ve entered a trap as they stepped into Heinz. ===== ¡ô As Sephiros entered the palace, the appointment today was announced. He would be receiving the capitulation directly from Gail. The Sovereign Gail had retired and the Grants Principality is virtually gone. Aside from Gail, the officers of Grants Principality with have to obey to the new lord who will be appointed later by the Arcadia Empire. The chamberlain read the decree out loud in place of the Emperor. The aristocrats were once again surprised that the Grants royal clan and the retainers were spared. Sephiros used to punished his opposition severely. Therefore, the whole ceremony felt unnatural to the aristocrats. But still, unlike Trevoir and Redgear, Grants Principality did not get to maintain the ruling position. In fact, their capitulation procedure is different from the others. The fate of the region is worrying. Who will rule the vast but troubling territory of Grants? No one knows for now, as the Emperor did not give any hints in relation to that matter. Many of the aristocrats actually felt terrified by the retainers of Grants and preferred for them all to be punished severely. However¡­they couldn¡¯t do anything about it now. No one dared to speak. No, in the first place, they had no right to speak here. Many glances were focused on one man. Ares Schwarzer The person in question was smiling a little, observing the other aristocrats¡¯ action. In this campaign, 300,000 strong imperial soldiers were dispatched, but it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that Ares and his private soldiers did most of the work. Conquering Brittany and Trevoir with lightning speed, then forcing Redgear to surrender while the main forces were still struggling to siege the two fortresses. Later on, not only he repelled the countless numbers of monster horde attacking Grants, but he also brought Grants Principality to capitulate. These four countries may be small and not a superpower like Thracia Kingdom or Wolfgard, But one of these countries was a country that had remained undefeated for the entire 100 years, the Grants Principality. And yet the undefeated country surrendered in such a short time. And moreover, the victory allowed the Empire to gain a foothold to conquer the eastern part of the continent. One can say that it¡¯s not the Arcadia Empire who had won this campaign;it was Ares who did. [Ares Schwarzer¡¯s achievements and merits are tremendous in this campaign. This shall be discussed further once We returned back to the capital.] [This Ares, acceptd the decree.] Afterwards, Ares said his thanks. [Everyone, well done. We will return to the Royal Capital shortly to rest. The Thracia in the west is moving suspiciously. That requires our utmost attention as well, so get ready to return] [ [ [ [ [ Yes, Your Majesty!] ] ] ] ] All the aristocrats bowed their heads in unison. ===== ¡ô During all that, Scion was biting his lips. What had gone wrong?? The strategy that he and Gala had concocted was perfect. While Ares was fighting Darius, he had dispatched Gala to infiltrate the capital Heinz with the Demon King artifact at hand. Thus luring the countless amount of monster to rush toward Heinz. He then set up a plot to flood Depay river, forcing the entire 300,000 strong Arcadia forces to retreat and unable to participate in repelling the monsters. Heinz and Ares were supposed to be swallowed by the monsters, therefore secretly removing one of his greatest political enemies. He¡¯s not interested in Heinz. He merely wanted to¡­ improve his position. Scion¡¯s plan was to help Annerose ascend the throne. He would later proceed to take the highest authority by becoming her¡ºRegent¡», then eventually take over Arcadia and establish the Rozenheim dynasty. Ares Schwarzer is in the way to achieve this dream. Everything went well at first. Ares steadily fell in to Scion¡¯s trap. But who knew that Ares would still end up getting on top. [More opportunities will come my way for sure¡­ I just need to pull him away from the Capital, and I will slowly make him lose his place in the Capital in the meantime¡­] Thought Scion inwardly. ===== ¡ô That evening. Ares, Sigurd and Darius were standing on top of a hill overlooking the Land of Demons. The ¡ºLand of Demons¡»spreading to the west was illuminated by the setting sun. But thanks to that, they were able to confirm the terrain and the forests from a distance. [Please explain. This¡ºLand of Demons¡»is indeed the closest threat to Grants. But if you can manage the demonkins, then this rich land will be yours to develop¡­] [Easier said than done. There are too many magic beasts living there, not to mention the demon lords. Moreover, if we focus our strength there, we¡¯ll have trouble dealing with the barbarians from the north and the Aryans from the east¡­ Truly troublesome.] Darius explained with a bitter look on his face. [Even so¡­ someone still has to do it.] Having said that, Ares turned to Sigurd and Darius. [Most likely, I will be appointed to govern this land. No one other than me is brave enough to be willing to go to a place with so many dangerous spots around it. No aristocrats would be willing to govern this land. Impossible¡­even if it was given freely to them. And that¡¯s where I¡¯ll enter the picture. It¡¯s the obvious choice for everyone.] After a short pause, Ares continued, this time, facing Darius. [For me, this place will be the first step to reach my dream¡­ many things need to be done¡­ Could you lend me your help? I need your strength.] Darius smiled and drew the sword hanging on his waist, presenting it to Ares. [I am but a man who only knows how to fight. If you don¡¯t mind, then allow me to fight for milord until the time my life finally runs out.] ===== ¡ô On the next day, Arcadia Empire forces began marching back to the Royal Capital. Gail and his sons will temporarily hold the reins of the Grants government until Sephiros decided on the new lord. This was also very unusual. [Milord, my father and I will do our best until you return. So please come back as soon as possible.] [He really makes for a good retainer¡­] As Sigurd distorted his face in response, Ares smiled happily. [Seeing Darius acting polite like that is kind of uncomfortable to see. I think it¡¯ll take a month before the new lord is decided. Until then, please do your best.] That said, Ares urged his horse to run. Darius laughed in satisfaction as he looked at his soon-to-be new lord¡¯s back. ===== ¡ô [Heavenly Commander] Darius Grants Said to be the strongest among Ares¡¯ [Six Heavenly Generals]. There are many anecdotes and no shortage of topics regarding this person. Breaking through hundred thousands of enemies on his own. Fighting a battle to the death against one of the Eight Demon lords. A duel with King Zaccard. His exhilarating and affectionate persona, as well as his unmatched valor¡­made him the most popular warrior figure to be featured in literary and artistic works and people praised him as the deity of war. CH 82 Chapter 82 ¨C Secret meeting Inside a room of a certain mansion. The sounds of ladies chattering could be heard from behind the door¡­. [Everyone, have some tea.] [Ara, thank you.] [Both of you are really big~] [In any case, let¡¯s begin the talk when you are finished. We can¡¯t begin this meeting without you two.] When women are having a discussion, poisonous words were sometimes said, but the overall atmosphere was good. In fact, they appeared to enjoy it. After the tea had been distributed to each attendee, the two who were serving tea also took a seat on the vacant chairs. One of them, having a merchant-like appearance, opened up the discussion. [Well then¡­what is the main topic today?] Then she resumed with a large grin on her face. [Information on Ares¡¯ war progress.] Seeing everyone¡¯s attention piqued, she nodded in satisfaction. ===== ¡ô [No way¡­surrounded by hordes of monsters¡­ what are the main forces doing?] The black haired and particularly big breasted lady complained. [Apparently the flooding of the Depay River prevented them from sending reinforcements] Listening to the merchant lady, the blonde haired lady across the room raised her voice in annoyance. [Don¡¯t be too hasty. If she can be this calm then it can only mean that he¡¯s safe, right? So what actually happened?] The merchant lady was not perturbed by that voice. [Now now, no need to rush.] She waved her hand dismissively. [Well, to be honest, I don¡¯t know what exactly happened there. But I know this: Ares managed to not only repel the monsters, but also took over Grants] The ladies spontaneously let out a sigh in relief upon hearing the merchant lady. [But¡­can we feel relieved yet?] Again, the ladies¡¯ interests were piqued. [Think about it carefully. Ares just took over 4 countries: Trevoir, Brittany, Redgear, and Grants in less than a month time. Have you ever heard something like this happening before?] [Certainly¡­..it¡¯s very amazing. That¡¯s like witnessing the birth of a new hero, right?] Said the brown haired petite lady . [Then shouldn¡¯t we be happy? After all, Ares-niisama came back bringing great achievements with him?] Responded the blonde big breasted girl sitting next to her. [Certainly it¡¯s a delightful thing. But, the thing is¡­there will be more people trying to get into the new hero¡¯s side.] The ladies started clamoring at the merchant lady¡¯s words. [Do you mean¡­there will be even more ladies flocking around him?] [Does that mean more girls will go after Ares-sama?] The two ladies who served the tea¡­ the black haired lady and the flaxen haired ladies voiced their concerns. [Well, aristocrats and big merchants will surely try to forge connections. And lots of women will also come to him¡­ to be intimate.] Provoked by the merchant lady¡¯s words, the two¡¯s voice got even louder. [No way¡­ all of you should be alright, but as for someone of my status¡­] [Well Ares is not the kind of person that cares about status anyway!] The blonde haired lady was the one who replied to that instead of the merchant lady. [Having spent a long time by his side, do you think that he is the kind of man who values those kind of connection and people?] [Also¡­I believe we can all get along well even if our numbers keep increasing. We also have the backing of Sera-sama.] The merchant lady also added. [Normally, we are competitors in love. It¡¯s only thanks to her power that we can have a friendly tea session together like this. We are still competitors though.] [I was surprised when everyone invited me that day¡­] The big breasted black haired woman laughed in response to the blonde lady¡¯s words. [Sera-sama is really a strange person¡­. That is that, by the way, it¡¯s a marvel how competitors can get along this easily] [If Ares-anii is here as well, I wonder if all this will still go as smoothly¡­] The brown haired lady laughed. [However.] The merchant lady once again broke the relaxed atmosphere with her serious tone. [I don¡¯t want to spoil the mood. But what if he¡¯s forced into marrying an imperial princess ¡­what do we do then?] Those words caused everyone to freeze. [That is a possibility. Ares has amassed a lot of achievements this time¡­ If that imperial princess is someone with stronger influence¡­then, I think Sera-sama won¡¯t be able to do anything about it¡­] [Do you mean we¡¯ll be thrown away?] Responding to the worried big breasted black haired lady, the blonde lady spoke up. [Whether we¡¯ll be abandoned or not¡­ there is nothing we can do about it since it¡¯s not happening yet. It¡¯s only natural to be worried, right? We just have to believe in Ares, that¡¯s all.] The blonde lady spun some words to reassure everyone. [Since back then¡­. he¡¯s always been kind to people who are close to him. Everyone has the right to seek happiness after all. So¡­I think everything will be just fine. Let¡¯s trust him.] All the ladies present showed their agreement to that. [We can always dig up some information in the meantime. From now on, let¡¯s hold this¡ºSecret Meeting¡»on a more regular basis, shall we?] ===== ¡ô [Nnn?] Ares suddenly trembled while still riding on his horse. [Ares-sama, did you somehow catch a cold?] Sigurd asked. [No? That¡¯s not it. I only felt a chill running down my spine just now¡­] Ares shook his head. [Forget that. Look, Sigurd. The Royal Capital is within sight] Sigurd turned to see what Ares meant. Looking closely, the¡ºGate of Victory¡»was indeed already visible in the distance. What will be decided in the Royal Capital, even Ares did not know¡­. Nobody knew yet. (TL Note: I¡¯ll make character glossary later, since as the story progressing, the author¡¯ will introduce more new characters.) CH 83 Chapter 83 ¨C Award At the Royal Capital, the returning soldiers were greeted with a warm welcome by the excited populace. [Glory to Arcadia!] [Glory to His Majesty Sephiros!] The Generals and the Aristocrats put up radiant faces in response to those cheering, but many among them had complex feelings this time. Everyone understood well. They¡¯ve done literally nothing this time¡­ And there was nothing they could do about that. ===== ¡ô A day after arriving back to the capital, Emperor Sephiros announced that the merits report and medal awarding ceremony will be held in three days. Silvia heard about this while she was visiting Ares at the Schwarzer mansion. [The battle went according to what you wanted it¡­ I am curious¡­just what kind of gift His Majesty will award to you.] [Perhaps the merger of Schwarzer Territory and the Grants territory¡­ don¡¯t you think that¡¯s the most likely scenario to happen?] Ares sipped the tea in his cup, then resumed. [It¡¯s a remote place, so they¡¯ll set me to rule it¡­ that¡¯s how it will be.] [But¡­is that not a bit too cheap for such a grand achievement?] Silvia thought inwardly, there had never been a case where a man took over four countries with only his own meager private army. Not even in the west or east. [Since it is His Majesty we are talking about¡­ I think it will be something unexpected¡­] [In any case we¡¯ll find out after 3 days. Right now, we can only wait.] [Speaking of which, I heard that many people are asking for a meeting?] [¡­. honestly, it¡¯s really troublesome. Can I not meet all of them at all? Keep delaying the meeting to the next day everytime can be tiring¡­] Silvia then reprimanded Ares [What is with that attitude? Nothing will change whether it is tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Just meet them already] And he answered. [Most likely it¡¯ll be just them trying to sell off their daughter to me for a honey trap, no? As for me, before I can properly back Cornelia and Zerias, I¡¯d prefer that there is no interference from the other aristocrats.] Silvia laughed upon hearing that. [Speaking of which, have you gone to meet Cornelia and Zerias after coming back?] [As you might guess, I¡¯ve no time to do that. It¡¯s such a difficult situation.] [Those two have been waiting for a while now. Zerias especially, wants to hear how the war went.] Silvia¡¯s face then turned serious. [You are an important presence for them. Please refrain from acting inconspicuous.] In response to Silvia¡¯s warning, Ares merely laughed. ===== ¡ô The ceremony was held in the main hall of the Imperial Palace. The punishment for the mistakes that were done in the previous campaign will also be decided at the same time. It¡¯s painfully obvious to everyone present of who the main figure of this ceremony will be. They were interested in finding out how many awards this main figure will receive. That¡¯s one thing. Looking at each of the aristocrat, they were talking about random things with each other, seemingly apprehensive¡­ they were waiting for the emperor¡¯s arrival with complicated feelings. Ares stood there with Silvia and Earl Lloyd Roxietta at one corner of the hall. There were many aristocrats wanting to create a connection with Ares, but they couldn¡¯t do so with princess Silvia around. Ares was very grateful with this. [Thanks to Your Highness, I won¡¯t have to interact with those pesky aristocrats. Thank you very much.] [Why of course. Give those aristocrats a little step then they¡¯ll ask for a mile.] In the midst of chatting with Silvia, a loud voice reverberated in the hall, announcing the emperor¡¯s arrival. The aristocrats hurriedly returned to their positions and bowed their heads. Ares and Silvia weren¡¯t exempt from this as well. Once he sat on the throne, emperor Sephiros opened up with a heavy voice. [Everyone, at ease.] Everyone raised their faces at Sephiros¡¯ command. [This will be a ceremony to commemorate the campaign. We will hereby grant rewards to meritorious deeds during the war and lay punishment to the failure accordingly.] Having said so, Sephiros gave a glance at the prime minister, Duke of Clark, Gilbert. Gilbert unfolded the Emperor¡¯s edict, coughed once, then read it out loud. [Firstly, punishment for the failures in the previous battles] At that moment, it¡¯s as if the temperature of the main hall had dropped to zero. The aristocrats held their breath in anticipation. [First of all¡­.. Archduke Saxon and First Prince Carlos will have to return to their own territories.] At the same time as that announcement were over, there were some sighed among the crowds. This marked the end of Georg and Carlos¡¯ faction as they had to step away from the political war for throne succession. Not only that, but they also had to pay a large fine as well. Afterwards was the punishment for those who escaped during Darius¡¯ surprise attack. Anything can be confiscated here. Mostly material possessions¡­ but some actually had to lose their very own life here. Thus the aristocrats waited in fear for Sephiros¡¯ decision. After the punishment came the rewards for the achievement. Unlike the previous one, the attitude of the aristocrats this time was way different. They didn¡¯t hesitate to show their interest¡­. [First of all¡­ to the royal guards who had protected His Majesty¡­] Several names were called upon and rewarded for their achievements. Along with that were the applause from the aristocrats. Some of the royal guards were granted the status of nobility. So the aristocrats were watching which one got that reward¡­and on which side these new aristocrats would be. And the last name that was called upon¡­ is the name that the aristocrats anticipated the most. [Lastly, we¡¯d like to praise the one with the greatest achievements¡­the little lord of the Schwarzer, Ares Schwarzer, please stand forward.] [Yes!] When Ares headed out to meet Sephiros, the other aristocrats watched on. Their face was a mixture of jealousy and curiosity¡­ On their mind were various speculations about Ares. Gilbert first reconfirmed what was written in the edict, then looked at Emperor Sephiros in disbelief¡­ Sephiros moved his chin, motioning Gilbert to continue reading. [Ares Schwarzer. Your feats of taking down four countries and repelling the large horde of monsters, is unmatched even in the east or the west. These kind of feats must also be rewarded greatly.] Gilbert resumed after taking a short breather. [The four countries you¡¯ve taken down will be under your name now¡­thus you must govern them well. Grants will be the main territory, with the other three being auxiliary territories. Aristocrats ruling these lands will have to consult with you for instructions. Ares Schwarzer will be granted the title of¡ºLord of the Frontier¡».] This decision invoked various discussions. [Really now¡­a Lord of the Frontier¡­] [Of course, he originally hailed from the Archduke clan¡­giving him any lower title than that would be¡­] [But that land reeks with barbarians and monsters. Not exactly a good place to start¡­] ¡ºLord of the Frontier¡»¡­.it¡¯s actually at the same rank as the Marquis and right below the rank of Duke. However, the owner of this title has more degree of autonomy compared to a Marquis. They could draft any number of soldiers and they are allowed to make territorial laws freely. Within their own territory, it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that they are like a King of an independent country. In Arcadia Empire, there had been only one other person to receive Lord of the Frontier title in history, but his clan had long been perished. In addition to that, Grants combined with the three other countries makes for a fairly vast territory. Ares is already the heir of an Archduke. Combined with the territory he obtained just now, his clan will now become the clan with the largest territory in the empire. But Ares¡¯ reward did not stop there. The next part made the aristocrats even more surprised. Gilbert continued on. [We acknowledge that there are many things in Grants that will not bring benefit to Arcadia, such as the barbarians and the monsters. In this regard, suppressing them will be the greatest task for the region. Therefore, We appointed Ares Schwarzer as the¡ºGeneral of Conquest¡». We leave this task to you.] [General of Conquest] ¡­.. This title is given temporarily to those under military service to subjugate a different ethnic group. A commander who leads the army against another race¡­ is pretty much the highest position a military officer could hope for¡­. The highest command so to speak. In the past, there was only one other person in Arcadia who received such title, but it was nothing but a false title back then. Ares indeed belonged to an Archduke clan, but as a military officer he¡¯s still on the equal rank as a second officer. This promotion had moved his rank up by a lot, skipping some in the process. The Aristocrats present started to make noises. [P-pardon me, but please reconsider! The General of Conquest is originally a very high position in the military body. Such a title shouldn¡¯t be easily given after only one campaign!] [I think so too. This kind of thing is unheard of before.] [Certainly, Ares-dono has amassed great achievements. But, awarding the position of¡ºGeneral of Conquest¡»to him is a bit¡­.] [I have never heard a mere second officer be rewarded with such a high ranking position before!] The aristocrats belonging to the military position showed their discontent. Randolph who himself the imperial army Marshall had a bitter face. In contrast, the other Marshall, Duke McDohl showed an interested face. Blam! Listening to these negative reactions, the Emperor tapped his hand on the throne handle loudly, effectively calming the scene. [We have deemed him worthy of such title. If you lot dare to speak against Our decision, then should We consider you lot trying to revolt against the Empire?] The noise died down instantly. Sephiros then turned to Ares and resumed. [We will still bestow upon you the title of¡ºGeneral of Conquest¡». As the title suggests, your task is to subjugate the barbarians dwelling in that ¡ºCursed Place¡». Failure is not an option. In turn, you can choose to decline this position. Also, We must remind you that you may not take the imperial army for this task. You must rely on your own soldiers.] ¡ºYou must rely on your own soldiers.¡» The aristocrats were aware of what those words imply. It¡¯s like as if the Emperor himself had inflicted a [curse] upon Ares. Despite being considered as the highest rank in the military command, he still could not move the imperial army without the Emperor¡¯s consent. It¡¯s pretty much a decorative title now. However, Ares will be stationed in Grants, where many barbarians and demonkin lives. Therefore he¡¯ll have to keep fighting them due to his position as [General of Conquest]. Not to mention that he¡¯ll be unable to dispatch the imperial army, and has to rely on his own troops. Sephiros had given Ares the greatest of honor and at the same time the toughest of challenges. The aristocrats who previously thought that Sephiros was favoring Ares too much became puzzled. What is Sephiros¡¯ real intention¡­? Sephiros stared sharply at Ares. And Ares responded in kind. His decision had been made. [This Ares receives the honor.] He answered. Sephiros remained placid to that reply. After confirming the situation, Gilbert continued reading the edict. [Also, We will be asking Ares Schwarzer for marriage.] [¡­¡­ha?] The atmosphere froze over once more. Ares also unintentionally let out a puzzled voice. In particular, it was like putting a stop to the aristocrats trying to marry their daughter off to Ares. It was Sephiros who broke the awkward silence. [We hereby order you to take Our fourth daughter Cornelia as your companion in marriage. Cornelia is 18 years old this year. Both of you are young, which will make you two a fitting couple. A year from now, she¡¯ll be joining you in Grants as your wife. You may not refuse this matter as this is not an offer, but an order.] It was well known to everyone present that the four princesses of Arcadia are weak without any backing. Originally, a marriage would be determined and planned properly by first asking the consent of both parties involved. The same still applies even to the Royal clan. Especially when the other party is the Archduke. Therefore the compulsory nature of this particular marriage was unprecedented. Is it his kindness as a father to keep Cornelia away from the power struggle or conversely, a plot to involve Ares into joining the power struggle¡­ After the decision had been made, a lot of aristocrats raised their voices in protest. Some even raised their hands to voice out their concern. [Your Majesty, permission to speak?] Second Princess Silvia who had been silent all this time spoke up. [Speak.] [What will happen to Zerias now that Cornelia will leave the capital?] Zerias was also one of Silvia¡¯s concerns after all. [It¡¯s about time for Zerias to gain experience as a military officer¡­] [In that case, I have an idea.] Silvia then resumed. [Zerias and Cornelia are close to each other. It¡¯ll be a pity to separate them. So it¡¯s best to send away Zerias to Grants as well.] Sephiros gave Silvia a look. But Silvia continued speaking. [Ares-dono, who will be governing Grants, is the hero who took down four countries in a very short time. I¡¯m sure Zerias will have a lot to learn from him.] After hearing Silvia¡¯s reasoning, Sephiros spoke quietly. [Very well. We¡¯ll discuss this matter about Zerias. But only if Ares Schwarzer himself is willing to take him in.] Sephiros then stood up from his throne. [With Grants and Redgear conquered, We have obtained the key to the east. If everything goes well this year, We will be able to flatten the east in no time. Therefore, make proper preparations.] [ [ [ [ [ [ Yes! ] ] ] ] ] ] And thus, the ceremony that went beyond Ares¡¯ expectations came to an end. ===== ¡ô Ares was awarded with four territories: Trevoir, Brittany, Redgear, and Grants as the main territory. When Ares inherited the title of the Archduke, it¡¯s been decided that both territories will be merged. [Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect that it will go that far¡­ problems will certainly pile up from this. However it¡¯s still a rewarding job.] Ares said that with a laugh as he walked back to the mansion along with Sigurd. [For now, I will return to Schwarzer territory and consult with my Esteemed Father. I¡¯m going to manage my own territory¡­. I need to secure human resources.] ===== Starting from that point, Grants which was known as the [Cursed Land] would reach a major turning point. It will later be recorded in history. That this very [Cursed Land] would soon become the [Land of Beginning] from which the Hero Sovereign took the first step in conquering the continent. CH 84 Chapter 84 ¨C The Princess¡¯ Feelings After the award ceremony, Ares first wandered around the capital without returning to the mansion. There were lots of things to do. He was inaugurated as both the [Lord of the Frontier] and [General of Conquest]. Many aristocrats tried to contact Ares, but simply couldn¡¯t find where he is. Ares was moving in preparation to rule Grants. Governing his new territory would be hard, that much he knew. Therefore, everything has to be prepared. And a few days passed. ===== ¡ô Ares received a summon from Princess Silvia, thus he headed to the palace. He was guided to Silvia¡¯s private room. [Excuse me.] He could already somewhat guess the reason behind his summon. Ares sighed and entered Silvia¡¯s room¡­to be surprised to see what awaited him inside. [Ah, you are here, Ares. I have been wanting to have a talk with you ever since a few days ago. But first of all¡­ let me congratulate you.] Silvia said that with mischievous tone, then resumed talking. [And Cornelia also want to have a talk with you. Can you spare some of your time today?] Next to Silvia was Cornelia, standing in her usual regal manner. [It has been a while, Ares-sama.] Cornelia bowed deeply, then flashed a smile as her beauty had remained unchanged since the first time they met. ===== ¡ô [This time I had to rely on my elder sister. If it was just me, then this would not go anywhere¡­ I am sorry.] Having said that, Cornelia bowed once more. She looked at Ares straight in the eyes as she raised her head back. [¡­¡­¡­..and I have something that I would like to ask.] [Please refrain from bowing to me like that, Your Highness. Then, what is it that Your Highness wants to ask me?] Ares laughed amicably. But his heart rate was different matter. He was very nervous. What does the princess want to ask of him? And when he heard Cornelia¡¯s next words¡­ He was perplexed. [I want to know Ares-sama¡¯s feelings.] [Ha?] [I want to ask whether you are truly sure about marrying me.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­] [If you already have someone else you love, then please tell me.] Ares silently looked at Cornelia¡¯s eyes. And Cornelia also did the same to him. Silvia listened attentively to Cornelia¡¯s unexpected question. When Cornelia called her she thought that her little sister wanted to spend some time with her at first. But the truth is, when they finally met¡­..she never imagined that this would be the first thing Cornelia mentioned. Ares was originally not that well-versed in terms of love. And this frustrated Gilbert so much¡­ He thought that Ares has been unconsciously running away from this problem. Not only Sharon, but also there were Theta, Maria, the Rozenburg¡¯s sisters, and Nina¡­.all of them care for him. And Ares was aware of it. Occasionally, his mother Sera would reprimand him about this, but he never truly acted on it. He always tried to ignore the matter. But after Cornelia asked him here¡­ he realized that he couldn¡¯t ignore this matter anymore even if he didn¡¯t want to. It¡¯s as if his meeting today with Cornelia was fate. Whether he decided to accept it or not¡­he still has to respond to their feelings. The feelings of those he had neglected. And Cornelia¡¯s feeling as well. After a few moments of silence, Ares finally spoke up. [I do have people I care about since a very long time ago.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­..] [Despite knowing their feelings, I have always been pretending not to notice. It¡¯s very pathetic of me.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.] [That was also the case for our proposed marriage. Somehow, I didn¡¯t think much about it, despite it being His Majesty¡¯s order. This may sound rude, but up until a while ago, I was still busy thinking about how to make Grants prosper with me as the Lord of the Frontier¡­ and that¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t even think about Your Highness¡­or how Your Highness would feel after all that.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.] [I truly am the worst kind of man. Please forgive me.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­..] After saying so, Ares flashed a refreshing smile. [But I do have something to do here first.] With that, Ares bowed his head. [I think Your Highness should reject this arranged marriage with me] [Wha-!] Silvia stood up upon hearing that. [You! Do you want to put shame into Cornelia¡¯s face! Even Cornelia is¡­.] [Elder sister, please be quiet.] It was Cornelia who interrupted Silvia. [Please continue.] [¡­¡­.as I mentioned earlier, I have several women who harbour feelings for me. And¡­. I can¡¯t bear to choose only one of them¡­ I just can¡¯t. Neither can I accept the thought of abandoning any of them.] Ares continued on with a serious look on his face. [Your Highness¡¯ words have caused me to realize that I should face this matter head on. I will accept all of them. No matter what other people will say. The person that will be going to be your husband from now on will have accept another woman¡­.. This may be unacceptable.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..] [If Your Highness refused to marry me because it¡¯s revealed later on that I have so many lovers¡­ it will be only I who would be known as a flirt and womanizer. Your Highness¡¯ name will remain unblemished.] [And you would do it even if you will end up smearing your own reputation?] [Yes. That¡¯s the decision I¡¯d like to take. Because all of them deserve that much.] Ares then continued with a smile. [If they are so willing¡­ then I will do my best to protect them. Even if the whole world is against me.] Then Ares turned to Silvia who was staring at him like a raging demon preparing to pounce at him. [Of course, I will somehow compensate both Your Highness and His Majesty. I may not be able to become your backer¡­but I swear my allegiance to you. As for His Majesty¡­there may be some punishment for refusing this arranged marriage. Well it can¡¯t be helped¡­] After hearing Ares, Silvia could only sigh. [You are truly ¡­that kind of man, aren¡¯t you?] Cornelia suddenly got up and quietly smiled¡­ Approaching Ares and nodded to him. Neither Ares nor Silvia could understand what she meant. [Then¡­. if I also have feelings for you, do you think that I would be willing to reject the marriage with you?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­] [I have investigated all kinds of things about you. What you¡¯ve done, your reputation. And today I have also heard your thoughts] Cornelia turned up and looked at Ares, whilst Ares also looked back at her. [The more I looked and the more I found out¡­ the more I realized that you are the kind of gentleman I have been dreaming about since childhood. I came to pine for you. Therefore, when I heard about His Majesty¡¯s decision a few days ago, I was really happy. But¡­ at the same time, I was worried.] And so Cornelia said ever so quietly. [I came to wonder, will our marriage cause sadness to someone else? Therefore, I went to meet your mother yesterday, and had a talk] [Eh, with my mother?] The revelation caused Ares to leak out a weird voice. The face of the all-encompassing Sera flashed in his head. If she had a piece to bite¡­ then he wouldn¡¯t stand any chance to fight back. [I heard from Ares-sama¡¯s mother that you have several women who are also pining for you. Therefore¡­ I asked you to make things clear.] Cornelia then looked at Ares once again. [Ares-sama¡¯s decision, I think it¡¯s wonderful. I think Ares-sama¡¯s resolve for these women is admirable. I envy them for being valued that much¡­ that even Ares-sama is willing to make such a decision¡­.. I have but only one request now. Can I be included as one of those women? That is all.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­] [I may not have a long history with you yet. And I know it¡¯s a tall order. But, I can only beg you now.] Ares stared at Cornelia. Looking closely¡­ Cornelia was trembling ever so slightly. Probably out of shame from having to go that far and worried about how he would respond to her request. Ares thought inwardly, Ah, I really am a pathetic man. To let a woman go as far as doing something like this. [Please raise your head, Your Highness.] Ares approached and took Cornelia¡¯s hand. At the same time, Cornelia also slowly looked up. [I may turn out to be the worst husband.] [I do not mind.] [I will most likely take even more wives.] [But you will love me all the same, will you not?] [There is also the possibility of losing my life in war.] [Until that day comes, I will always be by your side.] Ares made up his mind as he listened to her answers. He would welcome Cornelia as his wife. And so, he told Cornelia. [Your Highness¡­ will you marry me?] Hearing that proposal, Cornelia showed a flowery smile on her beautiful face. ===== ¡ô Cornelia Arcadia Schwarzer A prominent figure known as the Hero Sovereign Ares¡¯ Queen. Ares had many wives in his lifetime, yet his married life was rather devoid of conflict. It was mostly thanks to Cornelia¡¯s presence. Also, it is said that it was due to her influence that the succession to the throne did not end up into a full blown political war. Well-versed in domestic affairs, she supported Ares fully. Ares would always entrust her with the command of the dominion whenever he¡¯s absent. It said that because he had strong trust in her that he could leave for battle with his mind at ease. She is also proficient in the holy arts and often involved in charities, earning her the nickname [Arcadia¡¯s Saintess]. Later on she would also be known as the [Arestia¡¯s Holy Mother], exactly because she always acted like a [mother] to her people. It is said that the Arestia Dominion¡¯s prosperity was partially brought about by her existence. CH 85 Chapter 85 ¨C Enemy of women Ares exited Silvia¡¯s residence after that conversation with her and Cornelia. It¡¯s only been a few days since he got back home. When he left to attend the award ceremony, he never thought that the situation would evolve into this. Ares stopped in front of the gate of the Schwarzer mansion. Right, he realized¡­ he had people he needs to have a talk with at the moment. Ares pondered for a while before finally stepping inside. But before he went any further¡­ he stopped thinking and took a deep breath. It can¡¯t be helped. He needs to lay his heart bare open. Otherwise, no one will be convinced. Ares never got to open the door himself. [Welcome back, Ares.] [ [ [ [Welcome home!] ] ] ] Many servants were lined up neatly on the left and right. Ares was speechless upon hearing their energetic greetings. Standing at the end of the line were Sigurd, Julius, Alberto, and the head butler Burton. [Esteemed brother, congratulations!] Julius walked forward, expressing pure joy. [Ares-sama¡­ to think that you¡¯ll be awarded with the position of General of Conquest¡­ that¡¯s surprising.] Sigurd also praised him. Alberto, Burton¡­ and the servants as well. Ares could only smile back at them. And at that moment¡­ [Ares. Welcome back.] A voice came from the upper floor. It was Sera and this time, she looks serious. Everyone else, including Julius, moved away from Ares, choosing to observe from the sidelines. All of them are painfully aware of who the most powerful person in this mansion is. But even now, they couldn¡¯t tell if what they see now is Sera¡¯s real expression. As the lady of the Schwarzer clan, Sera had always been careful in dealing with things as well as treating others with kindness and smiles. But when she¡¯s scolding someone¡­ everyone knew well of the horror that awaits. She seemed obviously angry at the moment¡­ which is unusual. Right there¡­ everyone could only look at Ares in pity. But Ares approached forward, with similarly serious face. [Ares here has returned back home.] [Let¡¯s refrain from formal greetings between parents and children, Ares¡­ don¡¯t you have something to report?] Ah, of course. Mother knew everything. Ares thought inwardly. Cornelia said that she had a talk with Sera. Without a doubt, the content must¡¯ve been about that. And of course his mother would¡¯ve also spoken with the other girls. [I do have something to say, mother.] Ares then started speaking after taking a short breath. [I have decided to marry the Arcadia Empire¡¯s 4th Princess, her Highness Cornelia Arcadia.] Hearing that, the servants became noisy and Julius also asked incredulously. [Eh? Ares-niisama, are you really going to marry Her Highness Cornelia?] Sera spoke up, ignoring Julius altogether. [¡­¡­¡­¡­Ares.] [Yes.] [Let¡¯s discuss this in detail. Come to my room.] After saying so, Sera turned around and headed towards the said room. Ares followed suit. The others could only see them off silently. ===== ¡ô [Congratulations¡­ but should I really say that? Well then, what are you going to do with those other girls who will surely be broken hearted because of you?] As soon as they entered the room and gained some semblance of privacy, Sera narrowed her eyes and asked inquisitively. But Ares calmly responded. [I¡¯m going to accept them all.] [You¡­ do know that¡¯s a lot of mistresses, do you not?] [In a way, yes. But they won¡¯t be my mistresses. They will all be my wives. There will be no main wife or mistresses.] Things will get serious now. Ares thought. [I can¡¯t bear to abandon any of them. Therefore I do not intend to do so. I¡¯ll accept everyone. But this time, they may not accept my decision. So¡­ I¡¯d like to talk to them one by one.] [¡­¡­so you are going to make yourself an ¡®enemy of women¡¯?] [I don¡¯t know what others will say. They can call me whatever they want. This was the only thing that came to mind when I think of how to make everyone feel happy. I could be careless about what other people say about me, but I will do my best to protect those girls from any baseless rumors.] [How do you feel about Princess Cornelia?] [I¡¯ve already talked this out with Her Highness. And I¡¯ve received her permission to do that. She also wants to walk by my side regardless of anything. So I just have to protect her no matter what] After hearing Ares¡¯ explanation, Sera went silent. She opened her mouth again after a while. [I see¡­. So that¡¯s the conclusion you take¡­] She said. She then sighed deeply. [Good grief. Why can you be just like Edgar-sama who only has his sight for me and me alone?] She sighed even more. Ares could only chuckle. But then Sera smiled. [Well, I was once told by a fortune teller] [¡­¡­.ha?] Ares was perplexed by the sudden change of topic. [¡®You¡¯ll pass away in happiness surrounded by many daughters and grandchildren,¡¯ he said.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­] [But I only gave birth to 2 sons. That¡¯s weird, could the fortune teller have been wrong¡­ but when I think about it¡­ there is this kind of thing as well. And I¡¯m sure¡­ the number will continue to increase in the future¡­] Sera took another sigh, before turning to Ares and slammed her hand to the table. [Ares!] Suddenly being called out with such a loud voice, Ares responded out of reflex. [Yes, ma¡¯am!] [Are you listening? From now on, I will consider your wives as my daughters. So you¡¯d better not make any of them cry. Make everyone happy. You should do that much if you are a real man!] [Yes¡­ yes¡­] [Don¡¯t answer half-heartedly!] [Yes, ma¡¯am!] ===== ¡ô The conversation was over right there. Or at least it should have. But afterward, Ares had to stand in an upright position, and Sera would sit there for the infamous¡ºMother¡¯s Talk¡» session. After confirming the situation by peeking on the door, the servants returned to their duties. Only a few people stayed behind. Julius, Sigurd, Alberto, and Burton¡­ each of them had the same thought in mind. The Archduke, Lord of Frontier, and General of Conquest¡­ undoubtedly, there is no higher rank left to take, except for the throne. But¡­ certainly there is still a greater height to chase after¡­ ===== ¡ô Ares took action immediately afterward. Starting with those he could find in Schwarzer mansion, then to the other various places. Earl of Roxietta¡¯s mansion, Marquis Rozenburg¡¯s residence, Black Rose Brothel, and Margot Chamber of Commerce¡­.. Yes, to tell each of them his decision. To ask if they are willing. And a few days later, it was publicly announced. The engagement of Ares Schwarzer and Cornelia Arcadia, as well as his engagement with several other women of varying standing. CH 86 Chapter 86 ¨C Date When Ares was about to head back to the Schwarzer territory, Princess Cornelia sent him a message. There was not much detail other than she wanted to meet him. So after giving instructions to the servants, Ares headed to the appointed place. And that place was¡­ the church in the southern district. ===== ¡ô [This is¡­ surprising. I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d want to meet up here of all places¡­] Ares talked to a hooded woman next to him in a somewhat amazed tone as they walked together along the main street south. The street was filled with people walking to and fro, as well as stalls. [Fufufu, my elder sister often reprimanded me because of this¡­ but I would sneak out like this once every week. Staying at the Imperial Palace can be suffocating sometimes.] The hooded woman, Cornelia chuckled after saying so. Ares was confused at first when he received Cornelia¡¯s letter last night. The letter said: ¡´Please come meet me in the morning on your own. Don¡¯t bring anyone else.¡µ In addition to that, the meeting place was at the southern district where most commoners are gathered. Therefore, a lot of churches were built in this district. What does she want? Ares couldn¡¯t help but think about that along the way. The day was still early, so the traffic was a bit lighter than normal. The church stood there with dignified air. As Ares observed the church¡­ [Good morning, Ares-sama. Thank you for coming] Someone greeted him. Following the voice, Ares saw a hooded woman nearby stood up. [Could it be¡­] In response to Ares¡¯ muttering, the woman lowered her hood a bit. [Y¡­Your Highness!? Here all by yourself¡­?] [Shu©`©`sh!] Cornelia¡¯s eyes gleamed with mischief as she silenced Ares. [By the way, Ares-sama, have you had breakfast yet?] [No, I haven¡¯t¡­ I headed out very early in the morning after all.] [It is good that I came prepared then] Saying so, Cornelia opened a small packet she¡¯s been carrying. [I have made this for breakfast. Would you like to sit on that bench as we eat it?] ===== ¡ô Ares and Cornelia sat on one of the benches by the streetside as they began eating the sandwiches Cornelia had made. Also spending time by having some casual talk. Ares was already amazed earlier. He never expected that the princess would go to such a place alone. Let alone the same princess to prepare a meal by herself. When Ares expressed all that, Cornelia merely chuckled. [My mother was originally a priestess working for the church. That was until she met Esteemed Father. They both loved each other. But my mother didn¡¯t let His Majesty knew that she had given birth to me, so I spent the first 10 years of my life by living in the church.] Ares was surprised by this revelation. But Cornelia wasn¡¯t finished yet. [When I was about to be 10 years old¡­ my mother died from an epidemic. Before she died, she told me and the others of my real identity. The people from the church soon brought me to His Majesty¡­and He¡­ immediately recognized me and even declared me as the fourth princess.] Cornelia had a slightly saddened face. [That is why instead of eating fine cuisine inside a luxurious mansion, I prefer eating outside like this.] Then she looked at Ares with a worried look. [¡­do you think it is weird¡­ for me to act like that as a princess?] [No.] Ares replied after he finished one sandwich that he was chewing with his mouth.. [Not at all. I honestly like you even better this way.] Hearing that answer, Cornelia laughed. [Really just as the report says.] [Report?] [En. After my elder sister introduced us, I took the initiative to do some investigation.] After Silvia introduced Cornelia to Ares, Cornelia quickly investigated just what kind of man Ares is. The result¡­ was beyond her expectations. [I was surprised when I heard that you were involved with the many changes in the western district. Even living alongside the people there as a bouncer for a time.] Ares was surprised that the Empire¡¯s information network could glean that much. [In the Schwarzer territory, you spent time together with the soldiers and enjoyed buying and eating snacks sold in the street food stalls¡­ there are certainly many interesting stories about you.] [¡­nothing less from the Empire¡¯s information network.] [Pardon me if that makes you feel uncomfortable. But¡­ we would be walking alongside each other from now on, so I would like to know more about you.] Having said so, Cornelia stared at Ares with a serious look. [Everytime I found out things about you, I would only feel that I want to know even more. At the same time, I hope that you also come to know more about me. Everyone else who are engaged to Ares-sama have shared somehistory with you¡­ but that is not the case with me.] [¡­.hnn? No, but¡­] [Fufufu, did I sound a bit pushy just now?] Cornelia resumed after a short chuckle. [But that is my real intention. I wish to close the gap even a little before our marriage arrives. So today¡­ I want to spend time with you as my true self] ===== ¡ô After finishing the meal, the two changed locations according to Cornelia¡¯s direction. And their next destination was¡­ (eh? Isn¡¯t this the church where Cecil works?) [Bishop Griffith, good morning.] [Cornelia-sama, you arrive earlier than usual today. And this man with you is¡­ eh? Ares-sama?] [¡­¡­¡­..Cecil, do you two know each other?] [Yes, since a long time ago actually.] Cecil showed a refreshing smile. [I was raised by Cornelia-sama¡¯s mother. She¡¯s pretty much my benefactor. But well, when I heard that Cornelia-sama is engaged to Ares-sama, I was¡­ pleasantly surprised]. [When my mother passed away, it was Bishop Griffith who helped me] Cornelia quietly smiled. [I was there when Cornelia-sama¡¯s mother revealed that she was of the Imperial bloodline¡­ I feared that she would be used for bad things if the news were to spread further, but thankfully it worked out somehow.] [¡­how come you never told me about this before?] [Doesn¡¯t Ares-sama also have many things that he never told me? I¡¯m just returning the favor.] After saying so, Cecil turned to Cornelia. [Well then, Cornelia-sama. What brings you here today¡­?] [The usual thing.] [Of course. Ares-sama doesn¡¯t know about it yet though¡­] Thus Cecil turned to Ares and said. [From here on out, Ares-sama will surely be surprised. Seeing the real Cornelia-sama¡­ ] ===== ¡ô Cecil took Ares to a balcony where they could oversee the church hall from above. [Ares-sama will just be a hindrance if you are down there. So please watch from here instead.] [¡­.you really have to be so frank, huh¡­] Ares chuckled. Downstairs, many people had lined up to receive help from the priests. Some of them were suffering from disease, while others were gravely injured¡­ some were the poor folks who couldn¡¯t afford regular medication, while the remaining were demihumans.] [Ooh, the Saintess is visiting today!] [Saintess-sama!] [Saintess-sama is here!] Ares was both perplexed¡­ and fascinated by the scene happening below. [Cornelia-sama?] Cornelia, who was wearing a pure white robe was standing there. Many people gathered around Cornelia. After speaking to each one of them¡­ Cornelia raised her hand over them. [By the Goddess¡¯ will¡­ may your pain be relieved¡­] Then¡­ a brilliant spark enveloped the hall. (This is¡­ a holy art?) Ares wondered while narrowing his eyes. (Oioi¡­ a holy art this powerful, how come I¡¯ve never seen it before!?) Following that, those present¡­ slowly had color return to their previously pale faces. [Wow, my body feels lighter!] [Me too¡­ I feel like my condition is recovering!] [Saintess-sama! Thank you very much!] Hearing those grateful cheers made Cornelia smile. She then started speaking once more. Her voice was not loud. But everyone ceased their shouting, seemingly desperate to listen to her. [My holy art merely brought your inner strength out. If you are seriously ill, please follow the instructions of the doctor over there. As for the lighter one, my¡ºHealing¡»and¡ºDetoxify¡»should be enough to alleviate it to a certain extent. Please return home and have some rest.] After the voice ceased, the crowd started to disperse. But before leaving, they didn¡¯t forget to bow deeply toward Cornelia. Some were in tears, and some others muttered silent ¡°thank you¡± repeatedly¡­ their reactions were varied. Ares was too surprised¡­ that he was loss for words up until now. [To possess such a powerful holy art¡­ she¡¯s truly a member of the Royal Clan¡­ ] [Not many possess such an art in the church as well.] Cecil was in agreement with Ares. Holy arts consist of three separate arts. ¡ºHealing¡»,¡ºDetoxify¡», and¡ºDispel¡». ¡ºHealing¡»stimulates the natural regeneration of one¡¯s body. It could heal wounds and increase resistance to disease. ¡ºDetoxify¡»removes poison and bacteria from one¡¯s body. While¡ºDispel¡»neutralizes the effect of magic power. Of course, it¡¯s not an answer to everything. It could not remedy serious and complicated illnesses and may even worsen it instead. Therefore, several doctors also work in the church. But it¡¯s still very effective for wounds and common physical injuries. Usually the art is used alongside regular medication. [Cornelia-sama is also well versed in medicinal knowledge. So she could treat people more efficiently.] Cecil chuckled afterward. [Only me, His Majesty, and the higher ups at the central church know about this. Even the people downstairs and those working in this church does not know her true identity.] [But¡­ this kind of power. If the central church make a move against her¡­] [No, they couldn¡¯t. Because she¡¯s a genuine member of the Royal clan, the church won¡¯t make any direct move against her. But they could still do something secretly. Therefore, having her sent to Grants¡­ seems like the best course of action] After saying that, Cecil bowed to Ares. [Cornelia-sama¡¯s mother is my benefactor¡­ to see her finds happiness is my greatest wish¡­ and for that, I leave Cornelia-sama in your care, Ares-sama.] ===== ¡ô Ares and Cornelia left the church sometime after, walking side by side in leisure. [Back at the Imperial Academy days, there was a place I regularly visit¡­ I¡¯ll take you there later in the afternoon.] Ares took Cornelia to the food stalls and restaurant he often visited during his days as a student. As they shared stories, both good and bad¡­ the distance between the two slowly but surely shrunk. And finally at dusk, it¡¯s time for them to part. Ares had brought Cornelia to one of his favorite places to spend time on. A hill with an overlooking view of the Royal Capital. [So there is actually such a place in the Royal Capital.] Cornelia said as her hair fluttered in the wind. [I like this place. Especially during this time of day¡­ because I can see the lights in the houses below¡­] Ares gazed into the distance as he said so. Cornelia also silently followed Ares¡¯ gaze. [Cornelia-sama, thank you very much for today.] Cornelia seemed a bit annoyed by Ares¡¯ words just now. Ares tilted his head, wondering why she made such a face. [Eh? Did I say something wrong just now?] [Ares-sama, I will soon be your wife, correct?] [Yes, that¡¯s correct¡­] [Then please drop the honorific. Just call me Cornelia.] She puffed her cheeks as she said so. Ares could only smile, and corrected himself. [Thank you¡­ Cornelia.] Those words brought a smile to Cornelia. [Can we¡­ have an outing again sometime?] At Ares¡¯s proposal, Cornelia let out a smile that would remind anyone of a beautiful flower. And following that proposal¡­. did their silhouettes overlap with each other. ===== CH 87 Chapter 87 ¨C Homecoming Two weeks after the awarding of the [General of Conquest] title. After finishing his matters at the Royal Capital, Ares headed back to the Schwarzer territory. As soon as he arrived, he gathered together his retainers as well as his father Edgar and Elder Rouen, who protected the northern fortress, to discuss about the future plans. With the little lord inaugurated as the Lord of Frontier, this means that the Schwarzer¡¯s territory had grown even larger. When Ares inherits the Archduke title, will he combine both territories into one or leave it for his younger brother Julius to govern? Grants was called the [Cursed Land] for good reasons. Its territory is prone to attacks from either monsters or barbarian tribes. And due to that, it barely attract any newcomers. Therefore Ares couldn¡¯t simply go there without making any preparation first. Large scale development is necessary. [Being a General of Conquest on top of the Lord of the Frontier¡­ milord surely brings back extra work.] That was Shion commenting. [Being a lord of a territory surrounded by several other tribes and with a title that is unnecessarily very high in rank but holds no actual power or benefits other than inciting grudges and jealousy¡­ His Majesty Emperor is really cruel.] Ares could only chuckle at Shion¡¯s comment. Because it¡¯s the exact truth. [As Shion said, governing the territory may prove to be very difficult. That place has many warriors, but lacking politicians. I would require most of my private army and a lot of human resources from Schwarzer territory if I want to run that place properly¡­] After a short silence, Elder Rouen opened up. [Milord, how about letting young master do what he wants?] Rouen was one of the few who had better understanding of Ares. From what he heard just now, he realized that Ares was worried that he would struggle getting human resources while governing Grants. [Young master rarely sounded this grave. It must mean that he needs a lot of manpower to aid him. I also think that having more talented people at his command will help young master immensely to achieve his goal.] Then he added. [The current Schwarzer territory is in a stable condition. Losing some manpower won¡¯t shake its foundation. The younger generation are also growing up, so it¡¯s best to start to let them take over as well.] Everyone nodded at the trustworthy old man¡¯s words. [Rouen¡¯s words are indeed reasonable. Anyone else with suggestions?] Edgar calmly reminded everyone. After confirming that everyone was in agreement, he turned to Ares. [Did you already make your selection for the required personnel?] [Taking too many people will still affect the territory. Also, if I took too many important people, it¡¯ll only hurt the territory. Therefore, after some considerations, I have written this¡­] Ares handed Edgar a list of names. Reading through it, Edgar noticed that one-fifth of entire officers working in the territory were on the list. [I see¡­ a good balance of veterans and rookies¡­ well done.] [In addition, I intentionally picked those with little to no attachment to this place since they¡¯ll be going to a remote place. If it¡¯s this number of people¡­ I think it won¡¯t affect Schwarzer territory¡¯s stability.] After confirming Ares¡¯ words, Edgar then moved on to those with emphasis on military and political affairs. Seeing this, Ares added in. [I would like to take these following people with me this time: Sigurd and his subordinate Arnold. Shion to be my advisor staff. And¡­ although this may hurt the territory, I would require George¡¯s power to manage the place.] Many had already seen this coming. The valiant Sigurd, the wise Shion, and the great figure behind Schwarzer territory managing and development, George were on the list. These people can be said as Ares¡¯ direct subordinates after all. Edgar gave these particular people a look. [Do you have any objection?] He asked. [Wherever Ares-sama go, I will follow.] Sigurd gave his agreement. [It¡¯s troublesome¡­ but I can¡¯t just let milord wander around on his own, can I now? I will be able to witness a different kind of culture in the process, yes?] So did Shion. [The Schwarzer territory has long been stabilized. My absence shouldn¡¯t cause any difference. Moreover, developing an underdeveloped place sounds more attractive to me.] And George as well. After listening to each one of them, Edgar chuckled and proceeded to sign the order. ===== ¡ô Ares summoned Sigurd, Shion and George afterward for a more detailed discussion. [There are many warriors living in Grants. We must properly determine their abilities and reorganize the army. Before Milord arrived¡­ I will go there to prepare things in advance.] Shion said. [There is an obvious shortage in domestic officials. We must collect human resources not only from the Schwarzer territory, but also from the Royal Capital. Especially fellow alumni of the academy¡­ there are many of them who are not satisfied with their current situation. Let¡¯s pull them in.] George also added. [In any case, major reforms are needed. We should take one step at a time.] After Ares said so, Shion also chimed in. [It is as Milord said. Arcadia will be in a rough state three years from now perhaps. We must build up enough power to withstand the turbulent time.] Shion then looked at the three other participants. [In at least three years time, let us solidify our foothold and dye the eastern region in our color¡­ that is what I think.] [Wouldn¡¯t they suspect us of rebellion if we did it in too flashy way?] Sigurd spoke up his doubt. [By that point Arcadia Empire will be too confused to react. We will then show them our power¡­ one that does not fall behind to Arcadia Empire or any of the four great powers.] Shion laughed confidently. [This will be our land of beginning. The soldiers are rough and so are its people. Barbarians and monsters trod the land nearby. Looking from only this side, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a promising place¡­ but from a different perspective, it¡¯s actually a place with lots of room for development. The soldiers can become even stronger, the people can be educated from scratch, and new land can be opened up.] [Rumours have it that the Land of Demons is actually fertile ground. Also, if we can somehow make peace with the other ethnic groups, we can open up a new trade route and if we do well enough, there is a chance that they¡¯ll be willing to fight on our side¡­ no?] George concluded, following Shion¡¯s argument. [It can be done if it¡¯s you, Ares Schwarzer-sama.] Ares smiled in agreement, and spoke up. [Tomorrow, I will head to the capital once more. After officially taking the mantle of Lord of Frontier and General of Conquest, I will go to the new territory immediately. Well, before that I¡¯m going to stop by at Redgear, Trevoir and Brittany¡­ so I should be arriving at Grants about three weeks later. All of you should be there before me. Each one should do their duties on the fly.] ===== ¡ô Ares returned to the Royal Capital once more. Then there was a ceremony, officially appointing Ares as the Lord of Frontier and the General of Conquest. After that ceremony, Ares formally became the Lord of Frontier Ares Schwarzer, with the Grants Principality (and the surrounding area) becoming part of Schwarzer territory.. Not only the Royal Clan, but also the Schwarzer clan were busy making preparation. The two clans will be tied in engagement and later on, marriage. But later that day, Ares had already left on his horse towards Heinz. ¡ºThe previously veiled-in-shadows ¡®Cursed Land¡¯ finally saw its first sunlight upon the arrival of the Hero Sovereign and from then on it would become the very land of light.¡» The territorial reform that Ares planned thus began that day. And it will forever be recorded in history. CH 88 Chapter 88 ¨C Along the Way Before heading to Heinz, Ares stopped by Redgear, Trevoir and Brittany to discuss the future. First he visited Trann, the capital of Brittany. Here, he met the current representative of Brittany, a hardworking fellow named Gray. Gray was originally an adventurer. Using his experiences and well-cultivated relations as an advantage, he started his business here at Brittany. The business was sailing smoothly at the start, but soon fell victim to the machinations of the upper ranks of the old Brittany. With the upper echelon gone after the Arcadia Empire¡¯s invasion, now he could do his business properly. Then he gained everyone¡¯s recommendations due to his work ethics and integrity, earning him the position of the representative. Gray¡¯s first task was to establish a [Free Market]. In recent years, the higher-ups of Brittany had abused the market with scams and shady businesses, creating a notion of distrust. The business tax was also high. So high, in fact, that the regular folks won¡¯t get much despite making a huge profit. One had to pay a large sum of money to start a business and the highrollers didn¡¯t hesitate in employing the tactic of withholding a certain item to raise its price. And with bribery running rampant, the merchant city state had reached an all-time low. Gray showed a stern attitude to eliminate all those old practices. New rules were set and penalties enforced in an attempt to create an environment where people could do business fairly. Ares quietly listened to the explanation as he observed Gray. The appearance of a neatly dressed, tall, and platinum haired Gray gave a feeling that this guy may actually be an aristocrat. [It seems that everything has started smoothly.] Gray reported. [The logistics had flowed properly in the meantime. But the influence and practices of the high ranking members of old is still deeply rooted. It¡¯ll take months to fully erase it.] [They only did harmful things to the state after all.] Having said that, Ares sipped the tea that was served to him. The fragrant and elegant scent was really telling. It¡¯s the black tea brewed from high quality tea leaves imported from the Sindora Kingdom in the south. Apparently it¡¯s one of the items that the elite had been stockpiling to increase its value. Gray continued on. [We have decided to not collect any business tax for half a year. Then, after half a year, we¡¯ll return the tax to the normal amount. We¡¯ll put those people doing shady business to jail or expel them. It¡¯s going to take some time to return the state into its stable condition.] [I wonder if you have enough manpower for that?] Ares began to speak with more serious tone then. [¡­ I want to make Trann as the center of commerce not only for Brittany but the entire confederation. If you need something, then don¡¯t hesitate to say it. We will do everything in our power to help.] He told Gray while chuckling¡­ [Well¡­] Gray¡¯s response was a smile. [Trann was originally¡­ the responsibility of the entire Brittany. And I want to do something for Brittany. Please rest assured. A year later, we will surely make this city bigger than ever before.] Ares smiled back, satisfied to hear that reply. ===== ¡ô Ares stayed in Brittany for about a week, teaching Gray with things he should know. The man immediately went to work afterward. Leaving the finer details to Gray, Ares left Brittany. He went to the neighboring Trevoir next. Arriving in Trevoir County, Ares met the now Earl of Trevoir Louis and his best friend Simon. [The people seem to live quietly, don¡¯t they?] [That¡¯s because Arcadia Empire barely changed anything¡­ at least that¡¯s how I understand it.] Louis chuckled at Ares¡¯ comment. [Actually, it¡¯s because there are no more aristocrats piggybacking on government authority. It makes life easier when they are not burdened by heavy taxes¡­ not bad at all if I say so myself.] It¡¯s obvious that it was the aristocrats who got in the way of Louis¡¯ attempts to reform Trevoir. After those people left for the Royal Capital, Louis took the chance to apply the plans that he couldn¡¯t afford to do before. First, agricultural reform. There were a lot of unused lands in Trevoir. So he planned to do a large-scale land reform. At the same time, he also reformed the tax system. Previously, the people were burdened by a very unusual tax system. The civilians ended up moving out because the tax was too high and the collection method was too strict. Why was the tax rate was so high before? Because most of it went to the aristocrats¡¯ paycheck. Now, most of those aristocrats had left Trevoir. That¡¯s why Louis could afford to amend this tax system and aimed to stabilize the people. [Fortunately there is still some funding left¡­ so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem even if the tax is low for a while. It should last until some more developments are done.] [After that¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to find a way to deal with those aristocrats. For now they¡¯re enjoying their life at the capital¡­ but they¡¯ll soon realize things after they ran out of money. In a year¡¯s time they¡¯ll come running back to Trevoir begging to regain their place.] [¡­ but they couldn¡¯t simply do that.] [Yeah¡­ it¡¯s impossible, right?] Ares then gave Louis a look. [By the time they return here, Trevoir will already see a lot of changes. They would¡¯ve already lost their place here.] Ares resumed after taking a breather. [In order to achieve the goal of my, no, our vision, I wish Louis the best. On the other hand, I will also not hesitate to help if you require any funding or extra manpower.] Ares smiled after saying so. ===== ¡ô Ares stayed in Trevoir for about a week, visiting many places in the process. The development in Trevoir had been delayed due to the aristocrats¡¯ influence. [It¡¯s originally just a small country, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll grow into something amazing¡­ in three years time, for sure¡­] And he left Trevoir just like that. The last place he needed to visit was Redgear. When he arrived at the Redgear capital Fran, many people were there to welcome him. Among them was the current Earl of Redgear William and his sister Liliana as well as the two generals Zion and Garn. (TL note: for some reason the author changed ¡®Wilfred¡¯ into ¡®William¡¯ here) [There is really no need to do a welcoming this grand¡­] William laughed and replied to the confused Ares. [It¡¯s only natural to greet our Lord. Please don¡¯t mind this too much.] [But¡­ for the Earl himself to attend here is a bit¡­] [It is to show my sincerity. No need to worry about it.] Whilst having such conversation, Ares and William walked side by side towards the castle at the center of Fran. ===== ¡ô William reported the current situation in Redgear to Ares. Unlike in Trevoir, most of the Redgear aristocrats chose to become William¡¯s mercenaries and stayed in Redgear instead of becoming a member of the Arcadian aristocracy. Since the people knew that they are still governed by the Redgear clan, there had been no noticeable movement. This goes to show the loyalty of Redgear¡¯s people and its vassals to the Redgear clan. [There seems to be no big confusion happening. Everything is going fine now.] [Unity in Redgear has always been amazing. Suffice to say the most important groundwork for reform has been completed¡­ now, let¡¯s talk about agricultural reform, shall we?] ¡­..one person was watching very intently as Ares and William are having a serious discussion about the future plans. [Princess¡­ Princess¡­! ¡­ Princess Liliana!] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.eh! W-what is it!? Zion?] The Redgear old general Zion, upon seeing this kind of situation, could only sigh and speak up. [¡®What is it¡¯ my ass¡­ if Princess is staring at Ares-dono as if you want to devour him like that, wouldn¡¯t he think that Princess is too rude?] [¡­¡­¡­..is it true?] [Yes, very much so.] Zion sighed once more. Zion had taught Liliana as her teacher from an early age and the two had a shared history of serving in the army together for quite a long time. Zion had long considered Liliana, who was as old as his daughter Ellie, as his own daughter. And to such Zion, Liliana¡¯s attitude just now was something he had never seen before. (This is definitely what my wife told me before) Zion¡¯s wife also treats Liliana like her own child. And his wife once told him: [Liliana-sama is in love with someone.] [That Liliana-sama? Really?] That girl who showed no interest in other things than the sword? Zion was perplexed by such notions, but kept listening. [¡­..of course you have no idea. Her face now is the face of a maiden in love. I wonder what kind of man she¡¯s thinking about right now?] Liliana often said, if she were to get married, it has to be with someone who is righteous, cares for the people, is more skilled than herself, and most importantly, he should be a hero whom many are willing to pledge their sword to. (I thought there is no such man exists in this world¡­ but here he appeared before us¡­) Zion looked at Ares gently. Skills great enough to toy Liliana around, many loyal knights by his side, takes great care for the people, and war prowess enough to conquer four countries in such a short time. (But earlier¡­ I heard that he¡¯s engaged to an Arcadia Empire princess. Not to mention those other women he¡¯s engaged to as well. Previously I wanted to smooth her way in, but it¡¯s impossible now, isn¡¯t it¡­) Zion thought inwardly. [Ah, excuse me!] Liliana suddenly barged in between Ares and William. [Liliana¡­ I am discussing an important matter with Ares-dono at the moment. Even if you are my sister¡­] [I have a request for Ares-dono!] Liliana didn¡¯t seem to listen. So William could only sigh. (Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Princess is going to confess her feelings¡­ But, at such timing?) Zion unintentionally got up from his chair. [What is it?] Ares responded with a gentlemanly smile. Seeing that caused Liliana to blush, but she continued on. [About that! Please¡­] Zion started panicking. Is she really going for it!? Is Liliana really going to confess her feelings in such place and timing!? But then he thought. No, if that girl rushes in like that. [Oi, Princess! Please have some consideration about the time and place¡­] When Zion stood up to reprimand her, Liliana already opened her lips. [Can you spar with me in swordsmanship!?] And thus, general Zion who had amassed a great amount of fame in Redgear, somehow felt that moment was the greatest relief in his whole life. ===== Author¡¯s Note: Thank you for your feedback. I used to be afraid of looking at the comment section¡­ but now, here I am looking forward to your warm messages. For those supporting me and those who made predictions, please look forward to the continuation¡­ Those who read this story because they enjoyed it. And to those who read my work carefully, correcting my errors¡­ I feel like many people are supporting me in their own way. This story ¡­may become a very long story, but I will be very happy if you tag along in this ride until the end. And again, thank you. CH 89 Chapter 89 ¨C Sword Saint and the Princess Knight Round 2 [Her Highness simply put into words what¡¯s inside her mind.] Zion said as he handed a training sword to Liliana. [Really? I just thought that there is no other way but to do that, right?] Liliana looked at Ares who stood at the other side of the training ground. Next to him was William trying to apologize for her insolence. In the middle of Ares discussion with William, Liliana had barged in and requested for a sparring match. Despite William¡¯s complaints, Ares gladly accepted the request. [Zion.] [Yes.] [I¡­ have never been defeated so badly up until now.] [¡­.indeed] Not only losing but there was also an overwhelming gap in their skill. She was reminded then. That there would always be a higher mountain. [I want to try again once more. And I¡¯ll give it my all. Instead of relying on Alflex, I want to see how my real strength can fare against him.] Liliana stood up after saying so. Zion looked at her in amazement. And Liliana resumed. [If by chance¡­. I lost again¡­ then that¡¯s the furthest I could go. Maybe I¡¯ll give up on swordsmanship] [¡­.Princess¡­] Zion was surprised by her exclamation, but Liliana was already walking toward the center of the training ground. Ares was already waiting there. [Forgive me for keeping you waiting. Here we go.] [Likewise.] Ares smiled and grasped the training sword. Liliana stood quietly a little bit further away. And then¡­ the sparring match began. ===== ¡ô That day was the first time Zion got a good look on Ares. [No way¡­ that much is¡­] Beads of sweat flowed down Zion¡¯s cheek. He knew that Ares won¡¯t treat Liliana harshly. He also thought that it would be a close match, until he saw the match himself. Liliana had always been a big presence for the people. A symbol of the peak of martial prowess in Redgear. Liliana with her overwhelming strength would spearhead the Redgear army, regardless whether the enemy was an invading army of another country or magic beasts¡¯ stampede. Therefore, someone who could defeat Liliana must¡¯ve been an even scarier freak¡­ or so he thought. However, Ares was different from what he imagined. Ares was in a relaxed stance, he¡¯s not even raised his sword. However¡­ [I can¡¯t move¡­ what a powerful pressure¡­!] When Zion glanced sideways, he saw Garn¡¯s face was pale. Perhaps both of them had the same impression. (It¡¯s as if I¡¯m standing before 1000 soldiers¡­!) Both Zion and Garn are strong fighters on their own right. But still, they couldn¡¯t move. Meanwhile Liliana stopped after merely one step. She was desperately trying to endure the pressure. Her hands trembled. Her breathing became rough. (I¡¯ll be suppressed if I don¡¯t do anything¡­ I have to act). Her mind thought so, but her body had a different opinion. Liliana thus took a deep breath. [Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!] Raising her voice to alleviate the anxiety and fear, Liliana started to strengthen her body with magic. Meanwhile Ares did not act; he merely observed the situation. Suddenly, Liliana rushed at Ares with explosive momentum. An intense slash rained down on Ares. But he received it calmly. [I¡¯m not done yet!] Liliana slashed continuously. Once, twice, thrice¡­ The magically enhanced slashes were sharp and heavy. But Ares blocked each one of them with relative ease and calmness. [Liliana-dono, you swordsmanship is sharp and powerful¡­ but that won¡¯t be enough to defeat me.] At that moment Ares suddenly dodged Liliana¡¯s slash, tipping the balance of the fight. [Swordsmanship is not only about harshness. There is also softness in it.] Ares swung his sword at Liliana whose center of gravity had collapsed. Liliana couldn¡¯t respond in time, got hit and fell to the ground. [A balanced combination of both is required for a good swordsman] Ares continued on while still keeping an eye on Liliana. [Princess Liliana¡¯s swordsmanship is overwhelming. You have speed, and an even stronger offense after you use magic strengthening¡­ however, that¡¯s nothing but one half of swordsmanship.] That¡¯s when Ares offered his hand to her. [Princess Liliana still has room for growth. You can become stronger with enough effort.] [¡­¡­¡­.] Liliana silently took his hand and got up. ===== ¡ô Ares stayed at William¡¯s palace that night. He would be staying for one week. He planned to inspect the land of Redgear during his stay. That¡¯s why William threw a grand banquet on the first day of Ares¡¯ stay. [Honestly, you don¡¯t have to make it this grand¡­] [No¡­ this is to atone for my sister¡¯s insolence, so please accept it.] William flatly said that as he bowed his head to Ares. Ares simply laughed. [No, please stop. I didn¡¯t feel bothered at all.] [However¡­] [Now now, let¡¯s end the talk here and enjoy the banquet!] Ares reached out to the dishes in front of him as he said so. Seeing the situation, William could only grin as he too took a glass of wine. ===== ¡ô Someone was watching that scene from a distance. [Princess¡­ Princess¡­ Princess Liliana!] [¡­.!? What? Oh, it¡¯s Zion¡­] [¡­.I¡¯ve seen enough.] [Eh?! Whatever did you mean?] [¡­do we have to repeat this talk once more?] Zion sighed. That asked the question that has been bothering him. [Princess¡­ do you really want to give up on swordsmanship?] [Nn? Ah¡­ I did want to give up back then, but I have decided to continue on. Because¡­ Ares-dono said that I still have some room for more growth¡­] Liliana¡¯s cheeks were blooming slight red when she said that. Nn? And right then an ominous thought crossed Zion¡¯s mind. [Zion¡­] Zion tried to leave the area, but Liliana called out to him before he did, forcing him to turn around¡­ Liliana was staring at him intently. (Damn it!) Zion realized that his instinct of danger was right, so he rushed to leave the banquet. But Liliana¡¯s question came before he could leave. [I wish to participate in brother and Ares-dono¡¯s conversation¡­ but I don¡¯t know how to get in¡­] The last part was spoken in a gradually quiet voice. How should I know! Zion wanted to scream. He had gone through numerous battlefields, cheated death on many occasions, but never before he experienced this kind of hardship. She should¡¯ve gone to his wife instead. Why a young woman like Liliana choose to consult an old man like him was beyond him. [¡­..if it¡¯s Ellie, she would¡¯ve fitted in just fine, wouldn¡¯t she?] In his confusion Zion unintentionally mentioned his daughter¡¯s name¡­ and right then he realized his fault. (wait wait¡­ let¡¯s not provoke her into doing funny things again this time¡­!) [Ah, Princess, please wait¡­] When Zion turned around to explain things¡­ Liliana was no longer there¡­ ===== CH 90 Chapter 90 ¨C Fall [Ellie, what should I do?] After searching Ellie around the hall and found her, Liliana immediately consulted her. [Ara ara¡­ Liliana-sama¡­ I don¡¯t know the story yet though? It¡¯s not good to have a talk while standing like this, how about we go there first.] Ellie was quite close with Liliana and thus, she understood her character fairly well. She led Liliana into a nearby chamber¡­ and locked the door. [Alright, Liliana-sama, what is your problem?] [Ah, well¡­] [First, whenever you are facing Ares-sama, you have trouble speaking, aren¡¯t you?] [Un.] [And your heart hurts because you don¡¯t know what to do¡­?] [Yes, it¡¯s indeed the case.] [You couldn¡¯t calm down when another woman approaches him¡­?] [Why is that!? When I heard the news that he¡¯s engaged to an Arcadian princess and many other women¡­ I had this feeling of refusal and disgust.] Liliana gave a positive answer to each question. Zion¡¯s daughter, Ellie, had been like her own sister since their childhood. So both of them could consult and speak honestly to each other freely. To Liliana¡¯s positive responses, Ellie felt her heart nearly faint. (Kuu~~~~~! Liliana-sama who is in love is too cute!) Ellie was not a sword nut like Liliana so she felt joy at the prospect of a love story just like any ordinary girl. (This is interesting¡­ But what¡¯s important now, how can I help her to succeed?) Ellie is Zion¡¯s only daughter, but sometimes he cares more about Liliana¡­ however¡­ Liliana¡¯s character was far from being a regular girl. But just like Liliana¡­ Ellie also had her wild side. [Aren¡¯t you just fine, Liliana-sama? I think Liliana-sama is in¡ºlove¡»with him] [Love!? Is that really so? Then¡­ what should I do? If this goes on¡­ I don¡¯t know how long I can hold on¡­] Ellie showed a charming smile to Liliana. [A night visit!] [ED note: Really tempted to put in ¡°yobai¡± here but¡­] [¡­.ha?] [Visit him at night!] [¡­is that really what a normal girl would do?] [There is no such thing. Everything is fair in love and war.] [¡­¡­¡­.Ellie?] [What is it?] [How do you do that to be exact?] In contrast to the worried face that Liliana had¡­ Ellie showed a smile and flashing eyes after hearing that question. ===== ¡ô Thus in that locked chamber, Ellie gave Liliana her ¡®guidance¡¯. [Do you understand, Liliana-sama? Just offer him some liquor until he¡¯s tipsy, then go with the flow.] [After that, strip off your clothes, hug him and get him to the bed.] [I heard that Ares-dono is a very light drinker. To offer him a drink is¡­] [Yes, even better then. And yes, you have to act a bit differently, slightly on the softer side.] [And then show the advanced skill with your lips that I have taught you¡­] Liliana returned to the banquet room, emboldened after all the things she learned from Ellie. But everytime she recalled the lesson¡­ she couldn¡¯t help but blush. [This¡­ this is somewhat difficult¡­ can I really do it¡­? No! I have to! Do your best, Liliana!] Reassuring herself, Liliana opened the door to the banquet room¡­ only to find that the banquet had already ended, and what¡¯s left were the servants tidying things up. Liliana was stunned for a moment. But she did not give up just yet. [The banquet is already over ¡­ but isn¡¯t that all the more convenient for me to test out Ellie¡¯s teachings?] Saying that, Liliana¡¯s eyes landed on a bottle of liquor nearby¡­ and she took it without hesitation. She then turned around and headed upstairs. Liliana had heard from William earlier regarding Ares¡¯ resting quarters. So she rushed to that room without any slight hesitation. ===== ¡ô [Uwaah~ I really ate a lot!] Ares was lying down on the bed while patting his stomach. Satisfaction filled his entire body. [The crops in Redgear is more bountiful than I expected¡­ Trevoir and this place will most likely become huge presences within the federation in the future.] He muttered to himself. And when he was about to fall asleep happily¡­ Knock knock He heard someone knocking on the door. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Ares opened the door to find Liliana standing there. Ares was caught off guard by this sudden visit. Yes, he was out of luck this time. And now¡­ what kind of tragedy shall befell upon him? Let¡¯s find out. [Oh? Liliana-dono. What¡¯s wrong? I didn¡¯t see you at all back at the banquet¡­ nghgufuu!?] Ares¡¯ words was stopped by Liliana¡¯s lips. He instantly stiffened. [Nn? Nnnn!] In the spur of the moment, a fluid-like substance entered Ares¡¯ mouth. [Phew! W-what are you doing!?] When he looked back up, there was the sight of Liliana blushing furiously, at a loss at what she had done. [A-Ares-dono! My apologies! But, I was told that I have to do this. P-please accept me!] Liliana went in for another hug. Looking closely, she was wearing a thin negligee that barely hid her body. The soft and warm sensation was transmitted directly with such a close contact, [Ho-, wai-¡­ Liliana-dono, please calm down¡­¡­.fuee¡­..] That¡¯s when Ares fell over. Liliana deftly caught his falling body. [Alright, it¡¯s exactly as Ellie said. I¡¯ve mixed the drug that Ellie gave me into the wine¡­ it¡¯s effective¡­ a bit too effective¡­ will Ares-dono be just fine?] But Liliana didn¡¯t stop moving. She locked the door behind her and set the unconscious Ares on the bed. Then she began to undress herself. That¡¯s where Liliana noticed something. [¡­¡­¡­..now what should I do next?] Liliana tilted her head right then, when all of a sudden someone actually replied to her wondering. [Shall I tell you?] Seeking the source of the answer, there was Ares looking at her with glowing eyes. [Hyaaah! A-Ares-dono¡­ you¡¯re awake!] [Did you honestly think I would fall to this level of trick?] Ares slowly woke up. [I-indeed you won¡¯t, but I have various reasons to¡­ nntsuu!?] It was Ares¡¯ lips this time that blocked Liliana¡¯s mouth. [N, nn, nnn, nnntsuu!] It was a kiss different from what they had earlier. This one included tongue wrestling and lewd sounds. Liliana¡¯s reasoning had crumbled away by the time their lips separated. [Liliana¡­ you told me to¡ºaccept you¡», didn¡¯t you¡­? Yes, I will do just that for you. However¡­] Ares stroked Liliana¡¯s chin and kissed her once more. Liliana didn¡¯t resist this time. He then resumed after breaking the kiss a while later. [We are not formally engaged yet. Thus I will not cross the final line just yet¡­ but, I will make you mine, body and soul.] After he said so, their lips met once again and those lewd sounds echoed throughout the room once more as both of them fell into the bed. ===== ¡ô Ares woke up in the morning. [That¡­that was a great dream¡­] Right¡­ he got drunk so hard due to drinking liquor¡­ again. And he had this nice dream. At least that¡¯s what Ares think, but just when he sighed, he noticed that the blanket on his side was hiding something with an unfamiliar feeling. With cold sweat running down his back, Ares turned to his side, and saw Liliana lying there with a happy look on her face. And then she opened her lips¡­ [Good morning, my husband.] [It¡¯s not a dream afteeeer aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!] The previously impregnable Redgear¡¯s Silver Princess Knight¡­ has now completely fallen for Ares, both body and soul. ===== Liliana Redgear Schwarzer One of the Hero Sovereign Ares¡¯ Queens and Redgear¡¯s greatest general known as the Silver Princess Knight. Together with the [Golden War Maiden] Sharon, she served as her lieutenant under Ares¡¯ command. Both female generals would lay waste to his enemies on the battlefield. Wielding the holy sword Alflex, she waded through the enemy ranks, inspiring other soldiers, who revered her like a goddess. But what she wanted the most was not fame. It was only the [love] of the Hero Sovereign. ===== If it was hostility, Ares would¡¯ve noticed immediately¡­ it¡¯s just that Ares¡¯ sense is a bit dull on the matter of love. It¡¯s pretty much his weak point CH 91 Chapter 91 ¨C Administration Reform Author¡¯s note: From here to the next few chapters will be more about domestics and politics than battles. ===== [Well then, Ares-dono, please be careful on your way to Grants. We¡¯ll meet again in one month.] [Yeah, in a month, I¡¯ll be expecting you.] Both Ares and William smiled and shook each other¡¯s hands. Ares had spent a week staying in Redgear, inspecting the fertile land and the well-trained soldiers. The development was actually more than what he expected. [I assure you, Ares-sama! If I happen to be unable to come, then I¡¯ll come a year later with some soldiers. They should prove useful.] (Dear husband, I will quickly recruit and train a lot of soldiers so I can meet you again sooner!) [Oh, yes¡­ I¡¯ll be counting on you¡­] Ares forced himself to smile at Liliana. Zion who watched from the side could only give his condolences. Over the past week, another detail had been added to the content of Redgear¡¯s pledge: ¡ºLiliana will lead a detachment of soldiers to Grants. And afterward, they will be incorporated into the Grants Army.¡» or so it said. When Ares visited Redgear palace in the morning, a few days after that bedroom incident with Liliana, William informed him about this, which obviously showed that she had something to do with it. As he suppressed the dreadful sense of foreboding¡­ Ares finally left Redgear. ===== ¡ô Ares arrived at the Grants¡¯ territory three weeks after he left the Royal Capital. Heinz, the capital of the former Grants Principality, was where the supplies and manpower from the Schwarzer territory was sent to one after another. When Ares entered Heinz¡¯ gate, he was greeted by the former sovereign Gail and George. George and the others had gone in advance to start up the administrative movement. He immediately gathered the politicians of Grants, giving them detailed instructions so that they could act as soon as possible. [Welcome, Ares-sama.] [Welcome back to Heinz, Ares-dono.] Ares got off his horse, and went to shake Gail¡¯s hand. [Gail-dono¡­ are you really in good shape to do this?] [I¡­ cannot certainly say that I am completely fine. But, after I consumed the medicine that Ares-dono sent me, my condition has steadily improved. Therefore, I was able to show up here.] After the capture of Grants, Ares gave Gail the medicine he concocted himself. Gail then resumed. [Originally, Darius was supposed to be the one responsible for welcoming you¡­ but he has been sparring with Sigurd-dono unceasingly every day since the latter arrived back here.] He laughed as he said so. [Ares-sama, I¡¯m sure you are tired from the long travel¡­ but I need milord to finalize the plan, so would you please follow me to the administrative office immediately? Perhaps fearing that the conversation would take too long, George chimed in. Ares could only laugh wryly at George who already pushed in more work as soon as he arrived. [Sure, let¡¯s do that. Can you inform Sigurd and Darius to come as well? ¡­and Shion too¡­] [They should be already waiting at the office.] [¡­.eh, that¡¯s rare.] [They had suggestions and we¡¯ve been preparing for a while after all.] And recalling something, George added. [Right right, there is also new and promising talent.] [New and promising talent?] [Ares-sama should already be familiar with him.] After saying so, George turned around and headed to the office. Seeing this, Ares laughed and followed suit alongside Gail. ===== ¡ô When Ares entered the office with George and Gail, the first thing that entered his sight was Shion who was studying a map with an unusually serious expression. His brain must be working hard concocting battle strategies¡­ Ares thought inwardly. Shifting his gaze to another spot¡­ he noticed a familiar face. [Elan! You are Elan, aren¡¯t you!?] [It¡¯s been a long time, Ares-sama.] Over there, stood the figure of Elan who was his long time friend but had always been refusing to serve as his retainer due to reasons. [I¡¯m glad that you are here¡­ but is it really alright?] [Yes, I¡¯ve left my shop under my brother-in-law¡¯s care.] Having said that, Elan continued on. [I¡¯ve promised Ares-sama before,and now it¡¯s time for me to fulfill it. If you will, I would like to serve as your retainer.] Seeing his long time friend kneel before him, Ares rushed forward and urged Elan to stand up. [Thank you, Elan. Your presence here gives me peace of mind.] Ares and Elan laughed to each other¡­ when suddenly the door was opened harshly. [It¡¯s my win this time!] [It certainly was, but I¡¯m still ahead with a score of 10 to 9. Don¡¯t be full of yourself just yet!] [Hah! I¡¯ll surely win again next time and we¡¯ll be even. Just you wait soon¡­] Sigurd and Darius entered the office side by side¡­ Ares could only wonder when did those two became close friends. The two noticed that everyone¡¯s gaze was pointed at them. They laughed in embarrassment. [Everyone is here already. Shall we now begin?] George put up the draft of the organization chart on the wall. ===== ¡ô In the office, other than Ares, Sigurd, Darius, Shion, George, Gail and Elan¡­ were several people who formerly served as Grants Principality¡¯s generals and domestic officers. Basically everyone who will be the important figures in governing Grants. Grants was a country of warriors. There are a lot of soldiers, but little domestic officers. Grants Sovereign Gail had actually governed Grants with this very limited amount of officers. There are two particularly notable officers in Grants. The first one was Bergan. A brown-eyed, 40 year old man with solidly-built body. He has an unusually good political sense for a local and had been serving as the prime minister even when Gail was still a prince. It could be said that he¡¯s [Gail¡¯s Lifeline] when it comes to governing Grants. The other one was Gail¡¯s first son and Darius¡¯ older brother, Ramires Grants. Unlike his little brother Darius, Ramires had little to no talent in martial arts, but he could be considered as a genius in terms of political affairs. When Gail noticed this, he immediately transferred the heir position to Darius in order to remove the burden on Ramires. Eventually Gail offered the administrative position to Ramires so that he could gain some experience as a domestic officer. Ramires understood his father¡¯s intention, thus gladly took the post. [People believe that there are barely any civil officers in Grants¡­ but, that¡¯s not actually the case.] George said. After talking with them and gauging their talent, George was pleased with the result. With George¡¯s cue, everyone sat on nearby chairs. Even Shion who¡¯s been deep in thought planning strategies stopped what he was doing and looked straight at George¡¯s paper. [Everyone, today I will show you the policy and strategy that Grants should follow. I will be responsible for political affairs, while Shion will be in charge of military strategy.] George kept speaking while looking at everyone present. [First of all, each one of you will need a positiont. Here are the positions I¡¯ve planned for each of you to take.] George pointed at the administrative organization chart. Everyone observed the chart closely. Firstly, Ares¡¯s name was listed as Chief Administrative Officer. The chart was as follows: ===== Chief Administrative Officer ¨C Ares State Secretary ¨C George State Counsellor ¨C Elan Treasury Secretary Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Industry Secretary of Security ¨C Eckhart Grants Civil Engineering Secretary Family Register Secretary ¨C Bergan ===== [Are those the positions we will be in charge of?] Hearing the question, George continued to explain. [For now, I will handle mostly everything as the State Secretary. Elan-dono here will act as my assistant, helping me delegate work to the appropriate department.] [Do we have enough manpower?] Shion asked. [We managed to pull some from Schwarzer territory¡­ You see, there should be talented people too stubborn to leave the Royal Capital despite not getting a proper job, am I correct?] Shion chuckled in response to that. [Ah, THOSE people¡­ then let me convince them] Reverting his view back to Ares, George continued. [I¡¯d like Gail-dono who has governed this land for decades to join us. But since your sickness has not yet been completely cured, I can only ask you to support us as the consultant.] [As long as I can help, I will be content. Thank you] Gail laughed merrily. [I¡¯d also like Ramires-dono to be my assistant. Since you¡¯ve been involved in Grants¡¯ internal affairs for a long time, your help will be a great aid.] [If it will make this land prosperous, then I¡¯ll gladly take the post.] Ramires laughed in affirmation. [I thought that it¡¯s best if the security is maintained by those who are more familiar with the location, so I¡¯d have to ask Eckhart-dono¡¯s aid in this] Eckhart was Darius¡¯ younger brother and Gail¡¯s third son. As courageous as his brother, he was mainly involved in external warfare. Listening to that request, Eckhart complied. [Also, we will need family registers. I must point out that this is a very important task. Again, this post should go to those who are familiar with the area¡­ therefore I¡¯d like to ask Bergan-dono to take this task.] [That¡¯s a work I¡¯ve never gotten to do in the past. I¡¯d be happy to serve!] Belgan replied enthusiastically. [The remaining posts will be filled in about 3 months time. So please rest assured.] Right then, Sigurd raised his hand for a question. [I have one question¡­ what is a family register?] [A family register¡­ is very important to indicate who stays where.] George explained as he took out a document. [If we know who lives where and the actual number, collecting tax and such would be easier to do. As I see it, Grants has more residents than we thought, so we need to make sure of it.] He said as he unfolded the document. [Also, should someone die in battle, it¡¯ll be easier for us to contact and aid their relatives. In short, it¡¯s to make people¡¯s lives easier¡­ does that sound easy to understand?] Sigurd was convinced. Gail was next to throw a question. [¡­we had a similar plan¡­ but never got to do it. That will be great. By the way, that document on George-dono¡¯s hand¡­ I am really curious about it.] [Ah, this document?] George replied while tapping at the document in his hand. [George-dono, that¡¯s¡­] [It¡¯s something that should be established in this place, a new law] Afterward, George once again explained to everyone. [As a frontier territory, we are given a fairly high amount of autonomy. Therefore, I¡¯d like to create a local law, differing to those existing in Arcadia and govern the territory based on it.] After giving everyone a glance, George continued. [Of course, even Ares-sama will not be exempt from this new law.] [!? What do you mean?] Sigurd protested. But Ares¡­ he simply smiled quietly. [If the people in the ruling positions have to obey the law, then the people would willingly follow as well. The law will cover and protect both the people and their lords. I can¡¯t divulge the full contents yet¡­ but I can give you the most important of it to serve as a guideline.] It could be said that the idea behind the [Constitutional Monarchy] that was later practiced on the Arestia Dominion was born right there. Once George finished his explanation¡­ [Of course, the reform of this area has only just begun. The first step we have to make is to enrich our resources. The representatives from Redgear, Trevoir, and Brittany will arrive here next month. I intend to come up with a future policy by then.] With George concluding his speech, Ares looked over and said. [Is there anyone who is against this decision?] After confirming that none was against it, Ares signed the administrative organization chart. Right after he signed it, the paper started to glow. [This paper contains the magic of the church¡­ a holy paper, so to speak. Everyone here should try their best to abide to their post] [Yes, Milord!] And so, the foundation of Grants¡¯ politics¡­ the Administrative Organization was formed. CH 92 Chapter 92 ¨C Military Reform [On to the next topic, we will discuss about our military movements. Shion, can you please?] George¡¯s words caused everyone¡¯s eyes to focus on Shion. [Always doing things at your own pace as usual¡­] Shion smiled bitterly but complied, presenting three papers with him. This first paper is the Military Organization chart. [First of all, we have to reorganize the military.] The paper Shion presented was concise and neatly-written. ===== Supreme Commander ¨C Ares Schwarzer Chief Staff ¨C Shion Tristan 1st Corps general ¨C Ares Schwarzer 1st Corps deputy general ¨C Sharon Roxietta 1st Corps deputy general ¨C Liliana Redgear 2nd Corps general ¨C Sigurd Dragonia 2nd Corps deputy general- Arnold Neuer 3rd Corps general ¨C Darius Grants 3rd Corps deputy general ¨C Dirk Winkelman 4th Corps general ¨C Shion Tristan 4th Corps deputy general ¨C Eckhart Grants 4th Corps deputy general ¨C Roland Grants ===== [Ares-sama¡¯s first corps will consist of Ares-sama¡¯s own 20,000-strong private army. The 50,000 Grants army will be divided into the 2nd and 3rd cCorps, each having 20,000 as their main forces. As for the remaining 10,000, they will serve as the rearguard under the 4th Corps.] Both Sigurd and Darius showed no complaint. [By the way, I would like Eckhart-dono and Roland-dono to act as my deputy generals, do you mind?] Roland was Darius¡¯ younger brother and Gail¡¯s fourth son. A young warrior who worked side by side with Eckhart in the previous battle against the monsters . Roland, who was just a teenager then, was confused by the out-of-the-blue selection. [Certainly not!] Roland replied with a tense voice. [To be clear, I won¡¯t be fighting directly on the frontline. So I¡¯ll leave that matter to you. Of course, I know it¡¯ll be hard to work alone so I also appointed Eckhart-dono in case the matter becomes too hard for you to handle alone.] Darius and the others watched the scene in satisfaction. [ [ Yessir! ] ] Eckhart and Roland voiced their agreement in unison. [Since there are no objections¡­..] [W-wait a minute!] When the decision was about to be finalized, Ares surprisingly raised a complaint. [Well, it¡¯s a good organization chart, but why are my deputy generals Sharon and Princess Liliana¡­] [A messenger came from each the capital and Redgear earlier today.] As he revealed the news, Shion gave Ares a look. [From the capital, it¡¯s said the milord¡¯s [Fiancees] are to depart for Heinz as soon as the preparation is over. And as for the one from Redgear, didn¡¯t milord personally request for Liliana-dono? Milord has just visited there after all.] [That was too faaaaaaaaaaast!] Ares unintentionally screamed. But Shion kept going, ignoring Ares altogether. [Alright, anyone else?] [How about my opinion¡­] [Rejected.] Ares dropped instantly. [For consideration, Sharon-dono has graduated from the Imperial academy¡¯s knight class with excellent results. Moreover¡­ she seemed to have mastered¡ºthat thing¡»milord has taught her. On the other hand, the¡ºSilver Princess Knight¡»Princess Liliana is also a force to be reckoned with. Because we are a bit short-handed now, we can only ask them for help. Princess Liliana is still gathering her soldiers¡­ so it¡¯ll not be immediately, but she will serve as Sharon-dono¡¯s lieutenant under Milord¡¯s command. As for¡­ the riot that will come afterward¡­ that is entirely Milord¡¯s responsibility. Alright, since there are no objection,s Milord, please sign it.] Regardless of his earlier complaints, Ares still signed the chart as told. Just like before, the chart began to glow soon after. [Next is our future direction. Please have a look at these two maps.] Shion unfurled two maps this time around. Everyone immediately paid attention. The first one was the map of Grants region, while the other one was the map of entire Arcadia continent. [Firstly, regarding the Grants region¡­] Shion pointed at the western area of Grants, the Land of Demons. [First of all, we have to conquer the Land of Demons.] Shion then started to share his view on the Land of Demons and its Demon Lords. [The Land of Demons is actually fertile ground. It can become the foundation of a country should someone could develop it. If we can control and develop it, Grants will surely become the most prominent power in the Arcadia Empire. We must also start to deal with the barbarians. Achieve the best results as soon as possible.] Having said that, Shion turned to George who responded with a low voice. [The reason why Grants couldn¡¯t take control of the Land of Demons was because of the influence of three particular Demon Lords.] [Mm¡­ exactly] Gail admitted in a low voice. [Darius should be capable of defeating each one in a duel¡­ but when Darius attempted to engage one in battle, the other two would attack Heinz. The northern riders and the Aryans would also take the chance to plunder us¡­ so that plan never really went anywhere¡­] Shion then added to Gail¡¯s explanation. [The Demon Lords¡­ not only that, there are also senior demons amongst those dwelling in the land of demons¡­ I heard that they are called the Eight Arch Demon Lords and their members are particularly very strong demons. Although we may be able to beat them if only one attack us, we¡¯ll be in trouble if more than one attack at once.] Shion then turned to Sigurd, Darius, and Ares. [Therefore, I¡¯d like to have the first, second, and third corps to engage the three demon lords in battle at the same time.] [Ares-dono, Sigurd-dono, and Darius are certainly warriors of peerless valor. They may be able to defeat their adversary. But what about the northern riders and the aryans that may attack us in the meantime¡­?] In response to Gail¡¯s question, Shion replied without any ounce of hesitation. [Ah, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t though?] [!?] [They will only hurt themselves if they go to battle now. The northern area is currently busy with their livestock. It¡¯s the season where horses and lambs bear their young and they will not survive for long without great care. I don¡¯t think they have room to attack now.] Shion continued after taking a short breather. [Meanwhile the Aryans are currently locked in a conflict with the dwarves. They won¡¯t be attacking us¡­ and even if they do, there are many ways to repel them. So please rest assured.] Shion once again turned toward Ares. [Therefore, it can be said that this is the greatest opportunity to take the land of demons. We can¡¯t afford to miss it.] Everyone seemed to be convinced with Shion¡¯s strong argument. After confirming the situation, Shion proceeded to talk about the strategy to capture the land of demons. ===== ¡ô [Let¡¯s capture the land of demons, and develop it to be our foundation. If we proceed accordingly to George¡¯s plans, we should rise to be a great power in three years time. And with that power, we can then start to take control of the northern riders, the Aryans and the dwarves.] [What should we do if we are attacked during those three years of preparation?] [We¡¯ll soften them up with either our financial power or by force.] Shion kept going. [The first 3 years is important. We must complete the reform before three years and after that, we¡¯ll deal with all the external problems such as the barbarians. At the same time, the continent will undergo a major change. When that time comes, we must already have enough power to even compete with other¡ºnations¡». ] [But will the emperor wait for that long? I heard that he¡¯ll launch another eastern campaign next year¡­] To Darius¡¯ question, Shion replied. [Most likely, there won¡¯t be any more campaigns to the east.] [!?] Everyone gasped. [The Thracians in the west are making movements. And the Kingdom of Sindora in the south is also up to something. Soon, a large battle will commence in the south and west¡­] Shion pointed at the Arcadia continent map. [Although they will probably ask Milord to lead the expedition¡­ you can afford to decline since you¡¯ve already been tasked with conquest of the frontier.] [They won¡¯t leave the Schwarzer territory alone though.] [Indeed they can¡¯t refuse. Probably Rouen-dono or Alberto-dono will have to take to the field. Well, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem if it¡¯s those two. I will send a secret letter to the Archduke soon.] However, Shion also added. [There are also movements in the east. The Byzerd Principality and the newly-emerged Kingdom of Dormadia are taking down their surrounding countries. It¡¯ll be troublesome if a super power threatened us when we are not ready yet so we must send the Dragon¡¯s Eye to sow discord and make the two countries go at each other. We must also send messengers to nearby small countries like the former Redgear such as Fern Principality and Istrea Queendom. We need them as our allies.] [Sending a messenger to other countries without the emperor¡¯s consent¡­ wouldn¡¯t that be regarded as an act of treason?] In response to Gail¡¯s question, [The status as ¡ºLord of Frontier¡»allows us a great amount of autonomy. It¡¯s actually a very ambiguous position¡­ but we must make use of it to the fullest.] Shion brushed his hair with his fingers, then continued. [I repeat, 3 years. We must make preparations as best as we could during those 3 years. And after that¡­ we will change the world.] ===== ¡ô Thus the meeting to discuss both politics and military matters came to an end. Those that exited the meeting room left with a tense look. All who remained in the office were Ares, Shion, George, Sigurd, Darius, Elan as well as Gail, Bergan and Ramires. [We¡¯ll be busy from now on.] Shion sighed and sipped his tea. Listening to that remark, Gail asked Ares out of curiosity. [Ares-dono¡­ what are you actually aiming for?] Listening to George and Shion on the meeting, Gail was surprised at the scale of their operation. Isn¡¯t it almost like policy and military strategy planning for a country? Ares replied without changing his expression. [Changing the continent.] [!?] [I want to end the era where Kings and Emperors rule without contest¡­ that¡¯s what I think.] [Ares-dono¡­ that means, are you aiming to take the throne¡­] [I don¡¯t know yet. And not that I¡¯m interested in it. I¡¯ll just do what I do best until a¡ºHeavenly Opportunity¡»shows itself.] Ares smiled quietly as he said so, rolling the map back. CH 93 Chapter 93 ¨C Large-Scale Development The next day, the State Secretary George Walter began full-scale work in the internal affairs office. Also there, other than George himself, were his lord Ares, Chief Staff Shion, Consultant Gail, his aides Elan and Ramires, and Family Register Secretary Bergan Sigurd and Darius were outside training the armies while Eckhart was patrolling around the city. [Now then, let¡¯s get started.] George took out the drawing of the Heinz cityscape. [First of all, we must make Heinz prosperous. Everything from the ground up¡­ ] [Does that mean the future base will be here?] [Yes. I¡­ want to make Heinz to become a city comparable to Schwarzer Territory¡¯s Romaria within 3 years time.] [3 years¡­ can we actually do it within that short period of time?] Ares tilted his head as he said so. Why of course. Romaria has become the largest city right next to the Royal Capital, and an equal if not better urban development and cultures. George in turn replied to Ares. [Yes. This place is originally a rich territory. Plenty of potential. Manage it well and you¡¯ll reap great rewards.] Then George picked up another document nearby. [Anyways, this is the list¡­ of things we need to change.] George unfolded the material in his hand and began reading. [There is the Blue Sky Market around the main street¡­ but the rules are vague at best. Same goes with buying and selling commodities. Lots of residents still rely on bartering items to buy things. This will discourage regular merchants and thus, impede the commerce growth. We must clarify the rules. Recruit many officers and educate them thoroughly. We also need to distribute money, so for the time being, the government will buy out any items that don¡¯t sell pretty well.] 2. Architecture [The houses in Heinz are mostly built from wood¡­ but clay and stone, which are good materials for buildings, are abundant around Heinz. We should make use of those materials to renew the houses. It¡¯ll make for a different impression for newcomers or visitors and allows us to slowly change the cityscape. Those materials are also stronger than wood and are less likely to catch fire, making them a good choice for disaster prevention.] 3. Infrastructure [I want the streets on Heinz to be made of cobblestone. With such pavement, wagons will be able to move around much more easily, making circulating items and other things much smoother, which is essential to develop a city. Waterways must also be built. There are plenty of water sources around Heinz so it should be easy to make waterways out of it. At the same time, we must arrange the flow of clean water and sewage properly. Easy access and a steady supply of clean water is needed to maintain the health of the residents as well as preventing illness. In conjunction, we will also start managing Depay River. The development of that river is urgent and critical for the entire Heinz development plans.] 4. Education [The people of Grants have a low level of education. Most are also illiterate. But they have high motivation. Therefore, we must advance their level of education. Build a school and create a system where children and adults alike can study there. Invite various teachers from the Royal Capital and Schwarzer Territory. Human resources are the most important factor in developing a country, thus I¡¯d like for us to put some extra effort in this part and do our best.] George put down the document afterward. A question came from the consultant Gail. [But¡­that¡¯s a huge scale development. Will it not be difficult to tackle due to funding? That amount of money, Heinz is¡­] [We can borrow some from the Schwarzer territory. We also have the help of Balzac in the Royal Capital. As well as the Margot House of Commerce. Moreover¡­ the amount of congratulatory gifts for Ares-sama engagements aren¡¯t exactly little, am I correct?] [Ah, I knew you¡¯ll touch upon that eventually¡­] George chuckled hearing Ares¡¯ mumbling, but resumed with a serious face. [Why of course. It is the engagement between the Royal clan and the Schwarzer clan after all. Lots of money would surely come from those aristocrats as well as merchants. The number would be unprecedentedly high.] [Certainly¡­ that amount of money will surely help.] Bergan nodded in agreement. Seeing so, George continued on. [We are going to tackle all four at the same time. As for agriculture, we¡¯ll rely on the Land of Demons. As I said, in 3 years time, we have to develop a city comparable to that of Romaria and solidify our foundation. There is no time to relax. We must work together.] ===== ¡ô As directed by the State Secretary George, a large scale development is underway. Sigurd and Darius trained the second and third corps in the morning and had the soldiers help with the infrastructure and construction work in the afternoon. Originally in Grants, there was no culture of soldiers helping with construction work, so there were a lot of complaints initially¡­ but when they were told that this extra work will be reflected in their salary, many soldiers began to willingly participate in the work. Not only soldiers, but also human resources were also recruited from the general masses. Many things in Heinz that requires development. Once hearing that it will make their living easier, many people participated. The project progressed very fast with a lot of people working on it. The third corps cut stones around Heinz, while the second corps flattened and smoothed the road before arranging the cobblestones. At the same time, Heinz residence gathered in the public call to help the soldiers. [But this is really amazing. By making use of the soldiers, we can transport a large amount of stones and clay at once.] Rodrigo who works for the Heinz Civil Engineering and Architecture department mumbled to himself. His line of sight fell on those third corps wagon that had made many round trips transporting material. He had worked in the city civil engineering for a long time¡­ but this is the first time he saw such a large scale project, other than the flood control few years back. [That one wagon¡­ seems to be something that the new lord has brought with him here. Unlike our wagons, this one moves much more smoothly and can carry a lot more.] Rodrigo¡¯s best friend Ron who was standing nearby drenched in his own sweats also commented. [And this large number of workers¡­ with this amount, the construction work will surely go real fast. I hear that some of them are newcomers ] [That¡¯s just what good salary does. It attracts people even from afar. Moreover¡­ what the hell is that?] The salary was indeed good enough to make them grin. But their motivations were different. [That¡¯s the cold ale only available during weekends! That¡¯s foul play. What I will do to be able to drink it!] The cold ale was fairly popular among the citizens. Yes, the same cold ale that everyone in Romaria had already been familiar with. George set up a tent outside his mansion during weekends where the workers can go to relax and rest. And in that tent¡­ the ales that has been chilled with the cooling box are served. As a bonus for the diligent workers, he distributed the cold ale¡­ That was something more than anyone expected. At first the citizens and soldiers were hesitant to drink it, but once they did¡­ their faces were filled with astonishment. The culture of drinking cold ale was not widespread around Arcadia yet. It¡¯s pretty much exclusively practiced only in Schwarzer territory up until then. Therefore, it was a pleasant shock for the people of Grants. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that this was one of their motivations behind their willingness to work on the project. [Compared to this cold ale, all other things I¡¯ve drunk before tasted like horse piss.] Remembering the cold ale, Ron unintentionally daydreamed. The effect of cold ale was enormous to the point that it became the main reason why workers from all over Grants were attracted to come. Once George confirmed the situation, he took another step further to help motivate the workers. He divided the workers and soldiers into ten groups and assigned each group into different places. Then he let them compete. Not only he would raise the salary of the group who works quicker than the others, but he also increased their quota of cold ale into twice per week, which effectively improves their competitiveness. It was a great success. Even those coming from outside of Heinz no longer wish to leave. Perhaps¡­ it¡¯s mostly because of the cold ale that they decided to stay. In any case, the workers and the soldiers both worked desperately. [First of all, we have to finish the construction job in front of us. We eat this kind of work for breakfast. So there is no way we¡¯ll lose! I won¡¯t lose! ! For Heinz!] [Yeah! For Heinz!] The two then quietly, albeit diligently, resumed their work. Although they were mostly attracted by good salaries and cold ale¡­ there is no denying that a pride of having helped in building their own city into prosperity has also bloomed in their heart. ===== ¡ô The city development progressed faster than even George¡¯s estimates. Not only were there a lot of people in Heinz, most of them are either demihumans or hybrids. Their greater strength and dexterity contributed to the increased speed. The main streets had become cobblestone road, which makes wagons travel much faster. In addition, the wooden buildings are starting to be replaced by stone and brick buildings. It started with the main facilities, but soon the housing for commoners will also be gradually replaced. As for infrastructure, a large amount of wood, stone and clay will be needed. Thus, a way to transport lots of materials at once is essential. Therefore, the construction of the waterway was helmed by the lord himself, Ares Schwarzer. Sigurd and the other were originally opposed in letting their lord to work¡­ but Ares laughed them off and took the job anyways. This was because they were lacking personnel. It could be said that human resources were equally valuable during this period. He had the fourth corps under his command this time. Leading the soldiers, he went to survey the Depay River. Ares originally commands the first corps¡­ but the [Broken Legions] were currently assigned to something else at the moment. The Red and Black Legions patrolled around Heinz. Once they encounter any bandit or monster, they could move to dispatch the intruder at the squad commander¡¯s discretion. Meanwhile, the Blue Legion was responsible in experimenting with barrier magic to protect the entire Heinz. As for the White Legion¡­ they simply did what they usually do, wandering around. [I cannot tie down the members of the White Legion around¡­ Well, as if it wasn¡¯t obvious already?] Those were Ares¡¯ words. Originally, George wanted to borrow their expertise, since Heinz needed manpower the most at this point, but they were all exempt from actual work due to Ares¡¯ insistence. But later on, Eckhart reported that the White Legion presence had a major influence in maintaining the security of the city as well as monster subjugation, effectively shutting down the complaints against them. ===== ¡ô Ares found out that Depay River had a stream near Heinz. He planned to redirect the flow, thus commanding the fourth corps to work. George was also there to check the situation. [This river has so many streams. this might work for the benefit of our city.] [The reason why it wasn¡¯t developed yet¡­ was it because of the influence of aquatic magic beasts?] In response to George¡¯s question, Roland who served as the fourth corps deputy general replied. [Yes, too many monsters to count. I¡¯ve also heard that the water was polluted. So people believe that it¡¯s a good idea to leave the river as it is¡­] Ares and George walked along the creek¡­ then stopped. Certainly, Depay River had many streams near Heinz. But¡­ all of them were swarmed by aquatic magic beasts. [This is a bit unusual. There should be a reason¡­ how about we go further upstream?] Saying so, Ares led the fourth corps to go further upstream. And there they found¡­ a muddy and large swamp. The marsh was also covered in so many bushes and trees that sunlight could barely enter. Among the new recruits of the fourth corps, several had lost their consciousness. [I¡¯d never imagine this¡­ we¡¯ll surely find the cause here¡­] Ares said while observing the surroundings. The swamp showed signs of aquatic magic beasts, and it was clear that it¡¯s impossible for humans to live there. [I can¡¯t sense the water spirit that should¡¯ve taken root here¡­ was it hiding somewhere¡­ or is it already eaten¡­?] Ares muttered to himself, then started to chant and meditate. George and Roland watched over him. [Forced Summon!] At the same time, Ares was wrapped in a dazzling light. When the light died down, a light blue skinned girl materialized before him. [Higyaa! Wha? What the hell was that?] [Ah¡­ sorry for the sudden summoning¡­] The little girl was trembling when she sees Ares. [I was hiding so that ¡ºit¡»won¡¯t find me¡­ what have you done!?] [¡ºIt¡»¡­? You are the water spirit of this river, correct?] [Eh, yes. I am Aquarius. The water spirit that has lived in this swamp since ancient times!] Aquarius crossed her arms over her small breasts. [You are such a bully for using that summoning spell! I was very shocked!] [Ahaha¡­pardon me then. Well, my name is Ares. Ares Schwarzer. There is something I want to ask you¡­] Ares¡¯ face turned serious right then. [What about the other water spirit that should¡¯ve lived here?] CH 94 Chapter 94 ¨C Waterway Development Aquarius cried in response to Ares¡¯ question. [That is¡­ it was a long time ago¡­ when this place was formed¡­] [Sorry, we are not exactly free here so can you make it brief?] [You are horrible despite your cute face, aren¡¯t you¡­] Aquarius sighed, then began explaining. [In the past, this place wasn¡¯t as gloomy as it is now. But¡­ a demon lord settled down west from here, causing the aquatic magic beasts to increase in number and ended up living here. But¡­ the biggest cause is probably¡­ it¡­] Aquarius continued on with a vain voice. [A rock turtle¡­ ate my kin. Thanks to that, it gained tremendous power¡­ and became the lord of this swamp. But it wasn¡¯t satisfied with that alone. It started attacking other water spirits as well, wanting to gain their strength. Especially this last decade, a lot of my kin were eaten by it.] At that point Aquarius began to sniffle. [Trying to do something, the head of the water spirit of this land, Sedna-sama went to meet that turtle, but¡­] [¡­.I see. So simply put, we need to get rid of this magic beast from this area¡­] Ares nodded after hearing Aquarius¡¯ story. She tried to rebuke him upon hearing his response. [¡­.didn¡¯t you hear me just now? About how it ate the head spirit of this place? About how it may have a power rivaling a dragon now?] [I did. But¡­ it¡¯s not like we should do nothing about it, right?] [If we could then we would¡¯ve already done something ourselves! That creature is too strong¡­] [So that¡¯s why¡­ I¡¯ll do it in your stead.] Ares said with a refreshing smile. Aquarius¡¯ mouth was agape. [Ah, but if we managed to do it somehow¡­ I¡¯d like to forge a contract with the water spirits living in this place¡­ deal?] Hearing that almost shameless offer¡­ Aquarius could only sigh, [If you can do that, I¡¯ll gladly forge any contract with you¡­ I don¡¯t care already what will happen to me next anyways¡­] Hearing her reply, Ares nodded in satisfaction. ===== ¡ô [Y-you are an Army general!? I thought you were just a mere adventurer!] Aquarius complained upons seeing the fourth corps under Ares¡¯ command. [But¡­ even with this many soldiers, you are still not the opponent of that rock turtle¡­] [No, who said that my soldiers will deal with that turtle?] [Haa?] [I¡¯ll deal with it myself.] [You¡­are you crazy?] In the midst of that exchange, the swamp began to churn. Perhaps sensing the arrival of the fourth corps¡­ the magic beasts surfaced to attack from every direction. [That was fast¡­ but not outside my expectations. Roland, can you execute the command that I told you earlier?] [Yes sir! As you command!] Roland then turned towards the thousand knights and began giving instructions. [You heard the order! Assume the Trinity formation as per usual and engage the magic beasts! Show them the might of Grants soldiers!] ===== Since he became the lord of Grants, Ares had pointed out to both Sigurd and Darius the weakness of the Grants soldiers. Which were the low level of tactics and no coordination. They are strong. However¡­ they tend to rely on individual performance. That¡¯s why, Ares pressed the importance of understanding tactics and good coordination for their training. This ¡ºTrinity Formation¡»was an anti-magic beast tactic that was previously employed in Schwarzer territory to battle beast attacks and was applied in the Grants army training regime starting from a few weeks ago. This time, he would see the result of the training in an actual combat situation. [Roland will take over the command. As for me¡­ I¡¯ll handle the big one.] Having said that, Ares looked further into the swamp. The deeper he looked, the more monsters entered his sight¡­ A huge figure could be seen behind the swarming monsters. [It ate a lot of water spirits. Of course, its intelligence is quite high.] [Does Your Excellency require support¡­] [No. No need to worry about me.] Having said so, Ares used wind magic to convey his command to the entire forces. [The fourth corps, heed me. Begin the monster subjugation. Remember all the training you¡¯ve gone through up until now and defeat the enemy before you. And then¡­ let¡¯s kick that big turtle¡¯s ass!] [ [ [ [ [ [ [ Yes sir! ] ] ] ] ] ] ] The soldiers of the fourth corps shouted in affirmation to Ares¡¯ words for they recognized him. The figure of Ares who did not fall against the onslaught of a million beasts. The words of such a hero would ignite any soldier¡¯s heart. [Fourth corps, charge!] Thus the fourth corps charged towards the horde of magic beasts like hungry wolves. ===== ¡ô The monsters were slaughtered one after another. The murky water of the swamp was dyed red with their blood. Grants soldiers had experienced fighting against larger numbers and varying kinds of monsters. These aquatic beasts were nothing much for them. On the contrary¡­ they¡¯re enjoying this subjugation. It¡¯s because¡­they realized the advantages of this tactic they¡¯ve trained in for a while. The Trinity formation was originally devised for use in Schwarzer territory which often got attacked by magic beasts. Organizing a group of three and fighting together back to back. While one fights, the other two guard the other directions. Then they switch positions as needed while pushing forward. All three will work together to finish their opponent. It¡¯s very effective against monsters that attack from random directions. [Okay, they¡¯re doing well.] [Without having to worry about their backs, they could focus on what¡¯s standing before them. This is a good tactic.] The Grants soldiers held their ground. [Their cooperation could still use some more work¡­ but Iexpected nothing less from Grants soldier, hm?] [This is surprising. I would be able to fight with ease this way. This tactic is great.] [The Grants soldiers are already strong. Once we strengthened their tactical and collaborative skills, they will be a force to be reckoned with. They¡¯ll realize the importance of tactics from this battle.] Ares had a little talk with Roland as the two watched the battle unfolded. The swarm of aquatic monsters began to thin out. And seeing this¡­ the rock turtle finally made a move. [Oh, the big guy has decided to move at last¡­ well then, time to crush it once and for all. I¡¯m sorry, but can you pull the soldiers out?] [Yes sir! As you command!] Roland immediately gave instructions and rang the retreat signal. In response, the soldiers also steadily retreated. Meanwhile, Ares got off from atop Saint and walked towards the Rock Turtle alone. [This swamp¡­it¡¯s really hard to walk on. I really should end this soon.] Having said so, Ares pulled out the Oldeus of the Seven Heavenly Swords, and launched an invisible slash at the rock turtle. But his attack was met with a hard rebound. The rock turtle shell was so thick that Ares¡¯ attack merely left a scratch on the surface. [Hmm¡­.] Ares squinted his eyes after seeing the result of his first attack. The rock turtle in turn opened its maw and aimed it toward Ares. A swirl of shining magic power could be seen from its open mouth. Seeing the situation, Ares felt something odd. He turned around and realized . [What!? This is bad!] Behind him were the fourth corps. It¡¯s crystal clear to Ares that the giant turtle would cause immense damage to the soldiers should it release its breath weapon. Ares hastily began casting a spell. Several magic diagrams appeared before him, and right then. Goooooooo! That noise meant that the giant turtle had released the immense magic power it has been accumulating in its mouth. Ares directed the magic circles to his front and¡­ [Counter Spell!] The immense magic power was instantly reflected toward the giant turtle upon making contact with his magic diagram. [That is it, the¡ºNon-elemental¡»magic, Counter Spell¡­ with it I can reflect magic back unto its caster, but¡­ is it enough?] He couldn¡¯t see how the turtle¡¯s faring due to the rising dust. So Ares relied on his hearing instead¡­ and frowned. [It doesn¡¯t budge at all¡­ certainly, it¡¯s more troublesome than a regular dragon.] Once the dust settled, he could see that the turtle had remained intact. Seeing this, Ares decided to change his approach. First, he retracted Oldeus and held the Seven Heavenly Sword handle tightly. [Such an amazing defense¡­ but then, I¡¯ll just have to attack it with strength strong enough to overwhelm it.] Ares strengthened his body with both magic power and fighting spirit. The silver aura of the¡ºMagic Sword Style¡»enveloped his body. Then he called out its name. [Magic Sword Gram!] Responding to Ares¡¯ voice, a black sword with swirling red aura appeared in his hand. [Well then¡­ let¡¯s see if you can endure this one!] Ares rushed towards the giant turtle with great momentum. The turtle tried to fight back with its claws and maw¡­ but its retaliation was nothing against Ares¡¯ greatly improved parameters. Ares advanced toward the turtle¡¯s head, avoiding a claw strike in the process. [Now¡­let¡¯s put an end to this once and for all!] He jumped over the head and slashed the magic sword Gram in a flash. Zugagagagagagagagagagagaa!!!! Following that slash, the turtle roared, before being promptly split into two. And at that moment¡­ A mysterious sight unfolded before everyone¡¯s eyes. The torn part of the giant turtle started to glow in a bluish light. [This is¡­ I can sense the magic power of my kin!] Aquarius, who was watching from a distance, rushed to the corpse of the giant rock turtle. [Fuu.] As Ares took a breather, Roland came over to him. [That was splendid. Ares-sama.] [Yeah, I guess I managed to finish it somehow, didn¡¯t I?] [Somehow¡­is it? That sounds easier said than done for the likes of us¡­ no¡­ the fact that you fought in a duel against my elder brother is¡­ could it be¡­?] [It¡¯s not the time to worry about little things like that, Roland. The aquatic beasts still remain. We need to sweep them off cleanly.] Roland snapped out from his amazed state after seeing such an incredible sight. [Yes! Pardon me, milord. I¡¯m heading back to the soldiers now!] He immediately gave an order to all soldiers. [The rock turtle has been slain. Now it¡¯s time to eliminate the rest of them! Let¡¯s go!] [ [ [ [ [Haaaa!] ] ] ] ] The soldiers were all excited after seeing Ares¡¯ fight. Their morale was sky high. After watching the situation with satisfaction, Ares turned around to check the turtle¡­and was surprised. [A lot of water spirits came out from its corpse¡­ what is going on?] The reason why the corpse was shining blue¡­ was because the water spirits overflowed from its body. [Oi! Ares!!] Ares noticed that Aquarius was waving at him from under the turtle¡¯s shell. [Aquarius? What is going on?] [Thanks to you, everyone is saved! Thank you!] Aquarius then continued on excitedly. [Sedna-sama said that she wants to meet you, Ares! Come quick!] ===== ¡ô The fourth corps managed to annihilate the remaining aquatic beasts. Although there were some injured¡­ they got through without any casualties. [This many beasts¡­ we can turn it into materials. Let¡¯s send them to the guild later.] Hearing Roland¡¯s report, Ares nodded. [This many magic beast materials should sell for a fairly high price, right? We can reorganize the money to help with the development. At this point, we could use all the funding we could get our hands on after all.] Having said that and chuckled in satisfaction, Ares turned his attention sideways. [Well then¡­ let¡¯s get to the point. Aquarius and also¡­ Sedna-dono] [Please just call me Sedna, Ares-sama.] Sedna said as she bowed. [Thank you for tearing that beast apart so that we could get out from its belly¡­ what could we do to as our gratitude for your help¡­?] Aquarius thought that the turtle had eaten the water spirits¡­ but in reality, they were still alive inside its belly. However, they were weakened because their magic power was continuously absorbed. [We should regain our power back once we reach clean water¡­ I¡­ I was prepared for the worst while I was inside the stomach of that beast. What¡¯s with our magic power being drained continuously¡­ even us, might eventually meet our end. You are truly our benefactor.] Sedna then gave Ares a look. [I¡¯ve heard from Aquarius. You want to forge a contract with the water spirit¡­ in that case, this Sedna, as the head of water spirit in this region, will be the one to forge the contract with you.] [What!? Sedna-sama will do it!?] Ignoring Aquarius, Sedna continued on without breaking eye contact. [If I make a contract with you¡­wouldn¡¯t that be the same as having forged contracts with all of the water spirit residing in this area? Am I correct?] Ares could only nodded in agreement. [I can¡¯t ask for anything better. Let¡¯s work together from now on.] Saying so, Ares raised his hand to Sedna¡¯s forehead. At that moment, Sedna showed a puzzled look. [Ah? Could Milord¡­ has forged similar contract with many other spirits before?] [You can tell?] [Yes¡­ it¡¯s evident from that many marks on your arm¡­ Oh? You are also in contract with the water spirit Quara?] [Yes, she¡¯s managing the water circulation on the Schwarzer territory now, you know?] [Quara is my sister. It seems that she had found a good master¡­] Sedna smiled pleasantly. With that, Ares began the chant. [I, Ares Schwarzer has decreed. You body will belong to me. My will shall become your will. You, the water spirit undine, Sedna.] A dazzling light wrapped both Ares and Sedna. [Uhhyaa, what is that!?] Aquarius and the other water spirit was perplexed by the scene. Sedna smiled and informed all of them. [Since all of you are under my ward, this will be the same as him having contracted to all of you at the same time.] [That kind of thing©`©`! No way©`©`!] Aquarius screamed, but the light only grew brighter¡­ until it gradually died down later on. [The contract has been forged. Come, water spirit undine Sedna.] [Until your life is at its end, this water spirit is at your command, Master.] And thus, Ares managed to forge a pact with the water spirits of Grants and secured a source of clean water for the waterway development. CH 95 Chapter 95 ¨C Insufficient Staff [We simply don¡¯t have enough personnel!] George strongly stressed it to Ares. [Well¡­ not like I can do anything about that all of a sudden¡­] Ares responded with a wry smile towards the angry George. Well, he¡¯s not wrong either after all¡­ Currently, except for the first corps, the entire army is participating in the development. In addition to that, many people from Heinz and all over Grants also joined in to help. Grants was hit with a shortage of labor that it¡¯s willing to take in anyone. [There is not enough manpower to build the waterway!] Yes, even if Ares managed to secure the clean water, there wasn¡¯t enough people to actually build the waterway. But why does he have to be angry at me¡­ Ares thought inwardly. [Are you listening? Milord?] [Yes, loud and clear.] Ares replied with a sigh. But he understood what George was telling him. Maybe he really should try to do something. [Milord has a way to settle this problem, hasn¡¯t he?] [¡­we can try using alchemy, but that means¡­..] When Ares said that, George immediately moved in to the point that his face being so close to Ares¡¯. [Yes. We can use¡ºthat¡»again just like when we explosively developed Schwarzer territory. What is needed and what is our top priority¡­ Milord can tell already, correct?] Ares let out more sighed on George¡¯s words. [Brute forcing it as usual¡­ well, we do have the funding and this can be counted as one of George¡¯s suggestions. I really should try using¡ºthat¡», maybe?] Having said that, Ares slowly straightened up his back. ===== ¡ô Ares, accompanied by George, headed out to the quarry on the Heinz¡¯ outskirts. It was originally a hill full of gravel, but the workers had slowly dug it down. With a lot of people gathering here, businesses such as taverns and inns naturally sprouted as well¡­ it¡¯s almost like a small village born out of gathering people. But Ares ignored the crowds and walked towards the more unpopular spot on the hill. [Well, why did Shion tag along too?] [Nothing, I just found this interesting] Ares sighed while looking at the chuckling Shion. [¡­I feel like I¡¯ll sigh even more now that you¡¯re also here¡­] [Isn¡¯t that the sign of a good retainer?] [Kuh¡­ oh well, whatever¡­ I just can¡¯t win an argument with you.] After confirming that there was nobody else around, Ares began chanting. A pale glow shone around Ares. [By the contract of old, I hereby grant you life. Answer to my call.] Magic diagrams appeared around Ares. [Stone Golem!] Right then¡­ the stones in the quarry began moving¡­ those stones gathered and formed a 3 meter tall humanoid figure. And these humanoids were forming all around Ares¡­ until 10 of them were formed; after which they slowly walked toward him¡­ meanwhile Ares muttered in a low voice. [Fuu, I used creation magic again after a very long time¡­ it¡¯s tiring¡­] Ares chuckled in satisfaction as he gave the golems before him a look. ===== ¡ô [It¡¯s pretty cool, this thing is.] Shion patted the golem in its leg while observing it. George also came to check how did it go. [Well then, this is where alchemy can be very useful.] Meanwhile Ares took out a red stone from his bag. [Milord¡­ what is that¡­?] [Nn? Isn¡¯t this just a magic stone? Eh? Don¡¯t tell me this is the first time Shion sees this?] Ares handed over the stone to Shion. He picked it up and inspected under the sun. The magic stone radiated a warm light. [These magic stones are obviously different from regular stones. This¡­contains magic power I have infused beforehand. It can also serve as power source if we embedded it to a golem.] Ares chuckled. [Using creation magic to create a golem is fine and all¡­ but it¡¯ll continuously drain your magic power. This magic stone can serve as replacement magic power supply. That¡¯s why I call this [Golem¡¯s Heart] ] That¡¯s why Ares began embedding the stone to each golem. The golem¡¯s eyes glowed brighter in lieu to that. [These stone golems are heavy-duty and very durable. But the magic consumption is also very high. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to need a slightly larger magic stone later. For now¡­ 10 is my limit, I guess?] Ares continued on. [15 small magic stones left¡­ now let¡¯s make a golem using mud. I¡¯ll proceed with the waterway development with the help of these stone golems and mud golems] [Too bad golems are too costly in terms of energy consumption. It¡¯ll be a great help in the development project otherwise¡­] Ares agreed to George¡¯s comment. [In any case we need to proceed with the development¡­ I¡¯ll use everything at my disposal, even if others may think that I¡¯ve strayed on an evil path¡­] Saying so, Ares smiled wryly. ===== ¡ô The golems only started working that day¡­ but they immediately showed great results. They worked without complaining, and they would continue working regardless of the odds. Their work speed is also constant as they don¡¯t experience fatigue. [This is¡­ beyond my expectation. The development will definitely proceed faster this way.] George was very pleased with the results. Later that day, after Ares finished working, he returned to the lord¡¯s mansion alongside Sigurd¡­ and saw a servant doing some cleaning. [Ah, Ares-sama. Welcome back!] [¡­it has become harder for you, hasn¡¯t it¡­] [Yes¡­ the other employees have changed jobs to become construction worker since it pays well¡­ the chores can be a bit tiring these days.] Hearing that, Ares looked around the mansion. The rooms that hasn¡¯t been cleaned yet and the vast garden¡­ Seeing this, Ares frowned. [Ares-sama¡­ it¡¯s difficult to maintain the mansion properly with the number of servants currently working here¡­] Ares laughed at Sigurd¡¯s comment. [To be honest, I don¡¯t even need this large of a house¡­] Indeed, Ares originally unwilling to live in this mansion. But Gail insisted that a lord should live in a decent mansion. When Ares didn¡¯t budge, Gail still insisted by offering the mansion he previously lived in for Ares¡¯ use¡­ unable to refuse it, Ares ended up living here now¡­ [That¡¯s all we can do right now¡­] Many of the servants chose to change job, causing a shortage of people to divide the chores with. Fortunately, Hadora is here as the chef, so food is not a problem¡­ but there were simply too many chores left undone. If only Theta is here¡­ but she won¡¯t be here until sometime in the future. [It can¡¯t be helped. I originally wanted to take things a bit slower¡­ but let¡¯s ask that guy for help¡­] Sigurd instantly reacted. [That guy¡­.? Does Milord mean ¡ºHelmut¡»-dono?] Ares nodded to Sigurd. [Anyways, let¡¯s go inside first. This isn¡¯t something that others should see¡­] Saying so, Ares went into his room followed by Sigurd. ===== ¡ô After closing the door behind him and making sure that no one else was around except for himself and Sigurd¡­ Ares began chanting. [He who is contracted to me, heed my order. Open the gate of the underworld and show yourself!] As he chanted, a complex-looking magic diagram appeared on the floor. The diagram swirled with powerful magic power as blue flames wrapped around it. [Summon, Helmut the Archfiend] Following Ares¡¯ chant¡­ a gentlemanly looking man with a well-kept moustache the same color as his neatly trimmed silver hair appeared from the magic diagram. [Well well¡­ what a sudden summoning, it surprised me. How do you do, little master?] [Stop with the little master stuff please¡­ I¡¯m already past that age.] [Then¡­ shall I refer to you by ¡®master¡¯ instead?] [That¡¯s still not good either, but fine¡­ when Helmut calls me like that, it always makes me shiver.] The two laughed at such exchange. [Well¡­ sorry if I summon you during your rest or tea time¡­ but I want to borrow your power again¡­ I want you to maintain this place properly.] Hearing so, Helmut excitedly, albeit still keeping the gentlemanly tone and mannerism, replied. [My life, my everything belongs to master. Master may use it in any way] Sigurd watched the scene from the sideline. That man¡­ he knew the true nature of that man called Helmut. Helmut was a man who previously worked as a servant back at the Schwarzer mansion. He was very talented and capable of tackling the entire household chores by himself. Until Ares for some reason sent him back to his home. Yes, that man¡¯s home¡­ ¡­was the¡ºunderworld of another world¡» Sigurd¡¯s instincts were ringing like an alarm. That man had this strange, shadowy presence that makes anyone want to avoid him at all cost. But he was bound by a special contract, which apparently prevents him from actively serving as a general. The¡ºWorld-crossing Contract Rule¡»that Helmut is bound in does not allow him to be too involved in this world¡¯s matters. Recalling what Ares said once, he could only show his strength while inside the building he¡¯s summoned at. That¡¯s what Sigurd heard from Ares. Helmut came from another world different from this one¡­ Back in his own world, he became part of the Four Great Archfiends because of his ¡®talent in other things¡¯. Even Ares, Sigurd, and Darius combined wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against him. [Helmut is not a demonkin¡­ instead, he¡¯s a ¡®demon¡¯ in the truest sense. He¡¯s in a different league, a much higher league than the demonkin of this world.] Ares often told Sigurd. Remembering those words¡­ Sigurd could only looked at Helmut apprehensively. ===== ¡ô [By the way master. Why doesn¡¯t master bring more escorts?] [I already have Sigurd¡­ and with my own abilities, I don¡¯t feel the need of bringing too many escorts with me, but¡­] (¡­.no, that¡¯s not the real reason, isn¡¯t it¡­) Sigurd knew what Ares meant by him saying that. But Helmut ardently refused. [Well, I know that master is strong¡­ but if master or Sigurd-dono is not present, I may find it a bit hard to compensate should someone directly target this house. This is especially true with master¡¯s current position and duty. One more person. I would be grateful if there is one more person with superior valor to act as an escort¡­] What Helmut said was certainly reasonable. But when they think about what Helmut was trying to say once more, Ares and Sigurd both had the same thought. No, just 1 of you is more than enough! [Then should I just hire someone?] [No, quantity won¡¯t matter in this case. I only require a ¡ºstrong man¡»for this matter.] [Even if you say only one¡­] When Ares showed hesitation, Helmut pressed even further. [Ares-sama¡­ how about summoning¡ºZetos¡»over here?] [Zetos¡­? No, I think that guy wanted to have some rest these days¡­] Ares muttered in a low voice. But that only served to make Helmut to speak in a more serious and heartfelt manner. [¡­Ares-sama is too kind, but ever since [that one accident], you started to avoid calling us¡­.Surely anyone would be pleased to be able to work for Ares-sama. Same goes with me. It¡¯s a pleasure for us to be able to serve more than anything else. How we envy Quara since she gets to serve by working in the Schwarzer territory¡­ That¡¯s why my happiness is beyond immeasurable when I am summoned this time. Please allow me to share this happiness with Zetos.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.] Helmut¡¯s words rendered Ares speechless. He then recalled [that one accident] which caused him to send all of them back to their original world. After thinking for a while, Ares finally caved in. [I understand. Let¡¯s do so. And Helmut¡­ thank you.] Upon hearing that answer, Helmut smiled widely. Following his approval, Ares walked to the center of the room once more and began chanting a different spell. [Hark, a legendary warrior born from the fang of a dragon. By your name, I once again call you, the great warrior to be reborn in this world.] The magic diagram appeared once again, this time glowing a fierce red. [Respond to my voice! Dragon Fang Warrior Spartoi Zetos!] A figure appeared from the magic diagram following those sentences. His appearance was that of a skeleton. But¡­ he was wearing gold-colored full plate armor with a sword hanging on his waist. His body was covered with powerful magic. Noticing his surroundings, he began to move. His armor shone splendidly. The golden armor was inlaid with a complex design and is laden with magic power. The sword should be taken note of as well. The power of an ancient green dragon could be felt from that sword. Yes, that sword was an authentic¡ºDragon¡¯s Sword¡», crafted from the fangs and scales of an ancient dragon. [Milord, long time no see. Sigurd-dono and Helmut-dono haven¡¯t changed that much either.] [I was being summoned only earlier. And you as well.] Helmut laughed upon hearing Zetos¡¯ greeting. After confirming his appearance, Ares stood before Zetos¡­ and commanded. [Zetos. I command you to guard a mansion, this mansion, once more. Will you abide to my request?] Zetos responded in the most knightly manner possible. [Yes, Milord! Once given this temporary new life, it shall be belong to Ares-sama. Ares-sama¡¯s wish is my wish. And I shall attend to my mission with sincerity!] He said. Hearing such a sincere reply¡­ Ares could only smile quietly. ===== ¡ô Thus, two more servants were added to Ares¡¯ mansion. Head Butler Helmut Escort Zetos The other servants who saw Zetos¡¯ appearance was apprehensive at first, but quickly warmed up to him due to his friendly demeanor. Helmut was not only talented, but despite only leading the few remaining servants, the household chores and maintenance works had always been completed in a per+fectly and timely manner. Ever since his arrival¡­ Ares¡¯ mansion had turned to look like as if it¡¯s a totally different mansion. One day, George gave Ares a visit and took note of the changes. [Those guys, if they¡¯re allowed to work for internal affairs, I wonder how well the progress would be¡­] He said. ===== ¡ô An individual of highest rank among the demons in the another world where Helmut lives. There were 4 Archfiends fighting for supremacy in his world. Ares regarded Helmut as a¡ºTrue Demon¡»when compared to the demonkin of this world. Among the undead, there is one skeleton regarded as the top alongside the Lich and Death Knight Masters. Only a few necromancers in history have the ability to ever summon this particular skeleton because the catalyst required for its summoning was an ancient dragon¡¯s fang. It was also known as the¡ºDragon Fang Warrior¡»because a heroic soul coupled with powerful magic are required to summon it. CH 96 Chapter 96 ¨C Raiders¡® Tragedy Nightmare. That was probably the most fitting word to describe what happened. Why did we decide to raid this place? This place is a¡­ the demon¡¯s abode. The man who was currently trying to escape¡­ Garma, the deputy leader of¡ºHellhound¡», one of the only three crime organizations in the capital, thought so. The feeling of being chased did not fade no matter how long he had run. And it incited a frustration he never felt before. What¡¯s wrong with this mansion¡­? As Garma thought so, he came across a giant door. He pushed the door open¡­ [Hey, there. It seemed that you had a hard time getting to this place.] And there he is: his target. A dark haired youth who smiled calmly. Lord of the Frontier Ares Schwarzer. Once he killed this little bastard, Garma can finally bid this damned mission a good bye. This is his golden opportunity. Garma moved in. He felt an urgent need to finish this nightmare once and for all. Thus he attacked without hesitation. [Kaaaaaaaa!] Without introducing himself, Garma bolstered himself and went to attack Ares¡­ at that moment. [Oi oi, at least say your name before attacking¡­ I wonder how much do you know though]. Along with that calm mutter, a thick killing intent hit Garma. It¡¯s like he was facing an ancient dragon. An unprecedented, overwhelming intimidation. The next moment after he was hit by that killing intent. Garma¡¯s consciousness¡­ disappeared in an instance. ===== ¡ô Let¡¯s rewind back to one week ago. Garma, along with Bruno, the head of the crime organization¡ºHellhound¡», was invited to a certain earl¡¯s mansion. Guided through the mansion, he was told to wait for their soon-to-be employer on a room behind this huge door. (Hou? Aren¡¯t they¡­ the boss of western district, Balzac and Daryus, the head of the assassin organization¡ºCerberus¡»? ) Anyone who makes a living in the underworld would recognize Balzac. But this would be the first time for Garma to see the head of Cerberus Daryus. Daryus was famous because he rarely appeared in public. (But¡­ to have the leaders of 3 crime organizations in one place¡­ just what the hell are they going to discuss?) Bruno sat on one of the empty chairs. Garma stood behind him. The three did not see any intention to exchange words, creating an awkward silence to fill the room. The silence was broken when the owner of the mansion entered the room. [Sorry to keep you waiting. I am the master of this mansion, Earl Vicenza. I¡¯ve gathered all of you here for a great cause.] Along with that greetings, a short-statured middle aged man entered. He was wearing a luxurious clothes and jewelry. Him smiling nastily like that would remind anyone of a frog. Seeing how he treated all three of them as if they were his vassals, naturally they showed some discomfort. [Cut the crap. Tell us what you want to do from us. We are busy people here.] Balzac was the first to speak up. Hostility was evident in his voice. He might¡¯ve been angered by the Earl¡¯s attitude. Earl Vicenza was clearly displeased by Balzac¡¯s response. But he continued on with that same nasty smile still plastered on his face. [Very well. I¡¯ve got a good offer for you people. There is a request from a certain aristocrat who unfortunately couldn¡¯t meet you three directly. You lot should feel honored.] His attitude didn¡¯t change one bit. Thus it was Daryus who responded. [It doesn¡¯t matter who made the request. What are the rewards? And who¡¯s the target? Just be direct with it.] [Humph, such attitude for a stray dog¡­] To Daryus¡¯ remark, Earl Vicenza once again frowned in displeasure. He then rolled open the scroll he had in hand. The scroll mentioned about the reward being¡­ 30,000 platinum coins. [How surprising. How much is 30.000 platinum coins? That¡¯s almost equal to 10 years worth of a small territory budget. I don¡¯t think there is somebody who actually able to pay that much?] Earl Vicenza gnarled a bit upon Balzac¡¯s reasonable doubt. [There is. And eventually, this Arcadia will also centered around this person] [Then what¡¯s the job?] Bruno finally spoke up. There was this spark in his eyes. It¡¯s an amount that is unprecedented before. So he¡¯s a bit excited about it. Bruno planned to accept the request whatever it is this time around. His organization was ranked third under Balzac¡¯s and Daryus¡¯. He planned to change that by garnering more support from the aristocrats. Bruno always said, ¡°I want to replace Balzac as the boss of the western district¡±. And I want to swallow the¡ºCerberus¡»whole to strengthen ourselves even further. That 30,000 platinum coins were also too tasty to miss. Balzac and Daryus also gave Earl Vicenza an intrigued look. Noticing this, Earl Vicenza gave a satisfied smile. [Ares Schwarzer¡¯s head.] Once that sentence was over, the room atmosphere instantly changed. ===== ¡ô First up was Balzac. [I decline. This is such a waste of time.] The Earl didn¡¯t seem to expect this. [Wha¡­why?] [Even if you paid us with the budget of the entire Arcadia empire, it¡¯s still impossible work. I¡¯m leaving.] Balzac left the room with that. Next was Daryus. [That amount is way too small for this job] [What did you say!!? I think the rewards are favorable enough..] [Not if you compare it with the work required.] Daryus smiled. [You fools may not know this¡­ but it¡¯s so much easier to assassinate the emperor of Arcadia compared to that guy. Balzac already said it¡­ it still won¡¯t be enough even if the reward is equal to the budget of an entire country. It¡¯s just not worth the trouble.] Daryus then stood up and headed for the door. [Wa¡­ wait¡­] [Ah, let me give you friendly advice.] Daryus turned around before he left. [And I¡¯ll only say this once¡­ you¡¯re in deep shit. But you didn¡¯t hear that from me. I don¡¯t want to die just yet.] Having said so, Daryus left the room while chuckling. Earl Vicenza was perplexed by this development. But Bruno spoke up to the Earl. [I¡¯ll do it.] [R-really!?] [However, there are conditions.] [Anything!] [If I succeed, apart from the reward, I want enough funding to be able to wrest control of the western district. Your backing has tremendous power in his command, am I right?] [Yes, indeed. Understood] [If you break your promise, it¡¯ll be your head that will roll next.] Bruno stood up as he said so. [Garma. Gather our men. It¡¯s a full-scale operation this time.] Thus Bruno left the room. Garma also hurriedly followed suit. ===== ¡ô A few days after the meeting, Bruno moved to assassinate Ares Schwarzer. First to do is heading to Grants. He disguised his men as immigrants and sent them to Heinz. After entering Heinz, Bruno and his men took some time to observe the mansion where Ares Schwarzer lives, striving to understand its layout. Strangely enough, there were very little servants for a mansion owned by an aristocrat. [There aren¡¯t that many housekeepers. Shouldn¡¯t it be easy if we attack them en masse?] [But Ares Schwarzer was the hero who conquered Grants. If possible, I want to avoid direct confrontation with him. It¡¯ll be best to attack as quiet as possible when he least expects it.] Thus Bruno decided to attack during midnight, not knowing that it¡¯s a one-way ticket to the afterlife. ===== ¡ô Bruno¡¯s plan was to attack at the same time from two directions. Garma would lead 200 people from the front, while Bruno himself would lead a select few to attack from the rear. These select few that Bruno led¡­ were former B-rank adventurers who were expelled due to bad conduct. Bruno hired them to work as his assassins. Bruno and the several elite assassins entered the mansion from the backdoor stealthily and waded through the dark hallway. They suddenly stopped their silent march, as a presence could be sensed standing before them. [Good grief. What noisy late night visitors. I did not expect that I would be getting to work soon after being summoned¡­] Each of the assassins could hear that muttering. Bruno narrowed his eyes. The only source of light was the moonlight leaking in from the window. He could barely make out the form someone in full armor standing in front of them. [¡­¡­.get rid of him!] The two assassins abruptly moved on Bruno¡¯s command¡­ but. [Guaa!] [Guhe!] What could be heard from beyond the darkness was screams and the sound of something heavy and wet falling to the floor. [Weak¡­ how weak. I thought it will be a bit more entertaining.] The armored figure approached, making his golden feature visible. Bruno¡­ no, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on the face of the man wearing that golden armor¡­ and saw only terror. Right¡­ they realized that they¡¯re facing against some sort of an undead skeleton knight. [Wha¡­ why is there an undead skeleton in the mansion belonging to an aristocrat?] [Skeleton? How dare you to compare me with those lowly beings. I am a spartoi. An existence that are several dimensions higher compared to mere skeletons.] The golden armored skeleton disappeared from their view. And right then¡­ [Gaha] [Guhe!] The assassins around Bruno fell one after another. [Kuh! What¡­ what in the world is going on?] The moment Bruno said that¡­ [You are the last one.] He heard a voice in his ear. He hurriedly jumped away, but immediately sensed something hit his head¡­ and just like that, Bruno¡¯s consciousness fell into the deep abyss. ===== ¡ô Garma who attacked from the front was in an even more miserable condition. The main cause was the man dressed in butler uniform who suddenly appeared before them. [Well well, what do we have here? Uninvited guests should be awarded with appropriate rewards.] The butler snapped his fingers, and instantly, all 200 men¡­ was dragged into a shadowy pit that appeared from under them. [What! This is!?] [Nooo! Help me!] [I-I don¡¯t want to die!] The butler smiled a ruthless smile while watching the assassins perish almost at the same time. [Well, that¡¯s how your victims feel when you took their life. Just stay down there for now¡­ even I feel sick from having to deal with wretches like you.] And just like that, everyone but Garma was swallowed by the darkness. [Wha¡­ what in the world..] Garma retreated. But the butler also moved in slowly to approach him. [Well then¡­ I have several questions for you¡­ let¡¯s hope that you¡¯re willing to tell many things, shall we?] Hearing that, Garma chose to run wildly onto the opposite direction. This is terrible. It¡¯s a haunted house, he thought. That moment, he realized¡­ why the other organizations declined the offer so easily. They knew. They knew that the target was an opponent that cannot be trifled with. [In any case, I have to escape¡­ hopefully boss also got away just fine¡­] He ran and ran¡­ not daring to even look back because he could sensed the butler¡¯s presence behind him. Garma did not know where he¡¯s running to, but he knew that he¡¯d die if he stopped running. Then Garma opened the huge door that suddenly appeared before him. ===== ¡ô After Ares knocked Garma out, he noticed Helmut and Zetos were already standing there. [You didn¡¯t kill any of them, did you?] [Yes, as per requested.] [It will feel uncomfortable to know that someone is dying right inside your house after all.] Ares threw Garma to the pile of bodies that Zetos had knocked out. [Now¡­ Zekka!] [Yes, Milord! Did you call upon me?] Zekka appeared from the darkness. [For now, get rid of anyone involved in this matter. Oh, including the middle man. This should make for a good warning to the real backer.] [As you wish¡­] [Oh and give these letters to Balzac and Daryus. Tell them I say thank you for their information.] [Both of them will be happy to hear that. Certainly.] Zekka snapped with his fingers. With that signal, several men appeared and began taking away the unconscious bodies that were piling up. [Those who were sunk into the darkness by Helmut will later be handed over to Zekka as well. Please take good care of them.] [¡­did we overdo it this time?] [That doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s still nothing ridiculous compared to what happened back then.] Ares nodded without changing his expression, then stretched his body. [Now then, I will take a rest. Good night.] He returned to his room after saying so. ===== ¡ô An incident then occurred at the Royal Capital Earl Vicenza was murdered by an unknown killer. Assassination attempts of an aristocrat was normal, but it¡¯s different matter if an earl actually fell victim to it. A large-scale investigation was held to track the perpetrator¡­ but no evidence was found¡­ CH 97 Chapter 97 ¨C Arestia It¡¯s been a month since Ares arrived at Grants, which also means it¡¯s time for the conference of representatives of four former countries; Grants, Redgear, Trevoir and Brittany to be held. [It¡¯s only been a month since his arrival, but a lot has changed since then¡­] Redgear¡¯s William commented as he peeked at the vibrant scenery of Heinz through the window of his carriage. The previous Heinz was often attacked by monsters, so people tend to walk around while armed. In short, it¡¯s the image of a crude and underdeveloped land. In fact, William had a bad memory of being attacked by magic beasts when he visited Grants in the past. The road was rough and the cityscape looked more like a rural village or a suburban area. From those impressions, he¡¯s hard-pressed to believe that it was a capital city of a country. But what about now? On his way here, no monster attacked his group. The road was well-maintained and easy to pass. The street was already cobblestone and most of the cityscape had already changed from wooden buildings to stone and brick buildings. Unlike before, the market was more vibrant with more stores opening for business. There were smiles on people¡¯s faces as if they¡¯re having fun. [When the lord changes so will the country¡­ is it? Then I too, will try to follow.] As William muttered to himself, he began to think about the conference of the four former countries, which had seen so many changes under Ares¡¯ leadership. ===== ¡ô William was guided to a large hall with wide round table in the middle. While he was pondering over the hidden meaning behind the round table, someone greeted him. [King of Redgear¡­ oh, now it¡¯s Earl of Redgear¡­ this is the first time we meet.] When William turned around, he saw a well dressed, tall, silver haired man was standing there. [¡­ah, pardon me for greeting you without introducing myself first. My name is Gray. I¡¯ll be representing Brittany.] Gray bowed his head as he spoke. William hurriedly responded upon seeing this.. [Please do not bow to me. We are of equal position right now.] [I was originally just an adventurer¡­ while William-sama was formerly a king. How can it be equal¡­] [It¡¯s in the past. Please stop. We are comrades now.] William said as he offered a handshake. Gray, in turn, finally raised his head back. [Well then, now we are talking. I¡¯ll look forward to working with you in the future.] Gray took William¡¯s outstretched hand and two finally shook hands firmly with a smile on each face. Afterward, William asked Gray a question. [By the way, Gray-dono¡­ do you happen to know where we should sit?] [No¡­ I actually have the same problem.] At that moment, the door opened once more. This time around, it was Trevoir¡¯s Louis and Simon. Just the same, both looked at the round table in confusion. [This is¡­ where should I sit?] [What¡¯s with this round table¡­? This way we won¡¯t know where the leader will sit¡­] Seeing this, William and Gray could only smile at each other. [It appears that we are not the only ones not in the know.] [It seems so. But¡­ this is a problem. What should we do then?] Right then, the door once again opened along with a loud noise. [Ah! Milord hasn¡¯t arrived yet. I made it in time!] [If only we finished the sparring early, I won¡¯t be this panicked¡­ it¡¯s because of you as usual¡­] [You¡¯re just being petty, Sigurd! At least we made it in time.] The two big-bodied loud men who seemed to be getting along well entered the hall. They then sat down on the chairs without much thought. [¡­isn¡¯t that Grants¡¯ crown prince, Lord Darius!?] Surprised to find Darius there, William shouted out of shock. [Oh, hi, everyone. You¡¯ve come from afar, so why don¡¯t you take a seat? Aren¡¯t you tired from standing around like that?] Pressured by Darius¡¯ voice, William, Gray, and Louis, hurriedly sat on nearby seats. Simon simply stood behind Louis. This sort of randomly choosing seat is¡­. despite that thought, William and the others didn¡¯t dare to voice it out because Darius was there. Soon after, yet another voice could be heard from behind the door. [As I told you already, you don¡¯t have to become my assistant¡­] [I will leave the corps to Liliana-dono in the meantime¡­ however, I want you to teach her Schwarzer-style tactics and commands.] [Then you shouldn¡¯t have gone to me¡­] [By the way, what is wrong with that Liliana-dono?] [¡­¡­¡­.] [Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯ve touched her too?] [¡­.alright, let¡¯s start the conference already.] [¡­milord¡­ isn¡¯t it still a bit too early?] The door opened to the voice of Ares, Shion, and George. William was about to stand up, but Ares immediately stopped him. [You don¡¯t have to do that every single time, you know? Just save up the energy for something else more important.] With a refreshing smile, Ares sat on the vacant seat without much thought, just like Darius and Sigurd did. Shion and George took the empty seats next to him. [Excuse me¡­] The Earl of Trevoir Louis opened up. [Ares-dono is our leader. So I thought that it would only be natural for you to sit on a throne¡­ but this round table does not signify which one of us is the leader. Would you please elaborate¡­?] [Isn¡¯t it just a seat?] [!?] [I don¡¯t need such a thing when it¡¯s unnecessary, do I? Everyone is here to confer for the good of the people and nation. There is no need for difference in rank here.] It was a concept well beyond their current common sense. Louis, William, and Gray all gave Ares an amazed look. After that, Ares continued to have a small talk with the other participants. When several civil officers, including Gail finally took the remaining seats, Ares coughed and formally began the conference. [Alright¡­ now that we are already acquaintanced with each other, let¡¯s proceed with the conference. First is the political aspects. The moderator of this session is this person, George.] [In Ares-sama¡¯s stead, I am George, the State Secretary. A pleasure to meet all of you.] That said, George expanded the map of the four former countries. ===== ¡ô George proposed 3 policies for the three countries. The first were land and agricultural reforms. Both Trevoir and Redgear were known as rich and prosperous lands. [But there are still some room for further development.] That said, George introduced the double-cropping method that has been encouraged in Schwarzer Territory and became the latest agricultural breakthrough in the Empire. In addition to that, new farming tools, fertilizers as well as the method to cultivate the land were also introduced with illustrations. [These lands are fertile grounds. It¡¯s best to turn them into big farmlands. Let¡¯s turn them, along with Grants once we opened up the Land of Demons, into the largest agricultural land in the continent.] For both William and Louis, George introduced new methods that they hadn¡¯t known yet before. The next proposal was about commerce. [There are a lot of merchants in Brittany right now. We¡¯ll have to review the tax system in order to increase logistics.] [ What do you mean? Isn¡¯t Brittany¡¯s tax already too high as is?] [But just opening a small stall requires a lot of money. If you tone the cost down, there are bound to be more people to do business] In Brittany, one must pay the tax first before being able to start a business. George proposed to abolish that tax to allow people more freedom to do business. [If water is stagnant, it will soon dry down. Same goes with gold. Steady movement is needed to keep it alive.] In this way people can do business more easily, while still paying taxes on interest¡­ that was George¡¯s proposal. [Of course, let¡¯s not limit it to only Brittany. Practice it everywhere. In addition to that, we¡¯ll also abolish tariffs in each territory so that merchants can trade between cities more freely.] The last proposal was about civil engineering projects. [Let¡¯s build a¡ºroad¡».] [Road?] [Yes, a highway that connects one city to another city.] George added while pointing at the map. [We need to build¡ºRoads¡»that can grant everyone safe passage between cities. This may not be work that will be concluded after a year or two, but it¡¯s the most important work. Also¡­] He paused for a while before resuming. [These roads will not only be limited to the ground. We will also be using the Depay River as a vast waterway.] The Depay River is a vast river that runs from Redgear to Grants. It¡¯s usually flooded during the rainy season so it¡¯s hard to develop the fertile lands around it. [A waterway is currently under construction in Heinz. We will also do this in other places. By building these waterways, we can prevent flooding. And we can also transport supplies with boats through it.] In short, George recommended three policies. Agricultural reform, commercial reform and infrastructure development. Nobody voiced their opposition so it was certified right away. ===== ¡ô [Next, Shion will explain our future military strategy.] That said, Ares turned his gaze to the sleepy-looking glasses wearing black haired man. [My name is Shion¡­ I¡¯m Ares-sama¡¯s military advisor. Pleased to be acquainted with all of you.] Shion then began to share his plan with William and the others. What he proposed was pretty much the same to what is currently being applied in Grants. First was regarding military formations and then the plans for the next few years. The military formations were particularly given detailed instructions. [We¡¯ll send troops to Brittany in order to maintain security, so please do not hire mercenaries. Mercenaries¡¯ morale and loyalty are very low to begin with and we need to sharpen the skills of our own soldiers to begin with. This will also allow competent people to advance in ranks.] [Trevoir can maintain security with their own soldiers. In turn, Trevoir will have to send their soldiers to Grants for mandatory joint training to improve their skills.] [Same goes with Redgear¡¯s army. Liliana-dono will lead these army to play a major part in defending the borders and supporting the main forces. These soldiers will also be trained alongside Grants¡¯ soldiers.] After that, Shion began to talk about the future of the continent, just like he did back at the office. [You mean, there will be no further eastern campaign from Arcadia?] [Yes. No doubt about it. However, just to keep a facade, we¡¯ll still have to station some soldiers on Fort Jax southeast of Redgear¡­] But Shion didn¡¯t stop there. [What is worrying now is the movement of one of the great powers in the east. In particular concern is the movement of the Byzerd Principality¡­ and there is also that newly-born Dormadia Kingdom. Not much is currently known about this kingdom, which makes it a threat we need to be wary of in the future.] William showed his agreement to Shion¡¯s explanations. [Back in Redgear, I heard from the messenger of Renato Principality that Dormadia Kingdom uses magic beasts as a support to their army. There is also a rumour that the king himself is actually a demonkin. But that¡¯s it. They also tend to destroy and plunder any country they conquer¡­ causing every country nearby to increase their vigilance. Regarding Byzerd, it faced political changes several years ago after the second prince Zachard, known for his bravery, ascended the throne¡­] [Those are interesting information. I think it¡¯s necessary to investigate further.] Shion then declared in a strong tone. [Grants, Redgear, Brittany, and Trevoir. These four former countries must work together in both military and political matters as though they all belonged to a single country. The situation may change every moment. It can get out of hand. So in order to survive¡­ we must work together. Let this¡ºCursed Land¡»become the beginning to everything.] ===== ¡ô [Can I add a few more things?] When the conference was about to come to an end, Earl of Trevoir Louis who had been listening silently up until now, spoke up for the first time. [The proposals of both George-dono and Shion-dono are indeed the right thing to do, Trevoir will do its best to follow through. Having been able to exchange opinions with both William-dono and Gray-dono also makes this conference truly fruitful.] Louis then continued after a short pause. [According to this conference, all four regions must work together as one, with Ares-sama acting as our leader. So my suggestion is¡­ we should decide on the name for when these four gather together.] Grants, Trevoir, Brittany, and Redgear. These four former countries are collectively called as¡ºSchwarzer¡¯s Frontier Territory¡»at the moment. But Louis insisted for a separate name. [ I see¡­ we can¡¯t simply call it the ¡º4-Country Alliance¡»or¡ºCursed Land¡». Do you have a suggestion?] George who unusually showed interest in Louis¡¯ suggestion responded. Louis and Simon looked at each other, then said with a small laugh. [How does Arestia sound to all of you?] The conference room was filled with silence for a while until Darius broke it with a laugh. [Interesting!! So the name of the lord becomes the name of his land! Truly interesting!] Following that, Shion and George also chuckled. [That¡¯s a good name. I like it.] [I think it¡¯s good enough? Easy to understand.] Everyone else also showed their approval with a laugh. Seeing this, George concluded it. [Well then, since everyone is in favor of this suggestion¡­] [But¡­ what about my opinion¡­?] Turning around, there was Ares with a bitter look on his face. [Rejected.] [But I haven¡¯t even said anything yet!?] [For now, it¡¯s rejected because it¡¯ll be like pouring cold water on this good atmosphere.] [¡­too domineering¡­] Ares went drooping on his chair. [Even so¡­. I do think that it is a good idea. Surely we all have survived due to the pity of Arcadia Empire¡¯s throne. However¡­ we are not serving under Arcadia. All of us are here because we follow Ares-dono as our true leader.] Others showed their agreement to Gail¡¯s words. William said it the loudest. [Exactly. That is our pride. I would like to cooperate, so that this very name can be revealed to the world one day. Lord Leader-dono] As if on cue, everyone else also swore their willingness to become Ares¡¯ subjects. Ares could only laugh bitterly from witnessing this. Seeing the situation, George then announced the dissolution of the conference. ===== ¡ô [Arestia.] That name was originally a cipher for Ares and the others to call the conference of the four former countries. Their very thoughts. Their obedience was not for the Arcadia empire, but to Ares Schwarzer. Thus their loyalty was directed to Ares as an individual, instead of Arcadia. It can be said that this name was very convenient way to embody that thoughts. They were formally known as the¡ºSchwarzer Frontier Territory¡», but in secret, they called themselves¡ºArestia¡». However, this name would later become the official name for their country which will rule the entire continent for a very long time¡­ but of course there was no way they are aware of this at the moment. CH 98 Chapter 98 ¨C The First Corps [Oi, Al. Have you heard? About the First Corps.] In a certain tavern, two guards were enjoying their drinks after work. The two were childhood friends born in Heinz and entered the army together. Rather, there was no other way to make a living aside from joining the army. Here, at Grants, people must always pay attention to monsters or barbarian invasions. Therefore, unless one has enough money, every able-bodied man were obliged to fight as soldiers. The one who spoke just now was Jean. He¡¯s a half-human, half-wolf beastkin. Although he has a slender body, his sinewy muscles showed that he¡¯s a skilled soldier even at a glance. [Ah, I heard. Isn¡¯t it about the Red Legion?] On the other hand, Al was a bear beastkin and a half hybrid. His huge body was covered by taut muscles, an easy tell that he¡¯s an able soldier. The two belonged to the Fourth Corps, which is mainly responsible for maintaining security in Heinz. They were also participating during the aquatic magic beast subjugation the other day. [In only 3 days¡­ they annihilated the northern bandits in just 3 days. That¡¯s bullshit.] Al took a sip on his mug of ale after saying that. [Those on the First Corps are dangerous. It¡¯s as if they are not humans anymore.] Both Al and Jean served in the army before Grants was conquered, so they had their own pride of having fought together for quite a while. The strongest army in the continent. Every Grants soldiers always had this kind of pride. So when they first saw the First Corps¡­ the so-called ¡ºBroken Legions¡», they had their doubts. However, it all changed once they saw how the legions perform during trainings. The skillful equestrians of the Red Legion. The overwhelming destructive power of the Black Legion. And the Blue Legion¡¯s magic. [Not only the bandits, the barbarians who happened to cross their path were also annihilated¡­] [And I heard that the barrier that covers the entire Heinz nowadays is thanks to the handy work of the Blue Legion. It¡¯s scary now that I think about it.] The two then silently drank their ale. The cold ale soothed their throats, reducing fatigue. Cold ale had been spreading on the taverns now, making it easily accessible for the commoners. And so, the two drank their cold ale as they shared rumours and stories about the first corps. ===== ¡ô The northern part of Grants is fertile ground filled with pastures. Normally, a flourishing village or town can be built in this area¡­ [At this rate, if the barbarians attack from the north, we aren¡¯t going to be able to develop here¡­ are we?] Ares took a look around the gloomy remnant of a destroyed village that was attacked by the barbarians. All the villagers were robbed, then murdered¡­ traces of unrelenting pillaging were everywhere. [Ares-sama. It appears that the barbarians have regrouped and attacked from the northeast.] When Ares did not turn around from the scene of the destroyed village, Zekka disappeared back into shadow as usual. [This time we were supposed to just going out to subjugate bandits¡­ but I guess there is no helping it. Let¡¯s teach them that Grants has changed.] [Milord¡­ then why do you have such a joyful face?] Ares chuckled when his horse, Saint pointed out the irony. [Saint¡­ I don¡¯t really like it when others misunderstand me. Bursting the bubble of false pride of those people who thought that they are strong and taking it for granted¡­ won¡¯t it make for a best show?] [¡­I feel sorry for those barbarians for making an enemy out of milord.] Saint sighed upon hearing her rider¡¯s words. ===== ¡ô This time, what Ares brought to deal with the bandits was the Red Legion, which consisted of mainly light cavalry. About 4 days ago, he heard that bandits had gathered up north and are attacking the surrounding villages. The army was in the middle of preparation to capture the land of demons, so they had no time to waste on the small-fries. Thus why Ares took the Red Legion, which boasts mobility to swiftly defeat the entire bandit bases in the shortest time possible. The Red Legion only needed 3 days to level all the bandits bases. Using their mobility, they gave no time for those bandits to make any preparations to defend themselves. [The enemies are those who act as they please without concern for others. No need to be merciful. Annihilate them all.] It was a one-sided slaughter. Ares gave no mercy back to those bandits who mercilessly attacked the weak. And just like that, he subjugated the bandits in such a short amount of time. In the same manner, they intercepted a group of barbarians as they returned back to Heinz. [It¡¯s fortunate that the Blue Legion made it in time. Let¡¯s crush them thoroughly.] After saying so, Ares began giving instructions to the captains. It wasn¡¯t just the Red Legion that is dispatched this time. Ares also ordered the Blue Legion to follow suit with supplies as a precaution. They arrived at the north just now. [The barbarians will move to attack this hill at once. Their numbers are about 15,000 strong.] Ares laughed upon hearing Zekka¡¯s report. [Their tactics are too simple. The destructive power is wasted¡­ no matter how many plans they made. Let¡¯s get started.] This is how Ares began the extermination battle. ===== ¡ô The barbarians¡¯ tactic was simple. Attack swiftly with a horse-mounted charge. And that¡¯s it. Their only plan was to destroy their opponent with the momentum of their charge. No one else is better than them in handling horses¡­ that was their pride. A false pride, unfortunately¡­ [Shit! These guys in red just keep fleeing around and avoiding fighting head on!] [And we can¡¯t even catch up to them¡­ what magic did they use!] Despite the barbarian charging in, the Red Legion made a fool out of them by dodging around, leading them by the nose. And just like that, they were lured to a valley. [What the hell is that¡­?] Red objects flew from the front toward the cliff side of the valley. [Fire¡­ it¡¯s fireball! They¡¯re using magic!] [Don¡¯t make a fuss! That number is nothing to us!] The fireballs flew over the barbarians and hit the cliff wall behind them. [Hah! Where are they aiming at!] Just when many of them were laughing at the ¡®missed¡¯ shot. The cliff wall made a roaring noise as though the world is ending, and collapsed all at once. [W-what the¡­ what is¡­.?] [S-shit! The horses!] Most of the horses were panicking upon hearing such a loud, unknown noise and, as a result, threw off their riders as they instinctively ran away. [F-fuck! What¡¯s going on!] When the dismounted barbarians looked forward¡­ they saw the fireballs once again, this time heading directly towards them from above. Moreover, the number grossly outmatched the previous volley, making it seem like a rain of fire. In addition to that, the red cavalry was readying themselves from the front¡­ After the fiery rain stopped, some of the surviving barbarians were quickly trampled to death by the charging cavalry. The red cavalry slowed down after their first charge then they began the one-sided massacre. ===== ¡ô [The number of horses caught approximately exceeded 10,000. The barbarians are mostly decimated. The escapees number less than 100.] [That¡¯s fine. If we didn¡¯t leave a few survivors to spread the news, then our show of power will become a waste.] Therefore Ares laughed. [And we managed to confiscate a lot of horses¡­ well, I guess we have a good haul this time?] Ares strategy was to set explosives on the cliff walls in advance, then lure the barbarians there. It was to create a loud noise to cause the horses to panic as well as cutting the route for escape. [These northern horses are good in quality¡­ let¡¯s divide them evenly between the Second Corps and the Third Corps. Well, the northern land should be calm for a while with this. Now we proceed with the plan to capture the Land of Demons.] As he said so, Ares gazed distantly to the southwest. CH 99 Chapter 99 ¨C Demon Lord A large sea spread on the far north of Wolfgard Empire¡¯s territory. The sea was rough and the climate extreme¡­ which is why people called it the [Sea of Death] because no one can approach it and barely any living creature can survive in it. And to the north of that sea¡­ there was an island that was still unknown to the people. The island was covered in darkness¡­ it was once an island known as the [Outer Northern Island], where the demon king Galgain ruled from and also a sanctuary for all demons. And the eight great demon lords who are above all other demons¡­ Usually gather on this island to hold a meeting once in several years ===== ¡ô In Arcadia continent, ¡®Demons¡¯ refers to a race that received blessing from the Dark God. Among them, the Demon Lords reigned at the top. The demons are divided into two different types. [Demonkin] are those with a high level of intelligence and magic power, and [Magic Beasts] which have low intelligence. [Magic Beasts] have a similar level of intelligence and appearance to that of regular beasts, barring some exceptions. However, it instinctively attacks and violates others while [following] any individual stronger than themselves. [Demonkin] have humanoid forms, higher levels of intelligence and a vast reserve of magic. Their nature varies, just like [Magic Beasts] and, although some give in to wanton desires, there are others who don¡¯t, such as the giants who hate fighting. The [Demonkin] also forms clans just like humans. They may also use the power of the magic beasts that followed them to create their own country. When the [Demonkin] forms a clan, their leader can only be the strongest among them. Like the magic beasts, they also have an implicit rule of following someone stronger than themselves. And the head of these [Demonkin] clans¡­ is called the [Demon Lord]. These demon lords have exceptional power even among other demonkins. They are followed by a large number of demonkins and magic beasts alike. And with that power, they form their own territory. They behaved much like an aristocrat while within their own territory. Many of these demon lords are scattered around the continent, including the Arcadia empire. Many demons will gather just by the presence of a demon lord, disturbing its surroundings. Therefore, a lord with a strong army must be dispatched in order to subjugate it¡­ because a battle against a demon lord requires a great amount of sacrifice to win. For this reason, the aristocrats who hate [wasteful expenditure] often leave these Demon Lords alone and they would close their eyes to any damage occured. [Demon Lords] are also divided into senior demon lords and the regular demon lords. And the eight most powerful demonkin among these senior demon lords are called the Eight Arch Demon Lords. These eight Demon Lords are those who reigned at the top after the demise of the Demon King Galgain. By the way, Galgain boasted overwhelming magic power, and was hailed as a hero among the demonkin for uniting them together. He put together the demon country by using a mysterious ability that could make them [submit] to him while at the same time, caused them to go [crazy]. Using this great power, he spearheaded the opposition against the human race¡­ until a Hero appeared¡­ the [Sword Saint] Oldeus, who single-handedly killed him. Ever since then, there was no other [Demon King] amongst the demons. A [Demon King] is just that overwhelming of a presence after all. ===== ¡ô The castle that Galgain once used still remained standing at the center of the [Outer Northern Island]. The whole castle was sealed by humans so that a mere demon wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to enter. One of the Eight Arch Demon lords, the 8th rank marquis Lilith was walking along the corridor with a frown on her face. [The atmosphere is still as murky as before¡­ it makes me sick.] The place she¡¯s heading to was the throne room of the late [Demon King], where the gathering is usually held. [Astaroth called for an emergency gathering¡­that crafty guy is not up for something this time, is he¡­] Demon Lord Astaroth¡­ he was the first rank of the Eight Arch Demon Lords, someone that could be said as the apex among the demons at the moment. For Lilith, Astaroth is someone she simply couldn¡¯t take a liking to. He didn¡¯t even hide his ambition to become the next demon king, and to that end, is greedy for even more power, even if he has to sacrifice his own friends¡­ How many have lost their lives in remote places following his order? Still, there is that difference in power that cannot be crossed so easily, so Lilith would still have to obey and come to the [Outer Northern Island] despite her unwillingness. ===== ¡ô [Eighth rank, Demon Marquis Lilith, coming in.] Several other demon lords had gathered in the demon king¡¯s throne room. Naturally, Astaroth sat at the center. The 2nd rank seat to his right was empty. On his left, 3rd rank Demon Duke Elygos looked on with what appeared to be a grumpy snarl. The fourth rank seat was also vacant, while the 5th rank Amon and the 6th rank Malebranche sat on their respective seats with their eyes downcast. [Ya, if it isn¡¯t Lilith. You¡¯re late.] The one who greeted her with an amicable smile was the 7th rank Gilliam. [Lilith, do you think you¡¯re the last one to come today?] [Creepy bastard. Begone, you low life sleazebag.] [Despite being a succubus, Lilith barely shows any interest towards the opposite sex¡­ that¡¯s how strong you are. And what makes you such a wonder.] Gilliam¡¯s snake-like tongue stuck out as he laughed while combing his silver hair. Ignoring Gilliam, Lilith looked around and sat on her seat. [Baal and Morroc are absent again.] [Lord Baal being absent is quite normal¡­ Morroc on the other hand.] Gilliam chimed in. The 3rd rank Elygos remained mostly silent under his heavy full armor as usual. The 5th rank Amon kept his lion-like head straight while silently glancing at Astaroth. As for the 6th rank Malebranche, nobody knows what he¡¯s thinking. Suddenly, a voice came from the center. [Everyone, well-done for gathering here.] (Acting like a demon king already, huh, Astaroth?) Lilith stared at Astaroth whilst poisonously chiding him in her mind. Astaroth glanced at everyone present in satisfactory as he combed back his golden hair. [Baal being absent is already a custom. And Morroc has informed me of his absence. So I will start with the agenda for this meeting.] And so, the meeting of the Eight Great Demon Lords began under Astaroth¡¯s supervision. ===== ¡ô [Our first agenda is about¡ºHis Majesty Demon King¡¯s Artifact¡».] [!] Lilith was surprised to hear that. While Gilliam merely watched despite his gaze obviously showed interest. [Apparently,¡ºHis Majesty Demon King¡¯s Artifact¡»was used in Grants, southeast from here. It was used by a lowly human for a battle and eventually lost. This place happens to be near Lilith¡¯s territory¡­ do you have any explanation regarding this?] All eyes are focused on Lilith now. [It emitted such a powerful magical wave¡­ that even I fell victim to its influence. Laugh at me if you want.] Lilith confessed truthfully when asked about what really happened. She was still wondering why she acted like that. Was it something magical? What she could remember was her and all the others losing their minds and the face of a certain man who managed to knock her out and even survived the onslaught of the overwhelming magic beasts stampede. Feeling herself trembling upon remembering that event, Lilith told Astaroth. [If you don¡¯t like it then just kill me right now. But I cannot accept this shame as a demon lord. Therefore, I will go to Grants and investigate this matter myself¡­ how about that?] After hearing her answer, Astaroth nodded in satisfaction. [Then go ahead. I only hope that you find the whereabouts of ¡ºHis Majesty Demon King¡¯s Artifact¡». Find and bring to me as many artifacts as possible.] After that, Astaroth changed the topic. [Well then, to the next agenda¡­] Whilst listening half-heartedly to Astaroth¡­ Lilith¡¯s mind wandered back to Grants, and the scene of that certain man coming to strike at her. ===== ¡ô [Lilith, wait a minute.] A voice halted Lilith as she¡¯s about to leave after the meeting is over. [What is it, Gilliam?] [About that matter, please think about it again.] The matter Gilliam mentioned was an alliance between him and Lilith. [In exchange, I¡¯ll even willingly give you my very soul.] [Do you really think that I want that?] [It is said that a succubus¡¯ magic power will grow even more powerful once she fed off the soul of a man with strong magic power. Being in the 7th rank, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m running short on that department?] Gilliam had a nasty smile on his face. [I don¡¯t need your soul nor your life force. And I will not form an alliance with you. Begone, low-life sleazebag.] Lilith went off without even looking back. Seeing Lilith¡¯s back, Gilliam shook his head while muttering ¡®good grief¡¯, before shrugging his shoulders. [If Lilith joins me, it should be possible for me to overtake Malebranche, but¡­hmm, doesn¡¯t matter. I still have another hand to play.] Gilliam slithered his snake-like tongue in and out. [I¡¯m not going to remain in this position forever. One day I¡¯ll definitely overtake those guys at the top¡­ and when that day comes¡­ you will become my slave, Lilith.] ===== ¡ô Lilith pondered as she flew in the sky. Right, first of all is that man. The demons went crazy when the Arcadia army attacked Grants. That man hailed from Arcadia. Not only did he manage to defend against the overwhelming onslaught of the countless demons from the Land of Demons¡­ what mattered the most for her was that same man also managed to knock her unconscious. And now, that very man has become the new lord of Grants. While having the power to knock out a Demon Lord, he¡¯s also in control of that frightening army of Grants¡­ What in the world is going on¡­? That man must have something to do about this. First, she needs to investigate this man¡­ as she thought so, Lilith spread out her wings and disappeared into the night. CH 100 Chapter 100 ¨C Succubus Author¡¯s Note: Thank you for your feedback. Alright alright. Will there be an encounter with the heroine next time? I was asked about that some time ago¡­ Unfortunately, since we were still in the country-building phase, I didn¡¯t have any plan to write it back then. The next chapter I¡¯m going to write about battle + lovey dovey scenes, so please bear with me. The story this time¡­ is¡­ a bit explicit. ===== Ares was deep in thought as he studied the map of the continent in his own room. The schedule for tomorrow is about the military conference. There is supposedly nothing else to add from his part. The Land of Demons were home to three different Demon Lords. One of them was even strong enough to be considered a senior Demon Lord. But other than that, apart from the Demon Lord, information about the demons had always been scarce. [There is too little information¡­.. is there anyone out there who is knowledgeable about the demons..?] In response to that, Helmut said while gently pouring more tea into Ares¡¯ already empty cup. [If Lord Master really cannot do it without any information, then how about asking someone who is clearly familiar about it?] [Right. In that case, tonight, if that one appears once again, can you please leave that person be?] [Understood. We should inform Zetos as well then. Otherwise, he would just repel any intruder indiscriminately.] [¡­.now that you mention it, where is Zetos?] [Most likely training his swordsmanship outside.] [¡­¡­¡­keeping a good form despite being only a skeleton, isn¡¯t he?] [It is exactly because he is just a skeleton that he keeps training to maintain his battle senses.] Both Ares and Helmut laughed after that short exchange about Zetos. It really is ridiculous to see a skeleton training so hard. After Helmut left the room to inform Zetos, Ares let out a heavy sigh as he reclined himself into his chair. [I¡¯m so sleepy now¡­ Well, I still have one more guest to attend to. I wonder, what kind of information that person will bring.] ===== ¡ô A single silhouette gently emerged in Ares¡¯ bedroom. After confirming his ¡®guest¡¯ presence, Ares opened his eyes and spoke. [¡­..in order to take control of the Land of Demons, I don¡¯t fear the demon lords. However, I know that the losses will be great¡­.. that¡¯s why I really need to find someone who is familiar with the demons and therefore¡­ I¡¯m happy that you come here to talk.] [¡­¡­..how come you already know?] What emerged before Ares was a woman of an unknown age. [No matter how good you are at hiding your presence¡­ I will still be able to detect yo¡­u¡­] Ares was flustered at the end of his sentence. As the woman walked closer, it became apparent to him that she was wearing the kind of clothes that would make any other women embarrassed from wearing it due to how little it covers. His eyes instinctively gazed at her chest area¡­ where the most voluptuous breasts he had ever seen so far, emphasized by her revealing garment, swayed ever so slightly. A sight that would drive any regular man crazy with lust. Adding to that were her pink hair, bewitching smile, and translucent white skin¡­. Truly a woman that embodies the desires of men. [¡­.a succubus?] Ares muttered to himself in his confusion. [Ehh? I think I¡¯ve seen you before¡­] [¡­¡­¡­.Wait! Don¡¯t tell you¡¯ve forgotten?] The woman sighed, then turned away from Ares as she continued. [When the monsters went crazy and attacked Grants¡­. Aren¡¯t you the one who knocked me unconscious?] Ares tried to search his memory after hearing her¡­ then remembered. [Ah¡­ the succubus from that time¡­] Hearing that, the woman became happy. [This will be our first introduction, new lord of Grants. My name is Lilith. A succubus and also the Eight-ranked Archdemon Lord.] She told Ares as she let out a crisp laugh. [But¡­what¡¯s with this mansion? That skeleton just now was so hellbent on chasing me off¡­ making it here was quite troublesome.] [That fellow is my escort¡­ It would usually happen when there is an intruder.] [That means, you have deliberately invited me in?] [Guess so. The rest will be up to you.] [Good grief. You don¡¯t even bother to hide your real intention¡­very well.] While saying so, Lilith moved closer to Ares gracefully step by step. [Well then, what do you want to ask me today?] [No way, so you are actually a demon lord¡­.. I never thought that a demon lord-dono such as you would be among those crazed monsters.] [Fufufu. Unthinkable, right? But that¡¯s how it is.] Lilith ever so slowly got even closer to Ares. Soon, she was close enough to touch his cheek and whispered right to his ear. [We demons were turned mad¡­ by the power of ¡ºHis Majesty Demon King¡¯s Artifact¡».] ===== ¡ô When Lilith squeezed herself to him, Ares kept his face away so that his thought wouldn¡¯t be so easily read. (There would be no need to send the army out if I were to cut her down right now. But this is an arch demon lord we are talking about here. I could always kill her after I¡¯ve dug out some valuable information) Ares thought inwardly. He then responded with a smile. [Then what does that have to do with you?] [Personally, I don¡¯t need it. But the higher up¡­ The first rank¡­can I not speak about him?] Lilith replied then asked in a sour voice. [Oh well, are you backing out already?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..you¡¯re asking too much. Now then, let me tell you something¡­. No, YOU will give me what I want.] At that moment, Lilith¡¯s eyes suspiciously glowed. Magic power overflowed from her body. The kind of magic power that a regular succubus couldn¡¯t possibly have. [Oya oya. That¡¯s not the kind of magic power that a succubus should have¡­] [You keep forgetting that the succubus who are currently sitting here with you is no mere succubus¡­ she¡¯s also the 8th-rank Archdemon Lord!] Normally, succubi are on the weaker spectrum of the demonkins. However, judging from her magic power alone, it¡¯s obvious just how strong Lilith is. For her, a succubus, to reach this level is unheard of. [Certainly¡­ this is a very strong magic power¡­ makes me wonder just how strong the other senior demon lords are.] At the same time, items and furniture around Ares began to crumble due to the pressure of Lilith¡¯s magic power. [Well then, now that your eyes are opened, shall we begin to talk before anyone else gets hurt?] At such Lilith, Ares simply smiled. [Un. It¡¯ll be a problem if things get even wilder than this¡­. Shall we go change locations?] With that, Ares raised one hand over his head and chanted. [Non-elemental Magic, number 23,¡ºAnother World¡».] [!?] The space around Ares and Lilith was immediately engulfed in darkness. ===== ¡ô [Another World] It was the 23rd non-elemental magic invented by the great sage Gilbert Goraye. Forming a space between dimensions and creates another world within. Simply speaking, it¡¯s a world that is completely under its creator¡¯s palm. Lilith was clearly upset upon seeing this magic for the first time. [Again with this kind of stunt¡­ I-I have never heard of this magic before¡­] [Of course. In this entire world, only I know about this magic.] That said, Ares chuckled and explained to Lilith. [Well then, since I created this world¡­ if you choose to kill me, then you will never be able to get out from here¡­ moreover.] Ares began showing off his own magic power, which in comparison to Lilith, was far more immense. Demons determined their opponent¡¯s capability through gauging their magic. Sensing such an unusual amount of magic power coming from Ares, Lilith unintentionally stepped back. (This amount of magic power¡­!! It¡¯s comparable, if not more powerful than even that Astaroth¡­) Sweat began to form on Lilith¡¯s forehead. Seeing that, Ares relaxed himself down. [Now, do you understand the difference in our power? I really don¡¯t want us to fight meaninglessly.] That was clearly a suggestion to surrender. Lilith raised her hands and chuckled in response. [I didn¡¯t know that you have such an enormous magic power¡­ I¡¯ll be sorry if I try to fight you¡­ I surrender.] [I see that we¡¯ve come to an understanding.] With that, the world around them reverted once more as Ares stopped channelling the magic. They were now back at Ares¡¯ bedroom. [Well then, now that I¡¯ve surrendered, what do you want from me?] [For now, I wish to know the current state of the demons.] [Alright. But first¡­] Lilith approached Ares again, and ran her finger on his cheek once more. At that moment¡­ [Nnnnn!?] Lilith pressed her lips onto Ares¡¯ own lips. A number of magic diagrams started appearing around Ares and Lilith. [Yes, with this, the succubus magic has been completed.] Lilith smiled bewitchingly. [Well then, the situation has been reversed. Now I will take the lead.] ===== ¡ô ¡ª-Enchantment Magic¡ª- This is the trademark magic of most succubi. Capable of enchanting any man, the succubus would then suck up the man¡¯s life force dry as he is drowned in a pleasurable dream formed by the magic. The victim would often be found already a dried corpse later on. Lilith changed her strategy as soon as she realized that there is a gulf of power between her and Ares. Simply put, she had used a succubus¡¯ greatest weapon¡­ their ability to enchant men. [Now you¡¯ve become my slave¡­ prepare yourself.] Lilith then took Ares, whose eyes had lost its luster, towards the bed. Ares did not offer any resistance whatsoever. [With such a tremendous magic power¡­ You probably had done something to the missing¡ºHis Majesty Demon King¡¯s Artifact¡».] That said, Lilith stripped her own clothes, then peeled off Ares¡¯ clothes as well. [Well then¡­ I¡¯ve been looking forward to this. Just how wonderful your life force will taste¡­ please do your best.] With both of them already naked, the still-listless Ares wordlessly embraced Lilith. ===== ¡ô Morning arrived. Ares who fell into a self-loathing mood reflected on himself with a dark face. [I¡­.. I¡­.. I actually did it¡­] A woman¡¯s arms wound around his neck¡­. And how intense the act last night could easily be discerned by the state of bed itself. [No way¡­ She used her enchantment magic on me¡­] Lilith opened her eyes and kissed Ares lightly on his face, which quickly turned into a storm of kisses. The enchantment magic had revealed Ares¡¯ true nature. Ares had in him the memories of three great figures. War God Leon Arcadia Like most brave kings of old, he had a lot of concubines whom he would visit for some sexual escapades every night. Sword Saint Shin Oldeus He never really had any notable lover. However, on a certain brothel he regularly visited¡­ he was a legend that had conquered every single courtesan working there. And more than anything¡­ The Alchemist King Gilbert Goraye He was more famous in his and the neighboring countries as a [Gifted Womanizer] than as a sage or alchemist, and every woman that had spent the night with him would call him a [Genius in Bed]. In short, all three actually had an overabundant sexual drive and prowess within them. And Ares, he inherited all of those things combined. Lilith enchantment magic was enough to awaken Ares¡¯ true nature, which has the combined sexual might of all three people, as the¡ºSex King¡». Yes¡­ Lilith¡­ had awakened the ¡ºSex King¡»in Ares. Ares¡¯ life force carries enormous amount of magic power¡­ which is already a treat for Lilith. In addition to that, she was thoroughly pleasured by the sex technique that Ares inherited from Gilbert. Instead of laying there exhausted after one go, Ares actually became more and more excited and intense the more the two went at it last night. Drunken by the immense magic power that Ares¡¯ life force carries and the ecstasy invoked by his divine technique, the succubus actually fainted first. The succubus Lilith, had submitted to Ares. [Master¡­ Lilith will be your obedient dog from now on¡­] She just had to say that in such a sultry voice. The moment her plump breasts pressed against him¡­ something in Ares was triggered once more. [This! These breasts are driving me crazy!!] [AAAAAaaaaaaaaaahhhhn!!] And just like that, Ares had yet another ¡®battle¡¯ with Lilith. And he would later fall into self-loathing mood once again¡­ Although his marriage wasn¡¯t even there yet¡­ That day Ares finally lost his chastity¡­ and decidedly began to climb the stairs toward adulthood. ===== CH 101 Chapter 101 ¨C Land of Demons Suppression Battle part 1 [¡­¡­.as mentioned already, there are currently ¡ºTwo¡» Demon Lords in the land of demons, and it looks like they¡¯ve built their abodes in the west and the east respectively¡­] Ares was explaining the strategy to the soldiers that would participate in the Land of Demons suppression battle. But the atmosphere was strangely cold. It¡¯s because in everyone¡¯s sight, there was a certain woman clinging tightly to Ares¡­ [Eh, well, Milord, are you sure about this?] The military advisor Shion Tristan raised his hand almost immediately. [About what?] [Umm¡­ this is really confusing¡­ so would Milord please explain to me in detail regarding this matter?] That said Shion muttered while counting down with his fingers. [Firstly, from whom did Milord acquire this information¡­ Secondly, weren¡¯t there supposedly ¡ºthree¡» Demon Lords dwelling inside the Land of Demons? So why is it now there are only ¡ºtwo¡»? And lastly¡­ with such a vast magic power, couldn¡¯t she be one of the Demon Lords herself?] [¡­¡­ah, about that¡­.] When Ares tried to explain¡­ [Master, it¡¯s alright. Let me do the explanation.] The one that was leaned on him earlier¡­ Lilith spoke up. [I couldn¡¯t possibly fool anyone here¡­ looks like everyone is aware of who I really am already.] She said with a bewitching smile. [My name is Lilith. The [former] 8th rank Arch Demon Lord, currently my Master¡¯s faithful servant. It¡¯s nice to meet you all] [Are you kidding me!] One man stood up and shouted violently. That man was Darius¡¯ brother Eckhart. [After everything you and the other demon lords have done to Grants¡­ do you expect us to readily believe that you¡¯ve truly become a faithful servant of His Excellency!?] [Ara. Are you originally from Grants?] Lilith responded as she glanced at Eckhart. [Originally, it was only the eastern demon lord, the 13th rank Drium, who wanted to take Grants for his own¡­. I had nothing to do with it. Also¡­] Lilith turned to Darius and Sigurd, then shrugged her shoulders. [Seriously, there are actually some other talented people aside from Master¡­ I really did the right thing for allying myself to you. There is also that skeleton, and that butler uncle¡­ you are surrounded by monsters, aren¡¯t you?] After hearing Lilith¡¯s trying to defend herself, Eckhart was about to protest some more, but Darius prevented him. [Brother!] [Cut it out, Eckhart.] [But she!] [I understand why you¡¯re very against it. You were entrusted with the fort that was facing directly towards the Land of Demons, and you lost many subordinates because of it. But if one keeps drowning in hatred, then one will never rule the land. It¡¯s impossible to exterminate all demons from this continent¡­ since that¡¯s the case, it¡¯ll be more efficient if the Demon Lord actually allied with us instead. Moreover¡­] Darius turned his gaze toward Lilith. [If you ever try anything funny¡­ expect me to be there to take your life.] [I¡¯ll take that advice to heart.] Lilith replied with a smile while raising both of her hands. [Well, Milord?] After Shion watched that exchange, he gently nudged Ares. [What now?] [How did you even defeat that Demon Lord?] [¡­¡­¡­..why do you want to know?] [No need to play dumb. I can already make an educated guess.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.then please don¡¯t touch upon it ever again¡­] [Milord¡­ it couldn¡¯t possibly be that bad] Ignoring Ares¡¯ sighing, Shion turned towards the soldiers and announced that the campaign would still be ongoing. [There was an unexpected development¡­ but we would still continue for the time being. First of all, Lilith-dono¡­ can you tell us about the Land of Demons and the demon lords living in it?] [Originally, this place contains the magic abundant ¡ºDragon Vein¡», which make it a comfortable living place for demons.] Lilith continued to explain while tracing the map. [There are three spots where magic power can be harvested from the Dragon Veins. The first one is the eastern hill. This is the territory of Demon Lord Drium, and he¡¯s known for his brutal persona. His followers consisted of species like orcs, ogres, goblins and demons who love fighting.] [Oh, I know that fellow quite well. He¡¯s been causing pain to us for years now¡­] Hearing that explanation, Eckhart chimed in gruffly. [And in the western hill, there is Sommer, the 15th rank Demon Lord. He has a pair of black wings that allows him flight. His followers are mostly flying monsters like gargoyle and harpies.] Finally she pointed to the center. [Lastly the central area. This is where my abode is. My followers mainly consisted of succubi, incubi as well as some other kinds of demonkin like the dark elves. There are also a lot of magic beasts living around this area.] She then turned towards Ares before continuing to speak. [This place you people call the Land of Demons is actually divided into three different territories. I happen to be the strongest among the three. So it can be said that your Lord has already secured half of the Land of Demons.] Sigurd then jumped in with a question. [Do the other Demon Lords not follow you?] [Originally our ranking is decided by our strength. Those in the higher ups won¡¯t join one another, but they will still aid each other if the other is in a pinch. Didn¡¯t the other demon lord appear to attack Grants whenever you attacked one of them?] [Fumu. Every time Darius went out to attack, Heinz would be invaded by the magic beasts¡­] Gail concurred. [It is especially because Drium and Sommer are in a close alliance¡­ I may be the strongest in the Land of Demons¡­ but they won¡¯t simply follow me. Instead, they will take every chance they could to kill me and seize the 8th rank seat for themselves.] When the story concluded, Ares finally spoke up. [That¡¯s why will be attacking from three directions at the same time to prevent the two forces from working together. The deadline will be one week]. Following that, Shion gave instructions to everyone. [Now then, let¡¯s proceed with the plan. Darius and the third corps will attack the eastern hill, while Sigurd and the second corps¡¯ ¡ºDragon Riders¡» will take on the western hill.] [Hee, the ¡ºDragon Riders¡» are already up for deployement£¿¡¹ Ares asked Shion. [Since it¡¯s likely to become an aerial battle¡­.. it¡¯ll be the best proving ground for the ¡ºDragon Riders¡»] Shion then turned toward Ares and resumed. [As for Milord¡­ please lead the first corps, mainly the Red Legion to Lilith-dono¡¯s territory. Maybe you¡¯ll find something interesting there. Also¡­ I¡¯m curious about the Dragon Veins that she mentioned.] Ares agreed to Shion¡¯s suggestion. And that¡¯s the end of the military council. Later that day, Ares, Sigurd and Darius gathered their troops and marched towards the Land of Demons. CH 102 Chapter 102 ¨C Land of Demons Suppression Battle part 2 The massive subjugation had begun. For those who originally lived in Grants, this development is already like a long cherished hope. The Land of Demons was at the same time a shield that protects them¡­ and also a trap that tormented them. The place was also a fertile land. However, the large amount of monsters inhabiting the land became an obstacle. And then¡­ there are also them: the Demon Lords. Occasionally, they would emerge from the forest and rampaged around to their heart¡¯s content. How many villages had been flattened, and how many people were killed in the process¡­ Therefore, the spirit of the Grants¡¯ soldiers is on all time high. ===== ¡ô [Milord really did a very clever act.] Darius said as he glanced at his brothers, Eckhart and Roland. Looking at the two of them, they were brimming with fighting spirit and eagerness. Ares appointed the two younger brothers to serve as Darius¡¯ lieutenants this time. Both had fought with the Demon Lord on several occasions to protect the country. Darius and the others knew that they were the most motivated in this, thus organized the subjugation force while keeping that in mind. There were also unfamiliar faces among Darius¡¯ army. [Oi, Kyumir. Are we on the east hill already?] [Easternhillisonthemeadowatheedgeofthisforest. Aboveit, Drium¡¯sabode] (TL Note: this is not typo.) The one walking right next to Darius¡­was a giant. Yes, the same giant that Darius knocked down when monsters attacked Grants. Apparently his name was Kyumir. Darius discovered him still laying there on the same place where he was knocked down. He decided to follow Darius while it tended to his broken bone. At first, this decision was opposed by his other subordinates. [He¡¯d make a good flag bearer. Interesting, isn¡¯t it?] As Darius laughed heartily, the giant officially became his subordinate. According to Kyumir, there is a large meadow at the edge of the forest¡­ that¡¯s where the eastern hill is. And atop that hill was an old castle with strange atmosphere. [It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been here. Back then, the other Demon Lord appeared, preventing me from continuing further¡­ I won¡¯t miss the chance this time.] Darius licked his lips as he gazed upon the meadow that has become visible in front of him. A large amount of demons filled the meadow¡­ perhaps Drium had sensed that he was being invaded, thus gathered all his cohorts to intercept the invader. Darius simply chuckled upon seeing this. [Hou, what a treat. If it¡¯s like this, I won¡¯t even have to open my eyes when I swing my weapon.] Darius turned to look at those standing behind him. These were the soldiers that had been heavily trained in the recent month. No one seemed deterred after seeing such a large amount of monsters. [Now then, let¡¯s get started. Today is the day when Grants will finally have our sweet revenge and the time for us to take a step toward a new future. Everyone, follow me!] Right after shouting that, Darius¡¯ body glowed brightly in the golden light of his fighting spirit. And just like that, he galloped towards the horde of monsters. [Gishaaa.] Darius¡¯ first strike cut a large swath of monsters. That served as the starting signal¡­ the battle between the third corps against the Demon Lord Drium had finally begun. ===== ¡ô [Gugyaaaaaa] [Gishaaaaa] The third corps gradually pushed through the horde of monsters. Listening to the cries of the dying orcs and goblins, inside his abode atop the hill, the Demon Lord Drium wondered. [Why¡­ why can those humans invade us¡­ And why are they stronger than my followers?] For Drium, humans were merely prey. Occasionally, when he had time to spare, he would attack a nearby town or village. There are opposition sometimes, but they were extinguished instantly by the sheer difference in number and power. But this time was different. [Is the first son of Grants attacking¡­? I told them already to stay away from that monster¡­ Oi, anyone!] [Yes!] [What is Sommer doing?? Shouldn¡¯t he already in his way to attack Grants before they could even get here?] The eastern Demon Lord Drium was in an alliance with the western Demon Lord Sommer. One would move to attack Grants capital when the other is attacked. For this very reason, the two remained safe up until now. There was no one else but Darius who could contend against the Demon Lord in Grants¡­ forcing him to retreat to defend the capital whenever he tried to attack one of the Demon Lords. [A¡­about that¡­] The follower hesitated, but continued on. [As we speak, Sommer-sama¡¯s western lands are being invaded by the humans right now, so he can¡¯t go to aid us. Instead, requests for our aid have been coming in¡­] [What did you say!? T-then what about Lilith at the central area!?] [Lilith-sama hasn¡¯t made any movement at all. Her followers have remained on stand by in her territory¡­..] [Dammit!! That useless wench!] Lilith was pretty much a competitor to both Drium and Sommer. Now Drium could only regret that he never tried to make an alliance with Lilith. Right after Drium shouted, [Guaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!] The tip of a long spear jutted out from the chest of Drium¡¯s reporting follower. [What!] [Yo, don¡¯t tell me you have a hobby of hiding here while your followers are dying outside, Demon Lord-san?] Drium turned around to see Darius standing there with his ferocious smile. The prince of Grants, Darius¡¯ name was well known even among the demons of the Land of Demons as [Someone who you shouldn¡¯t fight at all cost]. Of course, Drium was also familiar with that nickname. In fact, he had tasted the might of Darius¡¯ spear before. Simply put, he knew firsthand just what kind of terror Darius actually is. [Y, you bastard, how did you get here!?] [How you ask? Isn¡¯t it obvious? I got here by killing everything that came in my way] While saying so, Darius hefted on his shoulder a greatsword that was as tall as he is. [Now then, this will end once I kill you. Getting here wasn¡¯t that hard that it left me somewhat empty. Don¡¯t you dare run away like that time.] [Y-you bastard!] In response, Drium formed a spear of his own with his magic power. [I am a Demon Lord and a senior Demon Lord at that! You humans are too naive if you think you can kill me¡­] [Enough with the bullshitery¡­ Now die.] Darius swung his greatsword at once¡­ Drium attempted to block it, but his spear was torn in half instantly. [I¡­impossible¡­] [Ha¡­ this is no good at all. I thought that you¡¯d be more entertaining.] Drium¡¯s body, which had been cleaved in two as well, collapsed on the floor. Darius then tore Drium¡¯s head apart from its body and tossed it to the nearby [For now, toss this head to the demons still fighting outside. Then we¡¯ll march again. We¡¯ll return to them the favor of having made Grants suffer for all this time. Annihilate them all.] [Right away!] Right then, Darius showed his ferocious smile once again. ===== ¡ô Meanwhile, the western demon lord Sommer was desperately fighting off Sigurd and his second corps. [Why¡­ why are the rulers of the sky, dragons, allying themselves with humans?] Sommer¡¯s followers, harpies and gargoyles were no match against Sigurd and the dragon knights. The power of these dragon knights were overwhelming. Although they were but a few, they¡¯re more than enough to trump over the entire army of magic beasts of the sky. Sommer¡¯s original plan was to attack the cavalry from the sky, but now that plan was rendered moot. [And to say nothing of that¡­ you cur actually ride an ancient dragon!?] Sommer shouted in disbelief upon seeing the dragon that Sigurd was riding. It was the supposedly gigantic ancient dragon Zephyr. But because his body had been turned into a regular dragon size with magic, Sigurd could ride him like any other dragon knights. However, regardless of size, his power is still that of an ancient dragon. Many aerial magic beasts would be turned to ash by a single breath attack from Zephyr. [Your advantage means nothing against us. Too bad, isn¡¯t it?] Saying so, Sigurd brandished his spear calmly. [You now have two choices. Surrender or die from my spear¡­] Hearing that exclamation, Sommer was enraged. [Are you fuckin¡¯ with meeeeee!] Sommer spread his black wings and gathered magic power in his hands. Powerful lightning crackled in his palms. [I am the Demon Lord Sommer. The Fallen Angel Sommer! Surrendering to a human is¡­] [I see¡­ then pardon me as I get rid of you.] Sigurd gave Zephyr a light tap on the neck. Understanding the gesture, Zephyr sped up as he flew toward Sommer. Then, as they collided with the flying Demon Lord¡­ A hole appeared on Sommer¡¯s chest. [N-no way¡­ I didn¡¯t even see that coming¡­] Sommer fell over to the ground. After Sigurd saw Sommer dropped dead on the ground, he turned around. His lieutenant, Arnold, riding on a salamander approached. [Sigurd, it¡¯s as good as over already. What¡¯s left are just the demons down there.] Hearing that, Sigurd opened his mouth. [Is that so¡­? The dragon knights are truly powerful. Their presence can easily change the tide of battle.] [However¡­ Ares-sama needs this power¡­ Doesn¡¯t he?] [Right. We are to be Ares-sama¡¯s limbs to help create the world he desires] Having answered that, Sigurd raised his spear and gave out orders. [The dragon knights hereby will proceed to exterminate the remaining magic beasts. Everyone, keep going!] Right after that, Sigurd made Zephyr lurch downward and started slaughtering the demons on the ground. Following his lead, the cavalry also began to move. Decimating the remaining demons were just a matter of time now. And so, that day, Sigurd and Darius managed to defeat both the western and eastern demon lords almost at the same time. CH 103 Chapter 103 ¨C Land of Demons Suppression Battle part 3 [It seems that Lord Darius and Lord Sigurd have both defeated the two Demon Lords.] [I see. That¡¯s surprisingly fast.] In response to Zekka¡¯s report, Ares looked behind him. There were Shion, Georg, and Elan as Ares¡¯ advisors. Then he turned to Lilith. [Safe to say we have managed to take control of the Land of Demons¡­ am I right?] [¡­..I am truly lost for words to say¡­] It¡¯s been only a day since the beginning of the subjugation, Lilith looked away as she muttered quietly. [I made the right choice in surrendering.] Ignoring the surprised Lilith, Shion spoke up. [Milord, now, what will you do with the demons?] [Right¡­ I wish we can make use of the adult magic beasts. But most of them have too low of an intelligence¡­ so we¡¯ll subjugate them as needed. After that¡­ about the demonkin, we could try to ask them whether they are willing to work for Grants. Same goes with the highly intelligent magic beasts. Elan instantly raised his voice upon hearing Ares¡¯ decision. [But there might be backlash from all sorts of people¡­] [Everyone needs to remember that the times are changing. The demons have great capabilities. In the future, we will recruit even more people with high capabilities¡­ Of course, except for those with evil intentions.] And then Ares laughed. [There are certainly good mannered individuals, even among the demons. Some of them might also have the talent we need. Conversely, there are also evil individuals among humans. I don¡¯t intend to make discrimination to someone because of their race. That¡¯s what I want to do¡­ in this land of mine.] After Ares said so, [Master, we have arrived.] Lilith unexpectedly interrupted the conversation, pointing to the front. [That is my abode¡­ the center of this Land of Demons] Looking ahead¡­ there was a castle that didn¡¯t seem suited in the middle of a forest. ===== ¡ô The first thing people would notice about the castle, was that it¡¯s very clean. Despite its exterior being a very dense forest and the dark atmosphere surrounding it, the interior turned out to be brighter and cleaner than one would think. [The abode is mainly inhabited by dark elves, succubi, and incubi. The cleanliness is all thanks to them.] Lilith took Ares¡¯ hand as she spoke, then continued on. [Come, Master. There are two things I would like to show you. Can you come with me?] Keeping hold of Ares¡¯ hand, Lilith led him to the balcony of the castle. As Ares climbed the stairs and opened the door¡­ He saw many demons had gathered down below. [Listen, people. He is your new master from now on! Give him your warm welcome.] Lilith¡¯s words cause the demons to make some noise, but they all lowered their heads regardless. Seeing this, Lilith nodded in satisfaction before turning to Ares. [These are my subordinates. They may have been gathered here in a hurry, but they all have chosen to swear their allegiance to Master from now on. Come, Master, speak to them.] [Good grief, you¡¯ve really made some preparations, haven¡¯t you¡­] Ares shrugged his shoulders, then turned towards the crowds of Demon downstairs. As he could see, there is anxiousness in their faces. The demons and humans have been fighting against each other for a long time. Growing enmity in the process¡­ was only natural. The fate of a demon captured by humans¡­ is harsh to say the least. Spending miserable days as a slave, being deprived of their magic, and maybe killed due to various vile experiments¡­ On the other hand, the same would happen to the humans if they¡¯re captured by demons. Surrendering to a human¡­ just how terrible their fate would become? They desperately bowed their heads while concealing such anxiety. Sensing this, Ares began to speak from the balcony¡­ ===== ¡ô [Demonkin, I am Ares Schwarzer¡­ Grants¡¯ Lord of Frontier.] He took a deep breath before continuing. [The ¡ºcountry¡» that I¡¯m going to build is a place where everyone can live equally. Take a good look at my soldiers¡­] The demonkins turned around to see Ares¡¯ soldiers that stood in stand by behind them. They instantly became wide-eyed. [As you can see, they are humans, long-eared elves, and beastkin¡­ how you ask? Because from now on, it will be the age where there will be no discrimination because of race or birth!] Ares spread his gaze upon the crowds. [All of you have great fighting prowess and magic power, you have the right to be proud about it. Therefore, you don¡¯t need to bow to anyone. Everyone is equal. Everyone has the same right to seek happiness. And demons are no exceptions. We can hold hands with each other!] After hearing that, some demons started to raise their heads up and looked at Ares eagerly. [I promise to all the demons present in this place. You are all free. You are free to stay in this place and it¡¯s alright for you all to go out to visit the towns. Trade, employment, you are free to do what you want. But I must ask you to promise me a few things in return. Promise that, all of you, as the residents of this land as well, to abide by our law and to welcome the other races as though they are your own siblings. And lastly¡­ please lend your power to help develop Grants.] Finally, Ares strongly declared. [As long as you protect us, then this Ares Schwarzer will protect you in return!] At first the crowds of demonkins were silent. But then whispers started to resound. [Oi, did you hear him?] [Apparently he¡¯ll treat us as equal] [And he said we¡¯ll be free!] [Our King¡­!] [Our King¡­..!] [All hail Ares-sama!] [All hail, Ares Schwarzer!] It began with a small whisper. But soon turned into loud cheerings. The cheer reverberated throughout the forest. And it didn¡¯t stop until after a while. ===== ¡ô Watching Ares from behind him, Shion could only stand there in awe. And if one cared to see, so did George. Overwhelming charisma. This event can only be attributed to that. In history, has there ever been a human who could both enthrall and invoke respect from the demons before? (I really want to see the country that Milord wants to create¡­) Shion muttered inwardly as he watched enthusiastic crowds of demonkins downstairs. ===== ¡ô After the speech in front of that many demonkins, their next destination was the storehouse. [Ares-sama¡¯s speech must¡¯ve moved the heart of many demonkins out there. It also made me really wet down there] [¡­.can you please use another expression to compliment me!?] Going down the stairs while chatting, they finally arrived in front of a huge door. [Now then, Master, shall we open it?] When the door was finally opened, the content left Ares and the other speechless. Not only there were treasures made of gold and silver, there were also other kinds of treasures with immeasurable value such as weapons and gems imbued with magic power. Seeing such views¡­ George immediately chimed in. [This is¡­ it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that the value should be comparable to an entire nation¡¯s budget.] Shion also added to George¡¯s assumption. [I¡¯ve heard that demons like to collect treasure¡­ but I never thought that it will be this many.] [What¡¯s with this many treasures?] Lilith replied to Ares¡¯ question. [Personally I¡¯m not interested in any of these. But all these are the accumulated fortune that the previous owners of this castle had collected. It¡¯s already this much when I became a Demon Lord and took over this castle.] Sticking her tongue a bit, Lilith then turned to Ares. [All of these treasures belong to Ares-sama now. Please use it to your heart¡¯s content.] A little too excited, George also spoke to Ares. [This should cover our finances. It¡¯ll also allow us to perform large scale development sooner. Please accept it.] Hearing that, with a bitter smile, Ares replied to Lilith. [Thank you. I¡¯m truly grateful for this.] [Just show the gratefulness in bed later~] [¡­¡­¡­.Un, I guess I have to¡­] While Ares was facepalming, Shion took the chance to ask Lilith about that one thing he¡¯s been wondering about. [Lilith-dono, where is the dragon vein?] [Ah, it¡¯s over there.] Where Lilith was pointing at, green light was leaking out from the broken floor. [Magic power is leaking out from that, isn¡¯t it? It turns this castle into a cozy living place for demonkins. That¡¯s why, in order to protect it¡­ this castle was constructed here.] Shion moved closer to take a look¡­ then he shouted because he found something peculiar. [My! Look at all those magic stones!] Lilith stuck out her head to get a look, then responded. [Ah, you mean those stones imbued with magic power? Any regular stone will turn into those after being in contact with the dragon vein for some period of time.] She said with a chuckle. However¡­ not to mention Shion, George, Elan and even Ares were all surprised by this revelation. [It¡¯s possible to mass produce magic stones¡­?? ¡­then wouldn¡¯t this lead to a revolution in technology!?] The light fixtures that decorated the imperial palace and churches in the capital were made from magic stones. The recently developed [automobile] they¡¯ve heard about also run on magic stone. Light fixtures or automobiles are wonderful and all, but people are not yet aware of magic stone¡¯s other uses due to its rarity¡­ Because it¡¯s hard to obtain, it¡¯s hard to develop around it¡­ [Milord, I just had this epiphany. We need to hurry back to Heinz to review our development plan. With this amount of funds and the magic stones¡­ it might be possible to build the greatest city in the continent.] All other present on the scene, except for Lilith, agreed to George. And just like that, Ares conquered the Land of Demons, while at the same time obtaining a huge amount of treasures and magic stones, securing the foothold for the further development of Grants. ===== ¡ô Ares managing to secure the Land of Demons, turned out to be a major turning point in history. The old belief that humans and demons will not be able to get along, was finally broken. Ares used his authority as the Lord of Frontier to make a law in Grants that treated every race equally. At first, it was in-secret. But later on, the law was made known to the world at large. It was of course, something unacceptable for both the church and the empire. After this, Ares would enter a full conflict against the church who sought to expunct the beastkin and the demonkin from the country. CH 104 Chapter 104 ¨C City Development After coming back from the Land of Demons, Ares decided to focus on the city development plan once again. Two months had passed since the development first began. With the funding and magic stones obtained from the Land of Demons, the development was progressing at a terribly rapid pace due to the increased manpower and the introduction of golems. Ares and George, who went to sightsee around the city with Ramires¡­ were both amazed and pleased with how far the development had gone. [This is shocking to say the least. The speed is way too fast¡­] Not only are most of the roads in Heinz had been paved with cobblestone, but the waterway had also been established. Boats are now operating on set routes along the waterways, as both a means of transportation for the civilians and to help transporting goods. In addition to that, the waterway also serves as the hub for Heinz¡¯ plumbing system, which extends to the entire city. The houses were made of bricks and stones, changing the cityscape immensely. The city was more well-organized now and various shops had opened for business. Not only in Brittany, but merchants from other places such as Romaria and the Royal Capital had also gathered here in Grants. There were many street stalls along the main street, creating a lively atmosphere. A large square had also been set up in the middle of the city. Many children were playing there around the fountain at the center. [It¡¯s totally different from Heinz a few months ago¡­ Truly like dream¡­] Ramires who often went around the city to patrol was the most obvious of the changes. The people were confused with the rapid changes at first, but gradually got used to it. It¡¯s interesting to see how their old feelings also gradually disappeared as their living place changed for the better. [When the cultural life improves, the peoples¡¯ consciousness will also change. Soon, it¡¯ll be on par with the Royal Capital or Romaria.] George explained. [The new cityscape seems to be well-received by the citizens. With Heinz¡¯ scale, full development should be finished in about a year.] After a while, Ares asked George. [George, what is that building?] [Ah, that¡¯s public restroom. Just in case people is too far away from their home, but is in dire need to do ¡®that¡¯. We¡¯ve educated people about the usage of this building. And it¡¯s been built all over Heinz.] George made use of the waterway plumbing system to enable to flush the toilets. The system made it so that water would always flow, making the sewage to move along. The sewage will be then collected to one place, where it would be purified with the water spirit¡¯s power. The cleaned water would then be flowed back to the waterway. Not only in Grants, but he also applied this to the other cities and towns. Serious illness usually occurs on unsanitary city, therefore these public restrooms were set up around the major cities to prevent illness. The toilet itself has water drawing apparatus installed, which made sure the bowl will always be washed with water. This maintained good hygiene. [Plumbing and its equipment, as well as the installation, are urgent matters. In rural areas, human feces can be used for fertilizer, but in cities, it will become a hotbed for diseases. The level of hygiene is proportional to the occurence of disease.] [But, who was the one who came up with this¡­ equipment?] [I quoted a paper written by a friend who is familiar in civil engineering. Of course, I also sought advice from him.] George said with a small smile. [Soon, he will come to Heinz. Afterward, perhaps I can leave it to him to further develop the city.] ===== ¡ô When they arrived at the suburban area, Ares noticed a building that lets out steam. [What about that?] Again, George answered the question. [It¡¯s a public bath house.] [What?! Hot bath!?] Ares raised his voice upon hearing George¡¯s reply. [What do you mean by that!? Can you explain in detail?] [There are some hot springs in the area. So I made use of it to make a public bath house.] [What are we doing here~ we should¡¯ve gone to this place much earlier~] Ramires was surprised with Ares¡¯ sudden change in attitude. [Erm¡­ George-dono, a hot bath is¡­] [Ah, I guess Grants had no customs of soaking in the bathtub filled with hot water.] And so, George explained to Ramires. [That aside, people living inthe Royal Capital tend to have a bath in the river on the suburbs or just wipe their bodies with hot water.] [Too bad it¡¯s only now that you¡¯ll experience the pleasantness¡­ By the way, George, why don¡¯t we stop here¡­] [¡­¡­Perhaps Milord wants to try it out?] [Yosh, let¡¯s enter.] Replying George almost immediately, Ares took out a hand towel from his waist bag. [Alrighty then, let¡¯s check it out!] Ares entered the building while whistling happily. Ramires asked George in a low voice after seeing this. [George-dono¡­ To even make His Excellency this happy¡­] [Milord has an unusual liking to baths. Especially hot springs¡­ This was also true in Romaria. It was him who promoted the public bath with hot spring in the Schwarzer Territory.] George chuckled as he said so. [Then¡­ should we also follow inside?] And so, the two also entered the building. ===== ¡ô When George and Ramires entered the bathhouse, they were immediately greeted by two entrances. On one side is [Men] while on the other side is [Women]. The signs said. [When we have a mixed bath, some guys tend to do stupid things. That¡¯s why we divided the baths for security reasons.] George said as he went through the entrances with ¡®Men¡¯s¡¯ sign. Ramires quickly followed. Inside was a rather large hallway. The floor was boarded, making it easy to step on. There was a door at the end of the room¡­ and George opened it. A lot of hot steam instantly rushed out. Looking more closely inside¡­ there was a figure of Ares happily immersing himself in a large bathtub. [How is the water?] [The best.] Ares responded with a compliment. Having heard the reply, George resumed his explanation to Ramires. [ I myself had no prior experience of soaking in hot water before I went to Romaria. Such kind of bath was only available for aristocrats after all. However¡­ Ares-sama promoted making public baths everywhere, spreading bathing culture in Schwarzer territory¡­] [So, this was His Excellency¡¯s idea?] Ares¡¯ reply surprised Ramires. [Well, I guess it was~] [I took note that once the bathing culture has been established, hygiene, which correlated to one¡¯s health, also improved. It also has the effect of healing fatigue, maintaining if not improving quality of work.] George continued on. [The popular bathhouse¡­ it¡¯s only possible because Romaria was abundant with water, and there was a water spirit helping out. The same goes with this area¡­ moreover, the hot spring exists because there is a volcano nearby. Otherwise, it won¡¯t even be possible] [Certainly¡­ It¡¯s not something I would expect to actually exist in the suburban area.] George explained a bit more in response to Ramires¡¯ words. [This hot spring is different from a regular hot spring as it has various effects. I want this place to eventually become a resting spot for the common civilians. Therefore, the bath house in the city proper will have to resort to boiling water manually while this hot bath will make use of the hot spring.] And thus, public bathhouses steadily increase in number around Heinz. ===== ¡ô Ares was fully refreshed after the bath. [By the way, I was wondering.] He then asked George a question. [The number of houses had become considerably large¡­ and you intend to build even more? Is it really alright to build so many?] [Recently, there is a rumour that people from various places, including the Royal Capital, are about to gather here at Grants. If that really comes to pass, as it is, there will be not enough houses for them to live in. I¡¯ll say this as many times as I need to. I want to make Heinz to become a city comparable to that of Romaria.] ===== ¡ô Indeed, a few years later, Heinz population would swell by several times, that it became the city with the largest population in the entire Arcadia continent. It was exactly as George said. CH 105 Chapter 105 ¨C Adventurers Guild On the way back from the bathhouse. Ares was walking along Heinz Boulevard which had already been paved with cobblestone. En route, he would also stop by the street stalls to sample the food. [Hmm¡­ it¡¯s a lot better than before¡­ but to be honest I still can¡¯t say that this is delicious¡­] [Maybe it¡¯s because the ingredient quality increases as the number of merchants visiting Heinz also increased¡­ but the creator¡¯s sense may also be the problem.] [When things already become calmer, I think I will regulate Hadora¡¯s recipe, just like I did on Romaria, but¡­] Ares nodded to himself, then turned his sight to the building in front of him. Apparently it¡¯s about to open, with the clerks busily preparing inside. [Well, there was a plan to open a branch of the Romaria restaurant¡­ I think it¡¯ll certainly change things.] Just like back in Romaria, Ares values food culture just as high. One of the first few things he did after arriving at Grants was to sample the taste of food sold in Grants¡¯ shops. Suffice to say¡­ he was horrified. [This is kinda terrible¡­ I have to do something about this.] They had to use flawed ingredients. The bread was also the hard black bread. The cooking method was also a bit crude. The trend in Grants was pretty much: [As long as you can eat it, then it¡¯s fine.] But Ares believed otherwise. [Water and food are the most important things for a living being. Because the vitality and stamina to do their daily activities comes from those two.] Fortunately, Hadora, who was the real brain behind Romaria¡¯s food culture, also moved to Grants along with George and Shion. With more merchants coming in, the ingredients would also need to be adjusted. Let¡¯s make use of this chance to promote food culture¡­ Ares was determined to do so. [The food culture in Grants is at an all-time low¡­ in a way, it¡¯ll be better to promote a new one instead.] [Let¡¯s open a branch of Romaria restaurant here. We can afford to subsidize it. With the meal served at the restaurant, people will start to realize the meaning of ¡®real cooking¡¯.] [Let¡¯s systematically train the other restaurants and vendors. We have the budget. In some cases, we might have to apply licensing. If the restaurant serves meals with a high level of deliciousness, people will naturally want to eat in the restaurant everyday. As the restaurant becomes successful, the other restaurants and vendors will have to work harder. Try as they might to meet the new expectations. That way, the quality of the food will also naturally increase.] After a few weeks, the restaurant started business along the main street. And as Ares expected, it thrived really well. For the first time in Heinz, people of Grants finally understood the [wonder of cooking]. Triggered by the restaurant¡¯s success, the older restaurants and vendors began researching, competing with each other to find the best way to ¡ºcook¡» the kind of ¡ºmeal¡» that people wanted. Several years from now¡­ Heinz would truly become a city of cuisine¡­ ===== ¡ô Walking along the street, Ares stopped by the front of a certain building. [Oya? This building is¡­] The building was larger than the other nearby. Its¡¯ red brick roof shone under the sunlight. [Ahh, it¡¯s the adventurers guild.] Following George¡¯s words, it was Ramires who did the explanation this time. [There are several adventurers guilds in Grants. Therefore, there are places where they could organize their work. This is happen to be where the Heinz branch is run on] [I see¡­ certainly, monsters are still lurking outside the city¡­] Before control of the Land of Demons was seized, monsters were thriving outside the city. But not only that, they would also barge into the city sometimes. The place was truly like a cursed place. Now that the land of demons has been seized, all the high intelligent demonkins and magic beasts are behaving well. But there were still low intelligence monsters that flocked in from outside Grants. The first corps¡­ the famed ¡ºBroken Legion¡» was keeping watch, but simply couldn¡¯t keep up. [Also, rough guys like them are like¡­ at home while in Heinz. Adventurers would gather here from all over the continent. So the guild¡¯s scale is pretty much on par with the one found in the capital of a great power.] [Certainly¡­ the regular folks here aren¡¯t even afraid of them¡­] Both Ares and Ramires laughed at that last one. [¡­..un, the guild is also necessary to help combat the magic beasts¡­] Ares said as he opened the door and went inside the building. ===== ¡ô The adventurers guild is where adventurers can go to find work. And an adventurer is someone whose job is to fulfill requests from a client for reward money. Their field of expertise is fairly wide, ranging from searching, escorting and even subjugation. Their rank, which is managed by the adventurers guild, goes from E to SS. About 80% of the adventurers are rank E to C. Most of the remaining 20% are rank B or A. S and SS rank are the fewest, as people of these ranks are usually strong enough to contend against a dragon. Their name would be well known in many countries, and some would even receive a recommendation to become an army general. Earning money in this line of work is not as easy as it seems, but people would still foolishly jump in the bandwagon regardless. When Ares entered the building, the interior was a bit dim. Probably because it also serves as a tavern. There was a large reception desk in front, with several female receptionists available. Looking around, there were people talking to the receptionists or chatting out loud in the tavern area. Nothing less from this kind of place¡­ Being adventurers, most of them are warriors with strong bodies. But not all of them. Those who don¡¯t are usually good at magic. Humans, demi-humans, long-eared elves, dwarves¡­ even women. There were simply a lot of different facets in here. Among those who took notice of Ares, some scoffed while others looked interested, probably because he looked young¡­ Their reactions were varying to a degree. One of the receptionists also noticed this situation, so she called out. [Welcome, guest. Welcome to Heinz Adventurers Guild!] The woman said with a wide smile. [Are you already an adventurer? Or did you come to register?] [Ah, pardon me. I¡¯m not an adventurer and neither do I want to register. I just want to have a look¡­] Ares¡¯ answer incited laughter from some of the adventurers present. [Haa, just a lost kid.] [Go back to your mom¡¯s teat.] [This isn¡¯t where kids like you belong.] However, Ares simply ignored those insults and took a look at the requests. [I see¡­ so the most efficient way to make money here is to go subjugating wild magic beasts?] [Oh, so you are a client? This way. To post a request is on the counter over the¡­] Right then, cutting off the receptionist¡¯ explanation, a large bald man grabbed Ares¡¯ shoulder from behind. Judging from his gait, it seemed that the man was drunk. [Eeee. Little brat, ya here to make request? If ya have that much money, how ¡®bout givin¡¯ some to meh?] The onlookers had varying expressions upon seeing this. Some had sympathetic faces, while others found this interesting. However, they all had the same thought. [That boy, what a pity. To get entangled with the ¡ºHammerhead¡» Galon.] or something along that line. The bald man was a notorious person. He was a rank C, with arm strength to match his rank. However¡­ he often rampaged in taverns or bars¡­ and has been reported for looting in some villages. Nobody dared to approach him when he¡¯s drunk. However, Ares calmly spoke as he took a glance at the bald guy. [I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t abide your request. Will you please back off?] That was an answer nobody expected to come out. After a moment of silence, Galon finally lashed out. [You damn brat! How dare ya ev¡¯n afta I ask so kindly! Yer askin¡¯ it!] He said that while raising his fist. And at that moment¡­ Ares released his killing intent. An intent so strong, it overwhelmed all the adventurers around. If one had actual combat experience, then they should be able to feel it. The feeling of inching closer to death. The illusion of facing a strong opponent comparable to that of an ancient dragon. Seeing the strange scene, the receptionist, who was just about to try to stop the obvious extortion, became surprised. [Ehh? Everyone¡­. Why did you all stop moving¡­?] Of course she would be surprised. All those rough men actually stopped moving all at once. All the adventurers¡¯ faces turned pale white. There were even some who actually wetted themselves. As for the ¡ºHammerhead¡» who was the closest to Ares¡­ he fell over as if he had lost all the muscles in his entire body, fainted with the white of his eyes showing up. The only people who didn¡¯t even show any sign of change were George and Ramires, despite standing next to Ares. [Really now? Fainting just because that much? If it¡¯s like this then the White Legion will do much better¡­ the quality of adventurers nowadays has deteriorated.] Ares nodded right after. [Oi, what in the world is going on?!] From the entrance came a huge man with scars all over his body, seemingly unaware of what transpired before his arrival. ===== ¡ô [Ya, thanks for your hard work, Dominic-dono.] Ramires responded to the man¡¯s question. [¡­¡­¡­¡­..Nn? Ramires-dono? Does that mean Lord Darius is also here¡­?] The man called Dominic approached and asked in a low voice. His body was riddled with scars. So him acting like that was kind of weird. [No, today Lord brother is not here. Instead, we have an important customer.] Ramires then turned his gaze toward Ares. Dominic also looked on, then showed a brief surprised look once he realized who was standing before him. [Perhaps¡­ we can talk in a place where it won¡¯t catch other people¡¯s attention?] Ares looked back at Dominic. [Understood. Then let¡¯s talk in my office.] Having said so, Dominic guided Ares and co. to a more private room. ===== ¡ô Dominic brought Ares and co. to his private office inside the Adventurers Guild. It certainly seemed grand despite its small size. The stuffed sabretooth at the entrance looked impressive. Once he closed the door, Dominic promptly kneeled. [Pardon me if the men has irritated His Excellency Ares-dono.] Having someone like Ramires to follow him around and being capable of emitting killing intent comparable to that of Darius¡¯. Those alone were enough for him to confirm. Dominic immediately realized Ares¡¯ identity so he promptly guided the guests to a more private place. [Please raise your head. It¡¯s not like you are one of my subjects.] Ares made Dominic stand back up. Having been excused, Dominic did just that. [Moreover¡­ I have a request to make¡­] Then Ares cut to the main reason why he came here. ===== ¡ô [Having the adventurers to subjugate the wild magic beasts¡­?] [Yeah. Currently the first corps is dealing with it, but I want it to be on a larger scale.] After saying that, Ares sipped the tea that has been served for him. [In particular, the magic beast¡¯ nests on the outskirts¡­ I would also appreciate it if they could go into dungeons as well¡­] The caves or ruins on Grants¡¯ outskirts were called dungeons [Understood, and thank you. Those dungeons were under Grants¡¯ jurisdiction, so we can¡¯t enter it freely. If the permits are out, then people will naturally gather to explore it.] This time Dominic let out a hearty laugh. Smiling, he once again observed this man named Ares¡­ It was over 10 years ago that Dominic became a guildmaster. He was of course a former adventurer. Few people knew his old title nowadays, but back in the day, everyone would recognize him as the S-rank adventurer ¡ºGreat Sword Dominic¡». As a former adventurer and now a guildmaster, Dominic had met many kinds of people¡­ but the person sitting in front of him right now truly scares him. (Lord Darius is already a very formidable person¡­ but this guy is actually even worse. I must not make an enemy out of him at all costs.) [Well then, let¡¯s make the working contract right now. I¡¯ll make some more requests later¡­] Dominic was pulled out of his reverie by Ares¡¯ words. [¡­¡­understood.] Ares seemed to be satisfied by Dominic¡¯s answer, but¡­ [Ah, by the way, Dominic-dono.] [What is it?] What will he say next¡­..Dominic was preparing himself¡­ [Can I also register to become an adventurer?] [Please don¡¯t.] The answer came not from Dominic, but someone behind Ares. [Ee¡ª! But why?] [Milord has too many things to do already. [Miser¡ª¡ª] [It¡¯s not being a miser. It¡¯s called being a realist.] The man actually acted as though he was more in command than Ares himself. This baffled Dominic. It was Ramires who then spoke to Dominic. [Are you surprised at how our Lord acts?] [¡­I certainly am.] [But he is someone who will surely change Grants for the better. Don¡¯t you want to take a better path that will benefit all of us?] Listening to Ramires¡­ Dominic laughed. But of course. This city will surely change under the rule of someone like Ares. Then he thought. (This man is like fire. He¡¯ll burn and swallow everything on his path. Therefore¡­ it¡¯ll be best if the adventurers guild follows him.) CH 106 Chapter 106 ¨C Deathscythe [The magic beasts are attacking?] Ares put down the report after reading it, then turned to George. Everyone else also turned to George on the spot. [Yes. As of now, the magic beasts in the east and west have been mostly under control¡­ but, this time it seems that they come from the central area.] [That¡¯s strange. Since the central area is under Lilith¡¯s command, the magic beasts shouldn¡¯t be attacking¡­] So he turned to Lilith next. [I¡¯m wondering about that as well¡­ ah, could it be?] Lilith frowned as she seemed to be unaware about this as well, then she suddenly raised her voice. [Could it be a huge black horse magic beast with a large white scar on its body?] [That¡¯s certainly what the report said. Do you have any idea about it?] Lilith promptly responded to George¡¯s question. [That magic beast is called Deathscythe. Because the white scar on its body resembles the¡ºGrim Reaper¡¯s Scythe¡»in shape, the demonkins call it with that nickname.] Lilith then turned to Ares before continuing to speak. [Deathscythe might be just a horse magic beast, but its magic power is comparable to a demon lord¡­ originally, it¡¯s not a magic beast that resided in the Land of Demons. It moved in sometime ago. I heard that usually, it doesn¡¯t flock together with other magic beasts, as it prefers to act like a loner¡­] [Is there any reason for it to do otherwise?] [Yes. I heard that Deathscythe is temperamental. It occasionally attacked other magic beast to eat their meat. Also, it¡¯s not afraid of dragons thanks to its immense power. And the wound that became his namesake¡­ I heard that it was caused by a dragon.] [It fought against a dragon? That¡¯s not normal¡­ what actually happened?] Intrigued, Ares asked for more information. [It is said that Deathscythe won the fight¡­ afterward, it ate the slain dragon¡¯s meat. Most believe that¡¯s how Deathscythe gained its immense magic power.] Lilith resumed while giving a look at everyone in the room. [Deathscythe is the only magic beast in the central area that isn¡¯t under my control. I¡¯ve dispatched my subordinates to subjugate it, but they haven¡¯t reported back to me. I would suggest to take immediate action, but¡­] George immediately made a follow up. [Lilith-dono¡¯s suggestion is sound. I¡¯ve heard that it also attacks the anime we experimentally release to live in the land of demons. It must be subjugated immediately.] Listening to their words, Ares stood up from his chair. [Very well, let¡¯s send out a subjugation force. Since the enemy this time is fairly strong, then I should go myse¡­] [Rejected.] George cut in before Ares could finish. [I¡¯m not done talking, you know!?] [Ares-sama, aren¡¯t there a lot of documents that still need to be dealt with?] Everyone¡¯s line of sight spontaneously turned to the towering pile of documents¡­ [It¡¯s no use trying to escape your duty. Finish that first.] [¡­¡­¡­.Satan¡­.] Ares promptly lost his spirit. [It¡¯s for this kind of matter, that you have both Sigurd-dono and Darius-dono.] [Allow me to go.] Darius who had been listening silently, suddenly raised his voice. [Recently, I couldn¡¯t help but feel my body becoming dull. This should make for a good workout. If it can benefit our people, then all the better.] On the other hand, Sigurd didn¡¯t stay silent as well. [Wait right there, Darius. I haven¡¯t said that I¡¯m not going to go¡­] [But can you really afford to go?] Darius looked back at Sigurd with a chuckle. [Your hands are already full as it is with training the dragon knights and the second corps, aren¡¯t you? Not to mention the newly joining demonkins. I have nothing to do in that respect.] [But you also have to train the third corps!] [I¡¯m done training the third corps. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. Well, my training was a bit too strict, they might desert if I continue¡­ so it¡¯s all good.] Darius then did a knight salute toward Ares. [Milord, this Darius Grants shall subjugate the magic beast.] And like that, Darius forcibly made himself to take the task. ===== ¡ô [Boss, Boss! You¡¯re going way too fast!] Dirk was desperately trying to chase after Darius. [Darius, toofast. Evenagiantlike, canbarelykeepup¡­] Running in front of Dirk was the giant Kyumir. While carrying the baggage such as camping tools etc, he ran while mowing down the trees on his path. He was breathing harshly, but finally managed to catch up to Darius. [Geez, why am I doing this¡­] Dirk, left alone at the back, sighed. Yesterday, Darius suddenly jumped into the building. [Oi, we¡¯re heading to the Land of Demons, so get ready!] and promptly started running, up until now. [At least, would you please tell me why¡­] Just when Dirk muttered that, [The reason is THAT.] Darius suddenly stopped and pointed forward. Due to the sudden stop, Kyumir tripped himself and fell over, which in turn caused Dirk to be tripped by his body. [Ouwwwiie¡­¡­ what did Boss just say earlier¡­?] Dirk looked forward as he said that¡­ and saw a gigantic horse with a large scar on its back. ===== ¡ô [Hou, this fellow is surprising. I actually feel a little pressured from it.] Darius grinned in joy. On the other hand, Deathscythe never took his eyes off Darius. Whilst making a rough nasal breathing noise, magic power began to pour out from its body. [ThathorseisDeathscythe. Can¡¯tdoit, I, let¡¯srun.] Kyumir¡¯s body shook heavily, then he began to flee the place. [Then, me too.] Dirk tried to follow. [Dirk! Bring me the thing that was inside the box Kyumir is carrying!] Hearing that, Dirk¡¯s face turned ugly. On the other hand, Darius approached Deathscythe with a ferocious smile on his face. [But, Boss. It¡¯s dangerous, no matter how you think about it¡­ wait, what are you doing¡­?] Ignoring Dirk¡¯s warning, Darius went on¡­ until he stood right in front of Deathscythe. Deathscythe was also standing there, watching him coming without as much as blinking. However, the magic power leaking out from its body became stronger and stronger to the point that even Dirk could see the red light. Darius reached out with his hand, slowly and steadily towards its cheek¡­ [It¡¯s a hit!?] Darius outstretched hand turned into a fist that hit Deathscythe squarely. Deathscythe didn¡¯t stay put. It immediately stood up and tried to kick Darius with its hind legs. Darius seemed to be about to take the blow head on. [AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaa!] when he actually countered with a throw. [It¡¯s fight between monsters¡­] Watching the battle, Dirk couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself. Unloading the luggage that Kyumir had left on the ground, Dirk sighed as he watched the battle that was unlikely to end any time soon. ===== How long have they fought? The grounds around them were flattened, trees toppled. And at the center still stood a horse and a man. The battle was still ongoing. But it seemed that the duel was about to come to an end. [Yo, I acknowledge your strength. You¡¯re strong, even if you¡¯re just a horse.] As if understanding Darius¡¯ words, Deathscythe also neighed in response. [You also acknowledge my power? Then how about this. How about you come with me? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be more exciting?] Saying that, Darius approached Darius in a relaxed gait. Then as if nothing really happened before this, climbed up to its back. Deathscythe didn¡¯t show any signs of dislike as well, as it first walked around then started running with Darius on its back. [Haha! Truly amazing! This is the first time I have a horse like you!] After saying so, Darius turned to Dirk and said in a loud voice. [Oy, Dirk! Bring me the thing inside that bag!] [This big bag? Isn¡¯t this a saddle!?] Darius climbed up on Deathscythe¡¯s back once more after he put the saddle on, then started galloping right away. [Faster, faster! Run like the wind!] And thus, Darius finally met his lifelong steed. ===== ¡ô Even though the more convenient automobile was invented later on, horses are still indispensable when talking about heroes. Ares had the ¡ºKirin¡» Saint. Sigurd had his dragon partner ¡ºAncient Dragon¡» Zephyr and the magic beast ¡ºFire Horse¡» Brad. And Darius had his beloved ¡ºBlack Horse King¡» Deathscythe. In addition to Darius¡¯ own brutal fighting power, coupled with Deathscythe¡¯s speed and power, two of them were said to be enough to overturn an entire war. Although it was originally a wild magic beast¡­ after becoming Darius¡¯ steed, it became unusually docile, often seen playing around with the children in the neighborhood. CH 107 Translator: Raizu Chapter 107 ¨C Mining and Administrative Organization Reform Ares was in the Grants Administration Office when George arrived. [The people I recruited has arrived at Grants. I¡¯ve brought them in.] In response to George¡¯s report, Ares looked towards his retainer, away from the documents in front of him. [Oh, that¡¯s surprisingly fast.] [I had originally invited them to work in Romaria before. They only agreed now, more than anything because a good amount of autonomy is granted to a ¡ºFrontier Territory¡».] Ares nodded his head to that. [I see. We certainly have more freedom here than in Schwarzer territory.] [Schwarzer Territory is under Archduke¡¯s authority after all, so we do have some amount of freedom¡­ but it¡¯s still under the rule of the empire. They had no interest in a land like that¡­ which explains their hesitation. In that respect, this land is far from the royal capital. Pretty much an unexplored land. Furthermore, we have the authority as a¡ºFrontier territory¡»to act more autonomously. They couldn¡¯t afford to pass this up.] [¡­..that¡¯s just like them to act like that¡­] [They are a bit of an oddball but I believe Milord wouldn¡¯t mind.] Ares took a glance at each of his retainers who could be considered as the ¡ºUltimate Weirdos¡»in their own rights¡­.and sighed. [Well, whatever. Why don¡¯t you show them in? I¡¯d like to meet them.] Having said that, Ares began to tidy up the paperwork. ===== ¡ô [Excuse me.] [Looking forward to work with you.] [I¡¯m letting myself in~~] [Yo! Pleased to meet you!] All four people entered the office after George¡¯s guidance. Their clothes were still covered with dust from their travel. Traces of fatigue still lingered in their face, but their eyes were gleaming bright. And when the last one came in¡­ Ares involuntarily raised his voice. [Ehh? Rodman? Why are you here?] Entering last was Rodman©`the one in charge of Schwarzer Territory farmland development. [As it is now, Romaria is already sufficiently developed. Grants is a wilderness compared to that city¡­ so, the Archduke himself told me that I should go here to help instead.] George also chimed in. [The Archduke really did say so. We managed to make do with what we have back at Romaria. However¡­that¡¯s not the case here. That¡¯s why we are going to need Rodman¡¯s help.] Convinced, Ares shook Rodman¡¯s hand. [Thank you, Rodman. Your presence here is truly reassuring for me. I¡¯ll have to trouble you again this time.] In response to Ares¡¯ words, Rodman smiled. [Ares-sama¡­no need for that, I will definitely do my best to help the frontier.] George added again afterward. [There are many more arriving from Romaria. Please meet all of them later, whenever Milord is up to it.] Ares nodded with a smile in response to George¡¯s words. He then looked at the rest of the group and smiled. [Welcome to Grants. I am the lord of this land, Ares Schwarzer. Nice meeting you all.] All four bowed down after Ares¡¯ greeting. [Well then¡­ allow me to introduce them.] George started with the man standing at the rightmost. [His name is Tobias, a specialist in economy. Also, he, alongside myself, and Shion, as well as Rodman were classmates.] [Well¡­ let¡¯s say we¡¯re stuck with each other. Tobias replied with a bitter smile. He was tall with a thin face and curly brown hair. Judging from growing stubbles on his chin, he probably had just gone through some struggle for the last couple of days. [He was a former secretary, but was fired for reporting bribery and criticizing the commerce tax system.] [It caused the aristocrats to hunt me down, and I¡¯ve been on the run ever since. But I should be safe here. Thanks for having me here.] Tobias bowed while saying so. Next, George introduced the woman standing by his side. [Next is this woman standing next to me¡­ her name is Natalie. She specializes in accounting. [Thank you for having me, Your Excellency.] Natalie calmly smiled. She was in her mid twenties it seemed. A beautiful woman with tall and slender body. Her long black hair, coupled with her sharp eyes gave out the air of an intellectual. [She was formerly my subordinate. After I was fired, she was assigned to someone who likes to invite girls in and flirted with her. She reported this, which caused this person to be demoted. Apparently he¡¯s been keeping a grudge until now.] [Fufufu. It was fun. And that fool deserved every bit of it.] Natalie smiled fearlessly. [I want her to manage Grants¡¯ monetary matters. Leaving the finance in her hands would be a good choice.] [Numbers is what I¡¯m good at. I will do my.] Then George introduced the glasses wearing, short statured woman. [This is miss Francesca. She formerly in charge of inventing stuff for me.] [Please just call me Fran~ Nice to meet you~!] Franceska almost instantly took Ares¡¯ hand for a handshake. [Yeah, nice to meet you too, Fran] Franceska shook Ares¡¯ hand with a smile. [She was¡­ she was dismissed for criticizing the work of an aristocrat who was a ¡ºself-proclaimed¡»artist] [Hee? Just because of that? [That particular self proclaimed artist happened to be an earl.] [But that¡¯s not art~ that¡¯s nothing but junk~] Fran seemingly inflated while saying so. [I was scolded for being honest~! I just don¡¯t get it~!] [Therefore I reached out to her when I heard that she¡¯s been dismissed. Also, she¡¯s apparently interested in alchemy as well.] [You¡¯ve produced various things like the matchbox and cooling box~. Those are simply revolutionary~. By all means, I¡¯d like to help shape that art and maybe create my own invention.] [Her talent is in ¡ºManufacturing¡». She can handle various things, ranging from artistic items, to military weaponry. We can let her handle the industrial development.] [Looking forward to work together~] Francesca then bowed enthusiastically. [And lastly¡­. Let me introduce you to this roughshod oldman¡­] [Oi oi, why am I the only one being treated like that?] The man pushed through George and advanced forward. He then promptly shook Ares¡¯ hand vigorously. [Lord-san, my name is Oliver. It¡¯s good to see you.] Having his hand completely enveloped by Oliver¡¯s hand, Ares smiled wryly. [Good to see you too, Oliver.] [Oya, Lord-san actually has a strong hand despite looking slender like this?] Oliver laughed. [It¡¯s not Lord-san, Oliver. Please use proper honorifics.] Seeing the scene unfolded, George was visibly upset. [Okay okay, you¡¯re still a pain in the butt as you used to be. Well then¡­ looking forward to work with you,¡ºYour Excellency¡».] [¡­even if this guy here is such a roughshod, he¡¯s actually a professional civil engineer. He¡¯s also a former soldier and a former adventurer. I had a history of hiring him for his expertise.] [I was interested in buildings from the beginning. That¡¯s why I learned civil engineering at school. After that, as an adventurer, I travelled around the continent as I saw and learned the architecture of various places. Of course, I also taught myself carpentry along the way.] Oliver explained as he tapped his chest proudly. [It¡¯s just that his roughshod attitude would cause him trouble everywhere he went¡­ until I picked him up.] [Oi oi, how dare you to say that. Oh well, it¡¯s true though! Hahaha!] [He may have his quirks, but he¡¯s certainly a man of talent. The idea of the flush toilet came from his paper during his student days. I¡¯d like to entrust him with the civil engineering matters.] That said, George took out the administrative organization table and started filling the previously empty positions with the names of each four people. ===== Chief Administrative Officer Ares State Secretary George State Counsellor Elan State Counsellor Ramires Consultant Gail Treasury Secretary Natalie Secretary of Agriculture Rodman Secretary of Commerce Tobias Secretary of Industry Francesca Secretary of Security Eckhart Civil Engineering Secretary Oliver Family Register Secretary Bergan ===== After the names were written, the scroll shone pale blue. Once the shine faded away, Ares smiled in satisfaction. [With this, Grants government body has been fully set. All we have to do now is to work according to our duty. Let¡¯s do our best together.] The four nodded excitedly. And after that¡­ they¡¯re in for a surprise when they heard about the available budget from George¡­ ===== ¡ô A few days later¡­ [Mining Engineer?] Ares looked at George and Francesca before him. Other than the two was a middle aged woman he never saw before. [This woman is very good at mining. She was working to develop a mine in a certain earl¡¯s territory, but the mine was confiscated by the earl, so here she is now¡­] [Humph, that greedy aristocrat. That mine wouldn¡¯t produce anything worthwhile if it¡¯s not because of me¡­ good grief.] The woman muttered to himself, then turned to Ares. [You don¡¯t look the part as an aristocrat¡­ rather, seeing that you are willing to obey such an eccentric like George, then I can probably trust you.] Then she reached out with her hand. [Pleased to meet you, Your Excellency Lord of Frontier. My name is Nora.] Ares received the handshake and replied. [All the same, Nora. No need to be so formal in this frontier. And it¡¯s uncomfortable when an elder calls me with honorific. Please just call me Ares.] [Oya oya, this is even better than I expected. Then I¡¯ll look forward to work with you, Ares-dono. Nora smiled back at Ares. [Nora is a mining engineer who works alongside the ¡ºEarth Spirit¡». Her tongue might be sharp, but her ability is real.] [Sharp tongue? You¡¯re just being superfluous there.] Nora was a bit grumpy with how George described herself. [Mining Engineer who works together with¡ºEarth Spirit¡»? That sounds amazing.] [The way I see it, Ares-dono also has several spirits working for him already, don¡¯t you?] [But I still don¡¯t have any spirit of ¡ºEarth¡»who could specialize in mining though] Ares said with a chuckle. [Fuhn. Whatever. Then, George. Where is this mine I need to help develop?] [Right. It¡¯ll be improper to keep talking right here. Shall I show you the spot immediately?] ===== ¡ô Ares and George accompanied Nora to the mining site east of Heinz. To the east of Heinz, lies a vast mountain range inhabited by dwarves and the Aryans¡­ it¡¯s pretty much a land with untapped potential. They¡¯re currently heading¡­ to the mountain at the very edge of the mountain range. [So this is where the Heinz iron mine is located at?] [Yes. Basically, it¡¯s this entire mountain.] Ramires was the one who replied to George¡¯s question. Looking closely, there were several tunnels all over the mountain, and many were still operational. Nora looked around, then sighed. [So it¡¯s iron mining¡­ okay then. But this mine has been dug from several years ago. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to get what I want from here.] That said, Nora raised her right hand. [Summon!] In response to her summoning, the spirit of the land with a childlike form appeared before them. Seeing this, Ares was slightly surprised. [So this is the spirit of earth¡­ it¡¯s the first time for me to see one.] There were only a few mining engineers who could seek the help of spirits. Why are theyso precious? Because the spirit can help find the most efficient vein to be mined. Therefore, this kind of mining engineer was often treated well by their employer.] [Hi, Nora. Have you found me a new mine?] [What do you think of this mine before us?] The spirit flew around for a while¡­ before returning with a surprised face. [Nora! You should really undertake this job! This mine is amazing! The iron is of good quality, and there are a lot of veins inside! We can dig them out for our entire life and still has some leftovers. Moreover, there is the king of iron¡ºBlack Iron¡» in this mine. and¡­] [And?] [Perhaps¡­ we can also dig out some silver and gold from that mountain.] Nora laughed after hearing that last part. [Then it¡¯s decided. I¡¯ll spend the remainder of my life to concentrate on this mine.] But when George heard the spirit¡¯s explanation, he frowned. [Hmm, silver and gold¡­? I don¡¯t know what to feel to hear that with the overabundant gold and silver we have at the moment¡­] Nora chuckled at that. [Those gold and silver are still a long way to go. They should be in deeper part of the mountain. We¡¯re only going to dig up iron in the meantime.] Then she stared daggers at George. [Well¡­ I haven¡¯t heard about the most important part here.] [That is taken care of already.] George was quick to reply. [We will pay you accordingly for each iron ore mined from this place. Of course, we will check the pricing in various places to trade with an appropriate rate. However, we will deduct it with equipment, labor, accommodation cost, etc.] [¡­.isn¡¯t that a bit overt?] [It¡¯s only natural. I believe there will be no other who would offer a better treatment] Nora stared at George¡¯s face¡­ then at Ares. Then she was reminded of something she heard from George before she came to Heinz. That he wanted to make a mining town centered around Nora. Mining engineers were relatively low in status and tend to be discriminated against. Hard work, dirty environment¡­ those who engaged in this business were under prejudice. And therefore most of them were recluse. To be able to create a place for themselves, reaping profits for their work and even given the right to build a city based on one¡¯s occupation¡­ there is really no better offer. [If it¡¯s not good enough for you, then I can only look elsewhere¡­ although I don¡¯t know any miners other than you. I¡¯d be grateful if you can accept.] George spun up more words, pretending he couldn¡¯t see through Nora¡¯s intention. After some silence, Nora sighed, and showed a calm smile. [Really now. I hate to say this, but you¡¯re right. But I¡¯m not doing this for you. I¡¯m now¡­ working for Ares-dono there.] [Of course, that is not a problem.] [Geez you really are lame¡­ oh well, I promise that I¡¯ll do my best. Best regards, Lord-dono.] ===== ¡ô Nora then called upon her acquaintances and began large-scale mining. Grants originally had large amount of miners already, so adding them to the lot, the place soon grew into a small town within six month. By the way, regarding that one mountain, it would be renamed to Mount Nora, and later on became known as the best producer of ores like iron, silver, gold and many others. At the same time, the town they created, Nora town, would later be known as one of the continent¡¯s leading districts in mining. CH 108 Translator: Raizu Chapter 108 ¨C Meat and Booze One day during dinner time. Ares was unusually late for dinner at his residence. Of course, Hadora had prepared his best dishes for dinner as usual. And it happened when Ares started to eat the main meat dish. The menu was steak, grilled to medium rare. It was one of Ares¡¯ favorites. Ares quietly cut the meat with his knife¡­ then look at the cut piece suspiciously. When he finally put the piece inside his mouth¡­ he inadvertently dropped both his knife and fork. [! He-Helmut!] [Yes. What is the matter?] [Get Hadora here immediately! I have something to ask him!] To Ares¡¯ order, Helmut bowed reverently, left the dining room, then returned with Hadora a moment later. [I have brought Hadora here.] Seeing Ares¡¯ expression, Hadora grinned. [Hadora¡­ since you have that kind of face, I believe you already know why I called you here? [Partially.] The grin did not leave Hadora¡¯s face yet. [Then please explain this. Ares stood up and pointed at the meat dish before him. [Just what kind of meat is this to have such an extraordinary taste?] ===== [This is the meat of the buffalo magic beast found around the foot of the mountain.] [¡­¡­magic beast¡¯s meat¡­?] [Indeed. I¡¯ve experimented with several kinds of magic beasts¡¯ meat back at Romaria, but couldn¡¯t find a suitable pick up until recently. I was also surprised myself that such a delicious meat actually exists.] The buffalo magic beast lives around the foot of the mountain east of Grants. It¡¯s bigger than a regular cow and an even worse temper. It¡¯s said that if you encounter one, it will most likely attempt to skewer you to death. From the traveller¡¯s point of view, it¡¯s pretty much known as the ¡ºcow from hell¡». [The other day I was visiting the adventurers guild and happened to come across some of these meat which was in good condition and has been properly cleaned. So I just thought this might work. And it was exactly what I aim for.] Usually, the adventurers guild only buy the vanquished buffalo magic beast¡¯s horns and pelts. The rest will just be discarded. [But now that we know how delicious it is, we must not discard it¡­ No. Rather, can we domesticate them to become livestock?] [Unlike a regular cow, a buffalo magic beast can give birth to many calves at once. If it can be done, then it¡¯ll be great¡­ however it has low intelligence and a rough temper¡­ the effort will be tough] Ares frowned upon hearing Hadora¡¯s explanation. [But still¡­ it might be worth a try. I believe it¡¯s even good enough to become Grants¡¯ specialty. Let¡¯s bring this up on tomorrow¡¯s conference. I¡¯m going to need Hadora¡¯s help though.] [Certainly.] After Hadora bowed reverently, Ares returned to his seat and enjoyed his dinner. ===== ¡ô [Oooooooooooooo! Bring more booze!] [Calm yourself down¡­ Darius¡­] Sigurd frowned at Darius who was sitting next to him. Before Darius were plates piled into a towering height. [Speak for yourself, just many plates have you finished!] To that scolding, Darius replied in kind Right¡­ there was also a high stack of plates in front of Sigurd. [This is surprising. I never thought there would be a meat dish this delicious] It was Shion who muttered that out. [This¡­ will definitely sell well. Such an unforgettable taste, if we sell these to the aristocrats, they will be more than willing to spare no money to eat it. Let¡¯s try to secure a stable supply of it.] George added calmly while elegantly wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. [But¡­ how do you exactly tame¡­ a buffalo magic beast??] It was the consultant Gail who muttered that question. Despite his already advanced age, there were many plates before him which amount comparable to the younger attendees. [Does Your Excellency already have a method to do it?] To Ramires, who was sitting next to him, Ares replied with a grin on his face. [Have a look at this.] What Ares showed to them was a blueprint for a certain contraption. [Lord¡­ this is¡­?] [The blueprint for magic barrier dispenser.] Ares then began to explain. [I¡¯ve given it quite a lot of thought last night. I also wondered if there is a good way to do this. Magic beasts, especially those with low intelligence such as the buffalo magic beasts, are really hard for domestication. That¡¯s why I plan to simply confine a large area where they live on.] That said, Ares tapped on the blueprint. [Borrowing Gilbert¡¯s wisdom, I¡¯ve come up with this device that could produce a magic barrier. It runs on magic stones¡­ which we fortunately can produce.] Ares¡¯ plan was as follows. The southern part of Grants is a vast land. It¡¯s mostly neglected because the soil was not suitable for farmland. [It¡¯s that kind of land, but fortunately, it¡¯s the kind of place that the buffalo magic beasts would likely to inhabit.] So Ares went to inspect the land. There were plants growing there, but not the kind that can be sold for money. But they¡¯re still something the buffalo demon beasts would eat for sustenance. [What I¡¯m planning to do¡­ is to use this device to confine a large amount of buffalo magic beasts in that land and treat it as some sort of a ranch.] Buffalo magic beasts are capable to adapt to various environments and have high reproduction rate. They should have no problem increasing their number even without any aid. Also, with the barrier device in action, their natural enemies, such as the tiger magic beasts, wouldn¡¯t be able to endanger them, which in turn should bolster their reproduction rate. [Then, we could hire professional adventurers or hunters to ¡®harvest¡¯ the buffalo magic beasts, including cleaning its meat. Then what¡¯s left is to process it and ship it.] The horns and the pelts will belong to the guilds while the meat will be processed and sold to various places. [Well, they cannot be bred normally like cows or pigs and processing the meat can be quite troublesome¡­ It¡¯ll take some time to get used to. But the profit should be great, if we can maintain its scarcity on the market. That way, we can also guarantee a stable supply.] George showed his support to Ares¡¯ plan. [This can certainly become a local specialty. We should ask Fran to complete the device immediately. As for capturing the beasts¡­. Should we ask the guild to do it?] After this, the meat of the buffalo magic beast would earn the title of [Platinum Meat] and become the brand meat that makes gastronomes from other places to groan for one reason or another. It immediately became one of Grants¡¯ specialty products¡­ ===== ¡ô Ares said there was another thing he would like to show on today¡¯s meeting, before promptly taking out a bootle. [Milord¡­ and this is?] [Un, booze of course] [What? Booze? Should¡¯ve gotten it out sooner.] Ares ignored Darius¡¯ complaints and continued on. [Anyways, try drinking it now. I want to see everyone¡¯s reaction to it.] While saying so, Ares poured the booze to the empty glasses. [Hoo¡­ it certainly looks pretty.] The amber colored liquid was visible from outside the glass. It reflected and glistened prettily under the light. [It uses wheat as the raw material. Try it out for the time being. However¡­ don¡¯t try to drink it all at once like you usually do with ale.] Everyone was alarmed at Ares¡¯ warning, except for Darius¡­ who already guzzled down the entire content of his glass. [Wha¡­what is this? This¡­ is terribly strong¡­ not even the ¡ºDwarven Fire Breath ¡»is this strong¡­] Coughing after sipping it, Ramires commented on the new booze. ¡ºDwarven Fire Breath¡»is currently the strongest liquor in the Arcadia Continent. Originally, it was liquor the dwarves made for themselves. It IS the dwarves¡¯ favorite liquor, but heavy drinkers also favor it for the strong alcoholic content and the mellow aroma. And Ares actually introduced to them a liquor that is stronger than that. [However¡­ it¡¯s more fragrant than dwarven liquor¡­ and the taste is more palatable as well.] George muttered after sipping the booze one more time. [It can be diluted with water, perhaps?] Tobias, the recently appointed commerce secretary, suggested. [This liquor is¡­] [It¡¯s distilled spirit.] ===== ¡ô There were two types of liquor most commonly seen in the continent. Ale made from wheat. And wine made from fermenting grapes. There was also a kind of liquor made from rice in the east¡­ but it¡¯s hard to get. And then, there is the liquor created by the high alcohol enthusiast dwarves, the¡ºFire Breath¡». But this time, Ares introduced something different. [We can increase the alcohol content further by¡ºdistilling¡»it. If we put it inside a keg and deposit it for quite a while, the scent will also become stronger.] Hearing this, George then made a suggestion. [Milord¡­ if we can have both the McDohl company and the Shawd company, founded by Elan, to sell this, it might cause a great ripple.] Now, McDohl company and Shawd company are working together in a business alliance. Both can help spread the booze to many places, including the capital. [Let them help fund the production and promotion. I¡¯ll also ask Fran to prepare for mass production.] Tobias also added. [I might be able to circulate it among the aristocrats in advance. If they like it, we can also find customers via reservation.] After that, Ares¡¯ ¡ºDistilled Spirit¡»would then be circulated mainly among the aristocrats and merchants by only the Mcdohl or Shawd companies. When the rumour spread, the reservation for Grant¡¯s [Phantom Liquor] came flooding in. CH 109 Chapter 109 ¨C Industrial Development and the Necromancer With its administrative organization fully established, Grants was about to undergo major development. With the heads of each department have been decided, many of which also came from Romaria, the organization was bound for a smooth start. While listening to George¡¯s report, Ares signed the documents he needs to read. [We are continuing to recruit domestic officers from the capital. Both fortunately and saddening, there are still many who were treated unfairly by the aristocrats. Should we really hire them?] George flipped through the materials as he said so. [There must not be any mistake when developing each district.] George planned the development while taking into account the very nature of Grants itself. In central Grants, he turned Heinz and the surrounding suburbs into a large commercial city. To the west, the ¡ºformer¡» Land of Demons was turned into a vast agricultural district due to its fertile ground. To the east was where the mining district is. Northward, he used the vast meadow as the pasture to raise horses, cows and other livestock such as goats and sheep. And lastly, the south was used as the industrial area because the land was less fertile. The still vacant areas were utilized as a ranch to raise buffalo magic beasts and to tend to the ¡ºDragon Steeds¡» they brought from Romaria¡­ in other words, it became a breeding ground for dragons. [I have received reports on progress and plans from each secretary.] George then started to read the report. First was agriculture. When Ares first arrived here, Grants was still adopting the empire¡¯s old and outdated farming practices. In addition to that, their farming tools were poor in quality, which in turn caused an increase in the time needed to maintain the field. The first thing George did was to renew it all. He changed the farming method to the latest one, and the latest farming tools were rented free of charge. He wanted to lay the groundwork for later improvements first. He also encouraged developing the Land of Demons. Not only did he attracted or recruited people from inside but also outside the territory to start new settlements. The policy remained the same once Rodman took the seat of Agriculture Secretary and proceeded with field development according to George¡¯s plan. In addition to that, given the local climate, Rodman encouraged crop rotation while also putting efforts in improving irrigation and equipment to stabilize the farmland. [Next year, we¡¯ll be able to harvest the crops we are currently working on. Looking forward to it.] George added. [In addition to that, we need a new plant in order to utilize the undeveloped wasteland¡­ such as the wax tree which produces raw material for wax. We can even make it our land¡¯s specialty product] George continued on. [Heinz will continue to develop as is. The speed is so much faster with the introduction of golems to the workforce. One may say that the first stage has been completed. The next stage is to expand the city to the suburbs.] The current Heinz is completely different before Ares arrived. It is now a city with good culture and hygiene, as well as a beautiful cityscape. [We can start receiving immigrants on a larger scale now. But let¡¯s continue to develop further] George then changed the topic toward industry. [Fran is currently focusing on industry. First of all, regarding the production of the ¡ºdistilled spirits¡»that Milord showed us the other day. There is also an urgent need to start developing tools and machines powered by magic stones We will invite craftsmen and artisans from the royal capital to help develop the human resources.] [Anything that needs to be addressed?] In response to Ares¡¯ question: [When recruiting people from the capital¡­ we found out that a lot of craftsmen had gathered to the call. What I¡¯m saying is¡­ I feel that there are still many talented people hiding in the capital.] And lastly, [It¡¯s a good time to develop our human resources. Let them learn from the craftsmen we hired from the capital. That way we can nurture a lot of talents at once.] Ares smiled in response to George¡¯s words, then proceeded to sign the document. ===== ¡ô [A walking skeleton?] Ares was intrigued upon hearing Elan¡¯s report. Elan was travelling around Grants in his duty as the state counsellor. Meanwhile, Ramires is assigned to Heinz, mainly to handle paperwork. Elan task was to see how things have been going, then reports it both George as the state secretary, and Ares as the lord. This time, he had brought a lot of new information to report to Ares all at once. [Yes. Apparently many witnesses saw it inside the dungeon.] Elan turned over the materials he had bundled together. [Moreover, it¡¯s not only walking skeletons but also zombies? Both skeletons and zombies were monsters that often appear inside a dungeon. Many who died on the battlefield and became undead would go there, attracted by the miasma. Many adventurers may have died inside the dungeon as well. Zombies would continue to wander around with its rotten body which was incapable of complex thought. While skeletons are pretty much the same except what were left of them are just their bones. They were a low level adversary individually, but can become a genuine threat in large numbers. They had barely any intelligence and would attack any nearby living being. They felt no pain so they could go on endlessly regardless of wounds. To kill them, you¡¯ll have to cleanse them with Sacred Art, burning them to ashes with fire¡­ or separate their head from their body¡­ those are the only ways. The worst case would be the aftermath of a war. Intense war would result in many corpses strewn around the battlefield. If neglected, these corpses might turn into undead. With that many undead rising, some would eventually attack and destroy nearby villages. For exactly this reason, the church would dispatch priests after every battle to bury and purify the corpses. Dungeons were the second hottest spot other than battlefields. Inside a dungeon, a corpse would also eventually turned to undead. If other adventurers found a corpse inside a dungeon they would immediately take it outside and bury it properly or to wipe the entire corpse without leaving a trace with gunpowder or magic. It¡¯s a tragic story, but necessary to reduce the number of undead. [Skeletons and zombies aren¡¯t exactly rare, aren¡¯t they?] [No, what¡¯s strange here is that they move in a large group.] Elan looked over the materials again then continued. [And in addition to that, their movement was splendidly organized. Normally skeletons do not move in an organized manner. So maybe they¡¯re¡­] [Products of necromancy?] Ares beat Elan to it. Elan could only nod in agreement. [Yes. Apparently there was someone who controlled all those undead¡­ that¡¯s my assumption.] [¡­.well, let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves¡­ although it¡¯s indeed possible. Necromancy, huh¡­ It¡¯s quite worrying.] Necromancy is a form of ancient magic. The main feature of this magic is to produce undead and control it. It is said that in the past, an excellent necromancer could easily control liches and death knights. Some are even capable of summoning the legendary undead spartoi. But from an ethical point of view, the magic is like desecrating death, which caused it to be deemed as evil. It was soon pushed to the brink of extinction with the church. Now it¡¯s just a magic often depicted in fairy tales and stories that people nowadays can only dream of using it. [I suppose it¡¯s worth it to investigate this matter?] Elan gave a look at the person before him who is both his lord and best friend. Ares had a bright smile on his face; one that was very unlikely to appear when he¡¯s busy doing paperwork. Elan knew full well that his friend tends to succumb to his own curiosity. [¡­since it¡¯s partially because of my report¡­ I¡¯ll accompany you, Ares-sama.] Hearing Elan¡¯s affirmation, Ares¡¯ smile only grew wider. ===== ¡ô It¡¯s a dungeon southwest of Heinz. Ares was in the 12th underground floor. With him were two other people. The first one was obviously Elan, while the other one was Sigurd, who insisted on coming along. At first George was reluctant to let Ares go, but once he saw the group¡­ [Well, since the participants are already equivalent to an army division, then I suppose it¡¯ll be alright¡­ but please come back soon as your work will pile up even more the longer you are absent] then he simply sent the three off. [Now then¡­ I thought we¡¯ll come across our target if we go this deep¡­ but I guess this fellow is harder to find that I expected.] The trio had already spent half a day scouring the dungeon, but found nothing. They occasionally came across some adventurers, but none had seen anything odd. Not even an undead visible. On the contrary, [The strange thing is¡­ we haven¡¯t encountered any monster or undead in this dungeon.] Right. It was just as Sigurd said. They hadn¡¯t encountered any undead or monster along the way. [And I haven¡¯t seen any adventurer¡¯s corpse yet. This is really strange.] Ares nodded in agreement to Elan¡¯s words. [Un¡­ I guess we need to search even deeper¡­] When Ares muttered that, they heard a loud sound coming from behind. A sound of a monster¡¯s roar followed by noise of fighting. Ares gave a look at the other two, then headed to the source of that noise. ===== ¡ô The path led to a fairly wide open space. What Ares and the others saw inside that room were skeletons marching towards a large monster. A little bit behind was a man in a cloak, most likely the one who controls the undead. [That¡¯s¡­ an Earth Dragon?] The first one to respond to Sigurd was Ares. [Indeed it is one. Although small, it¡¯s still a dragon¡­If left alone, it¡¯ll pose a huge threat to the adventurers. That aside¡­ that¡¯s some number of skeletons there.] The skeletons that kept coming and hampered the dragon¡¯s movement despite the latter shaking them away eventually began to overwhelm the larger foe. The moment the dragon was weakened enough, the cloaked man who had been staying at the back slowly approached the dragon and swung the sword that was previously hanging on his waist. [Well done.] Ares reflexively muttered a compliment, while Sigurd and Elan still couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. After a short silence, the dragon¡¯s head shifted, and fell to the floor with a loud thud. After confirming the kill, the cloaked man took out a large magic stone, which immediately sucked all the skeletons in to be stored inside. The man then turned toward the trio. [It seems that you¡¯ve been watching for a while now¡­ do you need something from me?] He was obviously expecting hostility. Noticing this, Ares raised his hand and said that he meant no harm. ===== ¡ô [Unbelievable¡­ the lord of this land himself¡­ this is surprising.] [Oh? So you know me?] [Nothing much¡­ but you are a celebrity in Arcadia right now. Everybody is talking about you, Grants¡¯ Lord of Frontier] [¡­probably just rumours, right?] [A hero who conquered 4 countries in a single month. Highly praised by the emperor and is now spreading his own wings. He¡¯s also a womanizer with sizable amount of women in his harem.] [¡­.aha, of course there is such rumour¡­] After briefly introducing one¡¯s selves, Ares was engaged in a conversation with the cloaked man. The man introduced himself as¡ºShadow¡» . [¡ºShadow¡»is it¡­..?] [I¡¯d appreciate it if you don¡¯t delve deeper.] Shadow said nothing more afterward. He was a gruff looking, tall but thin man. From the black turban on his head, strands of black hair visibly stuck out. He wore equally black armor and cloak. A black long sword hanging on his waist and from the fight just now, it can be surmised that he¡¯s quite skilled in swordsmanship. Apparently he wasn¡¯t registered as an adventurer probably because he looks quite suspicious. So he earned his living by working as a mercenary. Only later on the trio found out that he¡¯s actually quite a well known mercenary mostly known as the [Black Knight]. The conversation continued after a change of topic. Probably because it¡¯s been a while since the last time he got to talk with anyone else, Shadow actually talked more than he might want to admit. Perhaps he was lonely. It seemed that he only arrived in this territory recently. The reason being: [There are a lot of dungeons here, and therefore, a lot of undead. It¡¯s a great way to obtain more skeletons.] and that¡¯s it. He has his own collection of ¡ºStray Skeletons¡» that he can summon with his magic, which was probably the root behind the report of the increasing sight of skeletons. [I could also control zombies as my minions. But I don¡¯t like them because they smell bad. So I usually burn the corpse until only their skeleton remains. Later on, if it didn¡¯t turn into skeleton, I would submit it to any adventurer that passed my way, but whatever item the corpse had on their body will belong to me.] So in other words¡­ he would indirectly bury the corpse if it didn¡¯t turn into skeleton. [I¡¯m still a human after all. I don¡¯t want to live while carrying too much grudges.] He said. [How many undead do you currently have?] In response to Ares¡¯ question, Shadow took out his magic stone and release all the skeletons inside. Crowds of skeletons suddenly popped behind him. [One magic stone can hold 100 skeletons. I have 13 of these magic stones.] [That means¡­ 1300 skeletons¡­] [And that¡¯s not all.] From behind his cloak, he extracted a magic stone that was different from the previous one. Undead appeared one after another from that magic stone. This time it¡¯s skeleton warriors and even high skeletons. [And these fellows are my elites.] He took out three more magic stones. From each stone, a skeleton wearing black armor appeared. One of them in particular, was brimming with magic power. And the sword hanging on its waist can be considered as a magic sword as well. [Death Knight¡­ and Death Knight Master¡­ those are legendary class undead.] [No¡­ they are indeed death knights¡­ but definitely not a death knight master. That one is still beyond my capability¡­] Shadow chuckled in humility. [If this fellow is truly a death knight master, then he should be able to talk. But he couldn¡¯t. I don¡¯t have the power to summon a death knight master just yet¡­ just pretty much this, its shadow.] Ares didn¡¯t ask much more¡­ instead, he approached the death knight master¡­ then took its hand and observed it. [What are you doing?] Shadow became suspicious. But Ares ignored him and took his right hand¡­then said. [It¡¯s because you two haven¡¯t synchronized perfectly. There is a slight error in the contract. It should talk once I fix it] Ares the kept mentioning things that surprised Shadow. [You underestimated your own capabilities¡­. This undead is definitely a death knight master. I know because I¡¯ve encountered one before. ¡ºDeath Knight Captain¡»¡­.its magic power certainly does not betray its name. To be able to summon it means that you are an excellent necromancer.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..] [For now, let¡¯s have a look at this contract. Once it¡¯s done, do you think you¡¯re up for some negotiation?] ===== ¡ô [This one is finally able to talk, O Master.] The Death Knight Master opened its mouth. [This one¡¯s name is Hades. Sincerely.] The skeleton Hades knelt before Shadow. Apparently, the contract had really been fixed. After that, Shadow promptly stored all of his skeletons, including Hades, back to magic stones, before turning to Ares. [I don¡¯t know how to thank you¡­ But how did you know?] Shadow asked in suspicion. Necromancy can be considered a lost magic already. To be able to see a slight error just from a glance is impossible in his mind. Ares simply rolled up his sleeves. Shadow was stunned upon seeing the many contract crest etched on Ares¡¯ arms. [I¡¯m also capable of using lost magic¡­ in my case, it¡¯s¡ºNon-elemental Magic¡». That¡¯s why I¡¯m quite familiar with other ancient magic as well. And¡­ as you can see¡­ I¡¯ve forged contracts with quite a lot of people¡­ like this one, it¡¯s the contract with¡ºthat one¡»undead spartoi.] [What! Is it true!? But the art to summon that undead has long disappeared!!] [Well¡­ let¡¯s just say I¡ºaccidentally found it¡»¡­] After saying so, Ares put his sleeves down, then switch to a more serious tone. [Now, let¡¯s go to the main topic. You are a mercenary, aren¡¯t you¡­ then how about I hire you?] ===== ¡ô What was inside Ares¡¯ mind when Shadow showed his collection of undead was; is it possible to turn the undead into a workforce to aid the city building effort? The labor shortage continued even now. With immigrants kept coming, more housings and facilities are needed. Skeletons can keep working as long as they¡¯re supplied with magic. Doesn¡¯t this mean they¡¯re perfect for simple jobs? And above all, this man who called himself Shadow. Although it¡¯s still a small dragon, he¡¯s capable of slaying it in a single stroke. He also could lead and give proper instructions for the skeletons. It would be regrettable to let this kind of person leave. Shadow replied to Ares¡¯ offer. [If I work for you, wouldn¡¯t that make the church to turn on you? Moreover, wouldn¡¯t it bring unnecessary difficulty for the government??] [The church is too far from here, I doubt that they¡¯re paying any attention to us.] [If skeletons roam around the city, wouldn¡¯t that cause bad rumours?] [Bad rumours are already floating around.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­] Shadow couldn¡¯t say anything back. It¡¯s been a month since he arrived in Grants. And the experience itself was surprising for him. The city was well maintained and the sanitary was top notch. Demihumans live in harmony with other races, and if one had a look at the development area, they could see golems working day and night¡­ A place where even demonkins¡¯ and magic beasts¡¯ life actually matters. That¡¯s the place Grants had become. And above all, this man standing before him. He said that he wanted to turn the skeletons into a workforce. Has there been anyone else with such thought before? [How many skeletons do you want to hire?] Hearing that, Ares smiled in satisfaction. And so did Shadow. ===== ¡ô Starting from that day, a large number of skeletons joined the effort of Grants development. The skeleton was handy for simple jobs as they cannot be exhausted, improving the speed of development even further. George was overjoyed with this. The recruitment of these skeletons caused a major impact on Grants development. Later on, history books recorded that the rapid development of Grants was a miracle accomplished by the combined effort of various races, golems, and skeletons. And now, it¡¯s time to take it to the next step. ===== ¡ô Shadow Gremming One of the¡¸Arestia Twelve Generals¡¹. It is said that people feared the sight of him leading his undead corps personally as he waded through the battlefield Because of his silent and unfriendly demeanor, his appearance often caused misunderstanding. He¡¯s actually a calm man who enjoys spending his leisure time surrounded by his skeletons. Renting skeletons, which started as a way for him to earn money, turned out to be a great success and later became a major industry. CH 110 Chapter 110 ¨C Immigration [Finally¡­ Finally it¡¯s here¡­] Two months after making the decision to move away from the capital, Elmer finally reached the gate of Heinz. Elmer was originally born in the southern district of the capital. To get a job, he studied architecture in the hope his knowledge would help him to make a living for himself, his family, and his parents. Turning around, he saw the exhausted face of his wife and children. I have to find a job to feed them properly in here, he thought to himself as Elmer entered the gate with determination. ===== ¡ô Elmer decided to move because of what his friend Damian told him. From him Elmer learned that the young lord of the Schwarzer, Ares Schwarzer was sent by the Emperor to Grants as the Lord of Frontier. According to Damian: [I hear that Ares Schwarzer is one of the few aristocrats who actually care for the commoners. Perhaps we can make it big if we move over to there?] Certainly, the current capital was not in a good situation. The aristocrats were too immersed in their political war to even care about public security. And the news that anyone emigrating to a local aristocrat territory would have a better life appeared to be a lie. There was a rumour that their life is even worse than when they still live on the capital. Elmer is now the head of the family. He can¡¯t afford to make a rash decision. And it¡¯s Grants we are talking about. Just a few months ago, it¡¯s still an enemy country and it¡¯s well known that it was underdeveloped land with monsters running rampant. Elmer was originally reluctant. But it was actually his wife who encouraged him after hearing the story herself. [Ares-sama¡¯s reputation has been the talk on the capital for quite a while now. Also, life will only get harder in capital soon. In that case, it might be nice to move there since there will be more new opportunities for us. The rumour of this man named Ares had indeed been circulating among housewives and women in the capital. Believing in that fame, many had decided to migrate from various places. In any case, if life is still hard, then they could just move again to start over. Elmer sold off his household goods for his family travel expenses, packed their luggage and left for Grants. ===== ¡ô The road was very harsh along the way. Scared of bandits and monster attacking, we felt the need to hire mercenaries. But here is the turning point. Apparently, adventurers standing by all around Grants would escort the migrants for free. [We¡¯ve been permanently hired by His Excellency Lord of Frontier. We are pretty much like soldiers that will help you going through the territory safely at the moment which, in the other aristocrats¡¯ territory ¡­probably there isn¡¯t any. That¡¯s why we are here.] They all seemed to be hired by Grants territory. And they would escort anyone who wants to move into Grants. [Once you got there, you¡¯ll understand. It¡¯s still in the middle of development, but the place has an unprecedented amount of equality in life. The journey might be difficult, but I want you to keep your hopes high.] Half of them nearly gave up, but when they talked about Grants, light of hope began to flicker back in their eyes. Their numbers gradually increased as more migrants joined then. And¡­ by the time they entered Brittany, their number was large enough to build a small town. ===== ¡ô Elmer and his family arrived on Grants after two months of travelling. The number of migrants grew even larger after passing Brittany. In other words, there had been no bandit or monster attack along the way and they could proceed peacefully. [It¡¯s as if we are on a group trip¡­] Elmer smiled as he looked around him. Various kinds of people were standing nearby. Even those from a different race. In fact, the demihumans outnumbered the humans at first glance. None of the people in the group seemed wealthy, as they only had their clothes and their baggage on their person. Originally, he thought there would be looting and chaos, but there wasn¡¯t. Everyone was helping each other. Well, certainly there were bandits trying to plunder the group the other day. But the adventurer escorts were quick to dispatch them. It was done in a jiffy and the travelling continued. [Now it¡¯s time for us to help each other. In case of bandits attacking or looters, I have permission to cut them down.] Hearing the adventurer saying so, many who had bad intentions separated themselves from the group on their own. So Elmer and his family could proceed to Heinz with peace of mind. When he passed through the gate and saw Heinz for the first time, he was lost for words. [This is¡­ Heinz, the capital of Grants¡­] The view beyond the gate was more splendid than he imagined, and he wouldn¡¯t even be able to come up with the scene that was happening in front of him even in his dreams. Roads and houses, all neatly organized and maintained well. A lively market. A clean cityscape. And above all¡­ a society where humans and demi-humans can coexist. (Oioi, this is already looking much better than the Capital¡¯s south district?!) Many, including Elmer, were stunned at the scene laid before them. Then a voice greeted them from the distance. [He©`y, everyone seeking to move in please come over here!] Is that so? Without nowhere else to go, the migrants followed the voice. And there¡­ people were lining up in a large plaza. [Yes, are you alright? Please complete the immigration reception first. Afterward, we will try to arrange work and housing for you!] The person who seemed to be in charge of guiding them in gave them more instructions. [Yes, there is a queue for each kind of job so please don¡¯t make any mistakes. The one on the right is for those who want to work in farmlands. If that¡¯s how you originally make a living, then feel free to also line up there. The center queue is for craftsmen. Be sure to find which one will suit you the best. If you can¡¯t decide yet, then you should go the left queue. We are introducing other kind of jobs as well¡­like caretakers and guards.] [W-wait a minute!!] The man standing next to Elmer raised his voice? [Yes yes?] [What¡¯s with¡­ this lining up thingy?] [It¡¯s for job allotment. We know that it¡¯s very harsh to live in a new place without any job to make a living. Maybe you are interested in agriculture, but perhaps don¡¯t have enough land. We can help introduce you to a company that requires your power.] [Then¡­ what if the profession turns out to be not suited for us¡­?] [That¡¯s why©`, I said it already earlier, didn¡¯t I? You should calm down, and think hard on what kind of job you really want. Oh, and be sure to go to the reception over there. They¡¯ll give you this month¡¯s living expenses.] [You¡­.you¡¯re giving us money?] [It¡¯s only the bare minimum required to live here. Otherwise some people tend to waste it all at the bar.] The guide added few more words. [Ah, also, please go to the reception at the back as well. And please don¡¯t make a mistake because there are really a lot of people here.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­] Hearing all that, Elmer was shocked. Immigrating had always been a huge gamble in livelihood. An unknown land and unknown neighbors¡­ a place you know nothing about. Adding to the problem is insufficient funds with no immediate way to replenish it. Therefore, in some cases, the decision might ruin someone¡¯s life. Like after arriving, they¡¯re forced to sell their daughter as a slave to continue living¡­ there are stories like that. But there¡¯s no such thing here. The bare minimum to survive was even guaranteed¡­ Was there another place like this? Was there another lord like this one? Suddenly, Elmer noticed that his children were playing around with the guards nearby. Not only them, other immigrants¡¯ children were also gathering around the guards. And the guards themselves did not look disgusted and willingly entertain the kids. He saw another immigrant with an anxious face were talking to a guard about this. [Children are the treasure of this country. That is the policy of this country, and ultimately our Lord¡¯s will. No one is going to treat the kids badly here.] Elmer¡¯s wife tapped on his shoulder gently after watching that scene. [I think we may have moved to a very nice place.] [Yes¡­ it¡¯s truly is.] Hearing his wife¡¯s words, Elmer smiled from the bottom of his heart. ===== ¡ô Right around this time, immigrants came to Grants like a swarm. The rumour spread and people, not only from the capital, but also from many other places started to pour in. Ares guaranteed for them stable living and job. In addition to that, the new children will receive an education. Of course, not only for children, but adults are also encouraged to seek education as it is free of charge. A few years later¡­ Heinz would turn into a giant metropolis with the largest population in the entire continent. CH 111 Chapter 111 ¨C Istrea Diplomat Southern area of Redgear was the border of the eastern countries. Facing Redgear from the east were two small countries, Renato Principality and Lyon Principality. Behind the two was the Istrea Kingdom, whose territory is comparable to Redgear¡¯s. Istrea was situated on top of a vast hill between two rivers. Not only did the high ground prevent floods from doing any significant damage, the country received the utmost benefits of having a vast fertile ground from being situated right between the two rivers. Also, due to its advantageous geographical position, the country rarely saw any foreign invasion. All in all, it¡¯s been enjoying a relatively peaceful time for a country in this era. In addition to that, Istrea had vassalized its two neighboring countries on its west, Renato and Lyon. It¡¯s also in a well maintained alliance with Horus Kingdom in its north and Toronto Kingdom in its east. Istrea is currently ruled by a [Queen] named Irene. She took the mantle of ruler after the previous King of Istrea, her husband passed away. While developing the country¡¯s commerce, Irene also focused on education, creating a free institution where everyone can receive primary education. Thanks to this policy, she was recorded as one of the best rulers in the entire history of Istrea Kingdom. Irene was already in her thirties. Ever since her husband passed away, she¡¯s been ruling the kingdom as the queen for almost 10 years. Despite that, she still retained her womanly charms. Be it her beautiful blond hair and countenance, or her devilish body that oozing out sex appeal. As a result, many aristocrats, both from within and outside of the country constantly sought to marry her. But in consideration to her own position as a ruler and a mother, all of those propositions had been rejected politely. Irene had two children. Twins: Estoria and Elliot. Both were already in their mid-teens. The sister, Estoria, inherited her mother¡¯s beautiful blond hair, pretty face, and alluring body. She was domineering and loved to mingle with strong people, as she¡¯s interested in learning martial arts herself. The crown prince Elliot in comparison was more subdued than her sister. He was brown haired boy with a rather slender body who enjoys reading while staying indoors. Thus he spends most of his time by studying. And as the crown prince Elliot was suffering from a long lasting sickness, Irene had to retain her position as the queen to help govern the kingdom. ===== ¡ô [So you are saying that it is only a matter of time before Dormadia attacks Horus, and Toronto will have to face the Byzerd¡­ is that it?] [Indeed. Those two countries have been nursing the ambition to unify the east¡­ this retainer believes that they will make their move next year.] The one who replied to Irene¡¯s question was Alfredo, the lead diplomat of Istrea Kingdom. His duties revolve around Istrea¡¯s foreign affairs, which include diplomacy and information gathering. Among the many excellent domestic officers in Istrea, he¡¯s probably the youngest to ever hold such an important post. He was a blond haired, green eyed, handsome man in his mid-twenties. He was originally one of Irene¡¯s relatives, but his background was not that simple. He lost his parents early in his life and experienced various hardships. But he fought o, and managed to secure his post as an official in the Istrea Kingdom. All that without relying on his so-called connection and solely through his own effort. And since then, his position kept rising, until he ended up at his current post now. It was thanks to him that the alliance of three kingdoms; Istrea, Horus, and Toronto, was able to form. He also composed treatises with many other countries. It can be said that Istrea¡¯s peace, despite the country itself having no strong army, was mostly thanks to his skillful negotiation and diplomacy. However¡­ [Dormadia and Byzerd¡­ refused to settle this on the negotiation table. Diplomacy won¡¯t get through them¡­] Alfred looked disappointed in himself. He¡¯s been on the move ever since he heard about the situation in the east. The major concerns were the movements of the emerging country Dormadia and Byzerd Principality. As for the recently emerged Dormadia, they were mostly consisted of goblins, orcs, and ogres. There was also information that the aristocrats were demonkin. After raiding a small kingdom north of the eastern countries, the Dormadia kingdom was founded. Since then, its power has been growing like bamboo trees launching invasions one after another. There are also rumours that the people of every country they conquered were turned into slaves. And the kingdom has been using utter violence and destruction to invade other countries. There was a particular rumour about the king. Which is¡­ [The King of Dormadia, Dormaghest¡­is apparently not a human¡­ rumours said¡­ that he¡¯s an orc King. And he¡¯s capable of controlling magic beasts.] [Controlling magic beasts¡­ is such a thing really possible?] [There were examples in literature. His upper rank retainers were demonkins¡­ while lower ranks consisted of monsters like goblins. Visiting the country wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant experience.] Alfredo bite his lip. He had gone to visit the kingdom on several occasions, but was always given the same reply. Surrender or be invaded. And the terms for surrendering wasn¡¯t something he couldn¡¯t accept. And it¡¯s not only Dormadia. There was another country that concerned him. That is the Byzerd Principality. [Zackard, the new King of Byzerd¡­ He¡¯s a human, but his brutality was inhuman. It¡¯s like¡­ he¡¯s a beast with human appearance.] [Certainly¡­ that person took the throne after eliminating his own father and brothers.] [That is indeed correct. The former king feared his overwhelming strength and brutish personality, thus exiling him¡­ but he returned, killing his father and brothers, then ascended himself to the throne. He may have been a human¡­but he¡¯s no better than Dormaghest.] Byzerd was a prestigious nation among the eastern countries known for their excellent knights and an army fitting for their status as one of the largest powers in the east. Their military power should¡¯ve been enough to unify the eastern countries, but did not do so because their country was built on the spirit of chivalry. The late King Everhart was known as both a proud general and brave warrior. A righteous and strong persona¡­ like the very embodiment of Byzerd¡¯s chivalric order of knights itself. So were his sons, except for one. Zackard was Everhart¡¯s second son. He was born with dismal character, Everhart often scolded him for treating the people and other retainers violently. But he was born with something¡­that none of his brothers¡­ or father in that regard, did not have. Which is¡­ Overwhelming strength. His strength was akin to a powerful beast so much so that a battle can be overturned just because Zackard joining in. His valor was priceless for Byzerd. But it was also a double edged sword. Troubled by this, Everhart ordered Zackard to go to the southern fort for surveillance duty. Three months later however, out of dissatisfaction, he marched back to the capital, rebelling against the king. The capital was overtaken swiftly due to his might, and finally he took the throne after executing his father and all of his siblings. [And that is why he¡¯s called the ¡ºUsurper King¡». After he ascended to the throne, Byzerd turned into an aggressive nation. Suppressing its people with fear and eliminating anyone who opposed them. With their strong army, they are capable of invading any country.] [That proud Byzerd has now turned into that¡­] [Not even a glimpse of its old feature remained. When I met Zackard¡­ his answer was no different than that of Dormaghest.] The condition presented was the same. Surrender or be invaded. [Both of them apparently seek to unify the east. As a result, Istrea will eventually be dragged into their war. Istrea currently has no notable military power¡­ we have to find another way.] [Is this already set in stone?] [They¡¯ll definitely come. And not in a distant future too. In a few years¡­ or soon.] Hearing Alfredo¡¯s answer, a frown appeared on Irene¡¯s beautiful face. She doesn¡¯t like fighting to begin with. However¡­ the fact remained that her kingdom would be involved eventually whether she wants it or not. Seeing Irene¡¯s reaction, Alfredo changed the topic. [Your Majesty¡­.. has Your Majesty heard the news regarding Redgear?] [Are you referring to Arcadia¡¯s lightning quick victories? I have heard about it¡­] [Apparently the person who conquered those four countries within a month has also become the lord of the four conquered countries.] Alfredo gathered up his courage, then resumed. [The new lord¡¯s name is Ares Schwarzer, and he¡¯s been appointed as the Lord of Frontier. If we want to defend against those two countries, then I suggest to seek his help.] [But¡­ that might encourage Arcadia to invade us instead¡­] [There is certainly a possibility of that happening. But Arcadia set the ruling leaders of each country to be free and even entrusted the governing back to them. Their country may have changed shape, but they are essentially still the same. I¡¯ve also heard that their new lord is a righteous person who cares for his people. I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s better than having to surrender to either Dormadia or Byzerd.] Irene looked at Alfredo without changing her expression. Not only is Alfredo one of her own relatives¡­ but just how many times already his efforts helped Istrea? She had lost count. Then it should be the same this time. Surely he had judged the situation and think up the best solution for the kingdom to take. The most important thing for Irene is the people of this beautiful country. Personally, she wouldn¡¯t mind following Alfredo¡¯s suggestion, although this wasn¡¯t something she could decide by herself. Therefore [I understand. This country¡¯s fate, I shall entrust it to you. I do not care about the result, but please do your best.] [Thank you, Your Majesty. I will surely forge an alliance with them.] Having said that, Alfrede excused himself after bowing deeply. ===== On the way back after meeting Irene, Alfredo began planning on the path he should take. Aside from his strong personality, he¡¯s also loyal to Istrea. However, he¡¯s a calculative person as well. There was one reason why he couldn¡¯t accept the terms of surrender that both Dormadia and Byzerd had proposed. And that is¡­ It¡¯s pretty much a death sentence for the two women. Alfredo was their relative and Queen Irene had given him a lot of trust. Thus he found the terms to be unacceptable no matter what. But at the same time¡­.. he also considered the possibility. Queen Irene might be willing to sacrifice herself as long as she can ensure the safety of her people. But even by abiding to that term, Alfredo himself didn¡¯t think that the other party will guarantee the stability of the country and its people. Worst case, Istrea will disappear, devoured by either of those two countries. Then¡­ would it be nice if he could bring others to protect Istrea, even if he had to make the Queen herself as ¡ºcollateral¡»? And that¡¯s where Ares Schwarzer fit the picture. According to the information that Alfredo obtained, this Ares is someone who would take responsibility for all the women he had a relationship with. That means, if he can forge a tie between that man and the queen, Ares will certainly protect Istrea. Thinking so, Alfredo could only sigh. [I really am the worst, aren¡¯t I¡­] He muttered. On the other hand, this is the time of war. He had no idea what will happen. But¡­ he could only try to find a way that will lead to the happiness of the people, and his lord¡­for the country itself. [Let¡¯s go to Grants first. We¡¯ll see just what kind of person this Lord of Frontier is. Ah, now that I think about it, how many years has it been since the last time I went there¡­] Muttering so, Alfredo began making plans for Istrea¡¯s future. CH 112 Chapter 112 ¨C Istrea Diplomat part 2 A year had passed since Ares began governing Grants. The Grants territory had undergone great development, mainly on the capital Heinz. In response, the other three former countries¡­ Trevoir, Brittany, and Redgear also put their efforts in development. The four former countries which are now parts of ¡ºSchwarzer Frontier Territory¡»had entered a great revolutionary period. ===== [A messenger from Istrea?] That was the case. Ares was told that a messenger from Istrea wanted to meet him. He thus stopped signing the documents. [Yes. He left Redgear earlier today, so he should arrive at Heinz by next week.] The Secretary of the States George said as he flipped through the materials. [Hmm¡­ isn¡¯t this a bit abrupt? I think¡­ if a messenger is already coming to us¡­ Doesn¡¯t it only mean that the eastern countries are on the move?] [Most likely. We should first listen to what the messenger has to say so that we can ascertain the movements of the eastern countries¡­] [You¡¯re right. As for the personnel from our side¡­ Shion, George and I should go meet messenger. Now that I mentioned it, where is Shion?] [¡­.immersing himself in the library as usual.] [¡­.just call him right away¡­ It felt like my brain was about to explode for a second there¡­ haaa.] George bowed in response to Ares¡¯ order and left. After watching his retainer left, Ares scratched his head and resumed his struggle against the mountain of documents. ===== ¡ô A week after arriving in Redgear, Alfredo finally reached Heinz. [Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect it to be changed this much¡­..] The scene before his eyes was a far cry to what he knew. Alfredo entered Grants from Redgear to have a negotiation with the lord. At that time¡­ the Grants in his impression was still that of an undeveloped land. The road wasn¡¯t well maintained, and monsters freely roamed around the suburb area. Although surrounded by a heavy fortress, Heinz itself looked more like a small barbarian town. And what about now? The road he passed from Redgear to Heinz was extremely well maintained, and he barely encountered any monster along the way. Entering Grants¡¯ territory through the southern area¡­ there were many towns that weren¡¯t there the last time he visited. Most of them seemed to be industrial towns, vibrant and lively. (Not to mention that¡­ Heinz itself has also changed so much¡­) The very first thing that drew his attention was the enormous gate built as the entrance to the city. Decorated with intricate and artistic sculptures, it¡¯s certainly an attractive view of a gate. But more than that, was the sight that lay beyond the gate. Road paved with cobblestone, stone and brick houses. Well maintained waterways. And not only the market looked lively, the scene of a safe and sanitary city was also widespread. (This¡­ the cityscape is probably steps above Istrea.) Istrea boasted a beautiful cityscape that earned the nickname of ¡°Land of Beauty¡± among the eastern countries. But the sight in front of him was enough to make Alfredo felt hazy. (Just what kind of sorcery is used¡­ this is interesting¡­) And more than anything. When Alfredo looked at the passersby, He saw that demihumans like beastkins, long-eared elves, dwarves, and even demonkins could live here without discrimination. In addition to that, golems and skeletons could be seen working tirelessly everywhere, and the citizens seemed to already be used to it. Children played around the golem, and some playfully tried to mimic a skeleton. It¡¯s something that Arcadia culture, as well as the teaching of the church wouldn¡¯t allow to happen, yet it is common thing on here. Interest in a country would lead to an interest in the leader. After Alfredo saw the cityscape and the liveliness of its citizens¡­ he couldn¡¯t help but wonder just what kind of man that he¡¯s about to meet. ===== ¡ô [Welcome, and make yourself comfortable. I¡¯m Ares Schwarzer, the lord of this Schwarzer Frontier Territory which consisted of Grants, Trevoir, Brittany, and Redgear.] [Thank you for the hospitality. My name is Alfredo, an ambassador from Istrea.] After finishing the formal greetings, Ares offered Alfredo to sit. Alfredo took a look at the man before him. Sitting at the forefront was the lord himself, Ares Schwarzer. He¡¯s a young man with black hair and eyes. ¡ºGentle and no flattery. Doesn¡¯t seem to be too aggressive.¡» The young man was exactly like that at first glance. But behind his gentle smile, there was an unmistakable pressure that is impossible to ignore, urging you to involuntarily correct yourself. Having met many people as an ambassador, Alfredo could easily tell. That this young man is ¡ºmore than meets the eye¡». (He should be around his twenties¡­ but what is this pressure? What kind of experience could bring about such a person?) Alfredo thought to himself. It¡¯s like I¡¯m sitting right in front of a great king¡­ Alfredo involuntarily gulped down his saliva. And there were also the two men standing beside Ares. those two must be [Shion Tristan] and {George Walter], the brains behind the Schwarzer. The black haired man with glasses and unmotivated face must be Shion Tristan, while the blond haired man with stiff expression seemed to be George Walter. At first glance, these two seemed like eccentric people. But Alfredo saw otherwise. (They too are more than meets the eye¡­ the Lord of Frontier must be a one of a kind hero for these two to serve under him¡­) [Your Excellency¡­ pardon me, I was too surprised. Heinz has changed so much since my last visit¡­] As soon as he took his seat, Alfredo spoke out his impression straightforwardly. [It¡¯s all thanks to everyone¡¯s effort. They are the one who worked on it after all¡­] Right after he said so, Ares glanced at Shion and added. [Ah, except for one person.] [I can hear you, Milord] [Then go do some work if you heard that] [¡­..I guess I could use some exercise.] Shion had a sour look on his face, which caused Ares to laugh. Hearing the conversation, Alfredo also chuckled. [Well then, taking the small talk aside, let¡¯s get on to the main topic.] George who stood at the other side of Ares suddenly spoke with a grumpy face. [What reason has brought Istrea¡¯s ambassador to go as far as visiting Grants?] ===== ¡ô [An alliance¡­? You mean, with the Arcadia Empire?] Ares asked Alfredo with a suspicious face. What Alfredo proposed to Ares was a military alliance with Istrea. After conveying the current situation on the east, he then explained that Istrea is in need of assistance. [When it comes to that, Arcadia Empire would prefer to conquer rather than to sign an equal Military Alliance.] After hearing Ares said so, Alfredo looked at the young man intently¡­and said, [No¡­ I¡¯m not trying to forge an alliance with Arcadia] [Then, what do you want?] [If it¡¯s possible¡­ I would like to forge an alliance¡­ with Your Excellency and this Schwarzer Frontier Territory.] Hearing that response, Ares was speechless. Shion seemed intrigued, while George frowned. Alfredo continued on. [We do want military aid in order to defend against Dormadia and Byzerd. Certainly if we capitulate to the Empire, they will post an army to protect the new territory. However, the safety of the Istrea Royal Clan will be in peril. Also, I fear that the land that the royal clan has tended to and developed with utmost care for generations would deteriorate under the newly appointed lord.] Seeing Ares simply listened silently, Alfredo resumed. [Certainly, Redgear, and Trevoir were lucky enough to have their royal clan be spared. However, that was only the case¡­ because of you, Your Excellency] [I see what you mean there. Then, do you want me to persuade the Emperor to do the same to you?] Alfredo shook his head. [I¡¯m grateful for Your Excellency¡¯s assistance¡­ but as a matter of fact, Istrea cannot trust the Arcadia Empire itself. Therefore¡­ I would like to forge a secret alliance with Your Excellency as an ¡ºindividual¡»] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­] Ares felt that he has to think this through. But Shion spoke first. [Such a strange idea. This time, you¡¯re most likely here¡­ to make a countermeasure against the growing aggression of Dormadia and Byzerd. In that case, it¡¯ll be more profitable to go directly to Arcadia instead. The Empire would appreciate it if they don¡¯t have to cross swords with Istrea to obtain it. And if Milord speaks for you, the Emperor will not treat you bad. The status as a kingdom might be gone, but the essence will still remain.] Scratching his head, Shion then turned to Alfredo. [In this kind of secret alliance you want, Arcadia wouldn¡¯t be involved in it. Thus they will eventually march to conquer your country. By then, Istrea won¡¯t be left intact. If what you ¡ºtruly¡» want is to keep Istrea safe ¡ºas it is¡»¡­.then such an alliance is worthless. ¡ºWhat¡» do you actually want?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.] Now it was Alfredo¡¯s turn to be speechless. Right. His intention was easily seen through by those three. Alfredo¡¯s original intention was indeed to capitulate to Arcadia. If Ares, whom the Emperor placed a lot of favor on, also put some words for him, then he might obtain the best possible concessions. However¡­.his goal changed halfway there. It became¡­.. [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..I understand. I will not try to cover it up anymore. You are right. I planned to use Your Excellency.] Alfredo closed his eyes for a short while, before finally speaks with determination on his face. [On the way here, I saw how developed this country has become. Such a massive development, I don¡¯t think a comparable feat has been recorded anywhere in history. Also¡­] Alfredo glanced out of the window. [It¡¯s a country where humans, demihumans, and even demonkins live together. Not to mention the golems and skeletons working on the road. All that sounds good when speaking about race equality, but in reality, both the Empire and the church would scrutinize over it.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.] [When it comes to that, there is only one thing to consider. Now, as long as His Majesty Sephiros reign over the Empire, this won¡¯t become a problem for Your Excellency. But if something happened to His Majesty Sephiros¡­ probably Arcadia will fall into great turmoil. According to what I heard¡­ Your Excellency has taken His Majesty¡¯s daughter to be your wife. Then it¡¯ll be inevitable that you¡¯ll also be caught in the turmoil.] Seeing neither Ares, Shion, or George responded, Alfredo decided to push forth. [¡­¡­.here is my personal idea. To protect Istrea Kingdom, capitulating to the empire now¡­ will be less profitable. What I intend to do is to formally announce our alliance¡­ once you¡¯ve obtained ¡ºindependence¡», Your Excellency.] [¡­¡­¡­you really spoke of something radical there.] [The most important thing for me is to get the greatest benefit for Istrea. If I decide to join Arcadia now, then when they break down¡­ Istrea will also catch the sparks. However, if we ally ourselves with Your Excellency.] [Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll treat your country bad, correct? At the same time, we can also use them as a smoke screen so that other eastern countries become blind to what happened at the center. When Arcadia breaks apart¡­ another great power will take its place. I see this as a mutually beneficial relation.] Shion finally spoke in a follow up to Alfredo¡¯s statement. After listening silently so far, Ares finally spoke up. [But¡­ isn¡¯t this the same as if you have sold your own country to me?] [This might be an unforgivable act for a retainer of a country. But¡­ I¡¯ve resolved myself. The only way to protect my Queen and my homeland¡­ is to rely on you as an individual.] ===== [It became more than we expected.] After Alfredo left, George involuntarily groaned. [It was very obvious, but anyone would want to gain benefit from a negotiation.] Shion also added. [Perhaps¡­that¡¯s why we must consider what benefits we¡¯ll get out of this. If¡­ If we truly seek to become independent later on, the eastern countries will also become a threat for us. In that case, having Istrea on our side will be very beneficial. If¡­ we decided to decline the alliance, that man could still go directly to Royal Capital and announce their intention to capitulate. Best case scenario, their country will also become part of the frontier¡­ perhaps that¡¯s why he chose to visit us first. That¡¯s a great calculation on his part.] Shion rarely praises other people, which shows how good Alfredo is. The silence returned for a while afterward. [Shall we take the bait?] Ares¡¯ muttering broke the silence. [Either way, we do need to have a foothold in the eastern countries. According to the information, it will still be in another one or two years before Dormadia and Byzerd make a move. We should settle the problem with the barbarians first before turning toward the east.] [But¡­ a secret alliance, huh?] Shion also muttered. [That means we¡¯ll have to secretly protect Istrea as well. When the time comes¡­ we can announce it formally. By then, the eastern countries should be ours already.] [And that way¡­ we can safely advance to the successor war that will come soon¡­ right?] George added. [Istrea¡­ is indeed an attractive offer. But that man, Alfredo¡­ he¡¯s also an interesting fellow. I¡¯d like to recruit him if possible.] Ares chuckled after saying so. Perhaps he had judged the situation himself, before deciding to go ahead with the negotiation. That calculation, and judgment¡­ simply superb. [After Istrea¡¯s ambassador returned to his country, we should start dealing with our most urgent problem. We¡¯ve spent a year in developments. It¡¯s time for us to move earnestly.] [It¡¯s also time for Milord¡¯s fiancees to come over. What a perfect timing.] [¡­¡­¡­¡­..I can¡¯t say anything against that¡­.] Ares chuckled afterward. ===== ¡ô As soon as he arrived back at the inn, Alfredo immediately wrote a letter to Istrea. After writing about the current state of Grants and Schwarzer Frontier Territory, as well as the result of the negotiation in the letter¡­.he fell on his bed and pondered. Never had he spent so much mental strength before. To think he would be so tired from negotiating with someone younger than him. [Perhaps, the eastern countries will see a great change with him in charge¡­ then Istrea will support him so that he can play as the central character¡­] Alfredo muttered to himself. CH 113 Chapter 113 ¨C Road to the East [The domestic areas seem to have stabilized. Isn¡¯t it about time to enter stage two already?] What George said changed the expressions of everyone else who¡¯s present. Yes, the time had finally come. As soon as the Istrea diplomat returned to his country, Ares issued an urgent order for the important figures of Schwarzer Frontier Territory to gather up. The round table was used once again. On Ares¡¯ both sides were the two Schwarzer¡¯s brains, Shion and George. On the right side of the table, sat the military leaders; Sigurd, Darius, Eckhart, Loran, and the consultant Gale. On the left side were the domestic officials such as Elan, Rodman, Tobias, Natalie, Francesca, and Oliver. And not only those living at Grants, Redgear¡¯s Wilfred, Trevoir¡¯s Louis, Brittany¡¯s Gray as well as deputy leaders like Arnold and even Shadow and Lilith were present. [The other day¡­ a diplomat from an eastern country Istrea came as a messenger. Apparently the situation in the east has become tense¡­ thus we can¡¯t afford to take it easy anymore. First of all, within a year, we have to pacify the northern riders, then the dwarves and the aryan, therefore removing our remaining worries within our own territory.] Ares¡¯ words brought calmness to the attendees. Shion then took over. [This time, we have formed a secret alliance with Istrea. Once we¡¯re dealt with our internal problems¡­.. we¡¯ll march to conquer the eastern countries¡­ while keeping it secret from the empire.] [That is¡­.. what do you mean?] The young Loran raised his hand out of curiosity. The others seemed to have the same question as they looked at Shion expectantly. [Some time ago, Balzac brought us news from the capital. Apparently, the royal capital is currently considering attacking the Western Thracia empire. Therefore, now they will lessen their focus on the east.] Shion then spread out the map on the table and continued. [His Majesty the Emperor is currently amassing power for the campaign. But Thracia is no pushover either so the campaign will most likely last for quite a long time. Worst case¡­ it¡¯ll last for 2, 3 or even several years. We can afford to decline participating under the guise of defending against barbarians. We¡¯ll use that couple of years window to swallow the east.] [The eastern countries¡­?] Many were surprised by Shion¡¯s explanation. Taking over from Shion, Ares was the one to speak next. [A major change will happen in Arcadia within 2 or 3 years. At that time¡­ in order to contend against other major powers¡­ we have to already amass more power than the others.] He then pointed to eastern countries on the map. [Now the eastern countries are in a state of war. It¡¯ll be so much quicker to conquer them. Also¡­ it¡¯ll make it easier for us to gain the trust of the people.] It¡¯ll be difficult to gain the trust of the people if we take over a land with a good master. On the other hand, if we ¡®liberate¡¯ the land from a tyrant, we¡¯ll become heroes in the eyes of the people, and they will welcome us with open arms instead. That¡¯s what Ares implied. Shion added. [With the frontier already stabilizing, we¡¯re now ready to attack. First, we pacify the barbarians and secure our foothold. After that, we march out and conquer the eastern countries. Those are our plans for the future. Any questions?] [H- hold your horses there!] Raising his voice was the earl of Trevoir, Louis. [I can understand pacifying the barbarians¡­ but, why does it seem to me that Your Excellency is very sure that something will happen to the empire within that couple of years!?] Now everyone¡¯s gazes were pointed at Ares. Ares then opened his mouth with a slightly troubled look on his face. [I¡¯m sorry¡­ Regarding that¡­ I can¡¯t tell you all right now. But believe me. The empire will fall into turmoil in a few years.] Everyone seemed to accept that answer for now. So Shion continued. [Now, is there any need to doubt our Lord¡­? However, Milord will certainly tell us the reason one day, correct?] [Yes¡­ certainly.] [If that is the case¡­ then very well.] Shion then turned back to everyone. [Then, first of all¡­ pacifying the barbarians¡­ I have already prepared our battle plan.] That said, Shion marked spots on the map. [First, the eastern mountain dwarves and the Aryans. Milord himself and Darius will be the one who will handle these two matters respectively.] [Wait! Why does it have to be Darius!?] It was Sigurd who complained. [It¡¯s because Darius is more familiar with the terrain. Is that a good enough reason?] Sigurd could only back down hearing that, while Darius laughed in satisfaction. [So, marching there, huh¡­ the land is steep and narrow. Bringing a large number of troops is impossible¡­ if it¡¯s me, I¡¯ll only bring several elites with me.] [When it comes to that¡­] Ares was the one who answered Sigurd¡¯s question. [Yeah, we¡¯ll bring the White Legion.] Again, there was no denying Ares¡¯ words. For he¡¯s about to unleash the strongest among his ¡ºBroken Legions¡», the ¡ºWhite Legion¡». Despite so, this particular legion was never used in any battle before. And yet Ares said that he would field them now. [If it¡¯s them, then we should be able to keep up with the Aryans which is said that any one of them is a match for a thousand.] Ares chuckled after saying so. [First, Milord and Darius should go visit the dwarf first. After that, pacify the Aryans.] Shion explained whilst moving his war fan around. [How Milord will do it, it¡¯ll be all up to you. I leave everything to you.] [The military advisor makes it sounds like it¡¯ll be a piece of cake¡­] Ares grumbled inwardly. Ignoring that altogether, Shion and simply resumed his explanation as he pointed at the north of the map. [Sigurd and I¡­ as well as Lauren will head north. There is information regarding barbarians appearing recently. They¡¯ve attacked some villages but fortunately, no casualties so far. We will go to the northern fortress and gather more information.] Then Shion once again turned to Ares. [Our goal is not to defeat them. If we want to occupy an area, then any of us will do. But barbarians have no fixed base and are nomads. The most important thing here is to ¡ºwin their hearts¡», so that they won¡¯t attack us anymore. That¡¯s why we¡¯ll need Milord for that.] All eyes focused on Ares. Everyone in this room knew that he¡¯s a vessel that carries the memories of many heroes. [After pacifying the Aryans, Milord must join us at the northern fortress. Only then will we finally make our move.] [¡­so you¡¯re asking me to be some sort of an envoy?] [Does Milord have any problem with that? After all¡­ it¡¯s something that only you, Milord could do.] Ares once again grumbled inwardly after hearing Shion say that. [No matter how much time we have, we¡¯ll never be able to fully conquer the barbarians. Therefore this 1 year¡­ is very important. It will decide the fate of our ¡ºArestia¡». So we must proceed carefully. Many nodded in agreement to Shion¡¯s words. Excited and anxious, each one of them showed a different expression. But all of them had the same thought in their mind. The change of era had begun. ===== ¡ô After the explanation was over, George finally spoke. [I have one question.] [What is it?] [When will Milord hold your wedding?] [!? Dang it¡­ I forgot about such an important thing¡­] Shion said nothing while Ares raised his voice in a panic. [Ermm¡­ I don¡¯t think there is a need to rush it, right?] [What do you mean? Milord. Your fiancees, including Sharon-dono, have already left the royal capital. Also¡­ Her Highness Princess will also leave the capital next week, yes?] [Haa? Why no one told me!?] [Isn¡¯t that exactly why I¡¯m telling this to Milord now??] George said it as if it¡¯s nothing. He promptly continued before Ares could say anything. [There was an advance notice from the capital, so we¡¯ve already made preparations to welcome Milord¡¯s fiancees. The only thing that is still left undecided¡­ is the date of the wedding.] [Wait a minute¡­ when did the notice come¡­?] [Well, thinking about the future, the sooner the better. Maybe we should hold it as soon as they¡¯ve arrived?] Darius also spoke up. He was clearly amused if judging from his expression. [Wait¡­..can you at least listen to me¡­] [However¡­ it¡¯ll be difficult if it¡¯s soon. Especially since one of them is the royalty of the Arcadia Empire. We should make it like something that only happens once in a lifetime.] Ramires also tagged in. Bergan nodded as well. [Oii. The one who is going to marry is me¡­] [No, we don¡¯t have to invite any extra people, since it¡¯ll only inconvenience us. More than anything¡­ we need to keep the development of this city a secret from those mangy aristocrats, especially regarding the fact that demihumans and demonkins can live freely in here] [That means¡­ direct relatives to the soon to be wives and Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s family¡­ am I correct?] [But, can it really be that simple? It¡¯s the marriage between someone of the Archduke clan and the Royal clan. We must at least make it as grand as possible¡­] Sigurd and Elan also joined in the discussion. But Ares soon voiced out his objection rather loudly. [I don¡¯t need that kind of thing.] That voice of his attracted the attention of everyone in the room. [Ah, you guys finally listened¡­ As I said, I don¡¯t need that kind of thing. The Royal clan or Archduke clan doesn¡¯t matter. I want to celebrate my marriage with people close to me. And it¡¯s not like I enjoy receiving congratulations or greetings from a stranger.] Everyone went silent after hearing what Ares said. Then, starting with Shion¡¯s chuckling, everyone began to laugh merrily. [Well, this is the frontier after all. We can afford to make some changes to the established wedding ceremony. Since the lord himself has spoken, it must be held as soon as possible] Many nodded in agreement to what Shion said. [Then, Milord. I have one question left.] The discussion seemed to be concluded already¡­ but George raised another topic. [What is it this time? I feel like this can¡¯t be good] [How will you treat Liliana-dono and Lilith-dono?] The air seemed like it¡¯s frozen right then. Ares¡¯ face stiffened and so did Lilith¡¯s. Until Liliana¡¯s brother, Wilfred stood up from his seat. [Your Excellency¡­ I would like to hear the clarification directly as well. That girl¡­ it¡¯s true that she¡¯s been longing for Your Excellency. Also, the other day I heard from her about a certain promise. As a brother¡­ I feel complicated to say this¡­ but if she can be with Your Excellency, there is no greater fortune than that.] [¡­¡­¡­..] Ares of course remembered. That time, at the bed. He did promise Liliana something. Subsequently, Lilith also spoke up. [I¡¯m really particular about my status. As long as Master loves me, I don¡¯t mind being a concubine or even sex slave.] [That is something I need to think about as well¡­] After muttering that, Ares turned to Wilfred. [For the time being, let¡¯s put this meeting into an end for now. But we¡¯ll talk about this matter slowly after this. Lilith too. Even if you don¡¯t care, we still need to talk about it¡­] And thus, the meeting was over. The next day, the news that the lord Ares Schwarzer would hold his wedding shortly was announced throughout the frontier. Along with that was the announcement about Ares¡¯ engagement with Liliana Redgear. There was no announcement made regarding Lilith. It¡¯s because she¡¯s a demonkin. The mass was not yet ready for such news after all. For the time being, she¡¯ll have to act as Ares¡¯ mistress. Exactly a month later, Ares¡¯ wedding was held. A grand wedding ceremony in the newly built church in Heinz. The festive celebration was not only limited to Heinz as the celebratory bell also rang in the entire region of Schwarzer Frontier. With all the chaos around the continent, the sound of the bell also served as a beginning of a new hope. CH 114 Translator: Raizu Chapter 114 ¨C Valkyrie Armor That day, Liliana Redgear was in a foul mood. [I have had enough of this, brother¡­ I was just trying to drive out that unruly person¡­] The source of her grumpiness was one of the fiancees and soon to be wives of her dear Ares Schwarzer. The fiancees happened to stop by Redgear on their way to Heinz. For her brother, the fiancees were pretty much equal to his lord. Apparently, since his sister¡¯s status had been confirmed, he¡¯d like her to make friends with the other fiancees¡­ but there was a problem with that plan. [Can you please cut it out, Liliana!] Upon returning to her own room, her brother rebuked her. If one got a good look, Liliana was holding her tummy. Stomachache? Most likely because she ate too much. Earlier that day was Liliana¡¯s first meeting with the other fiancees. Everyone was there, except for Cornelia who would be the main wife. Her brother seemed to be desperately trying to get along with them. But she thought, why do we even need to bow to them? That¡¯s what the weak do to the strong. And I am strong. [Why do I have to act amiable and submissive to those weaklings? ] [Fool! Your engagement was much later than all of them¡­ you are pretty much their junior! It¡¯s natural to act courteous!] Courteous? Why do I have to act courteous to them? They¡¯re weaklings. [Kuh¡­ never mind¡­ just don¡¯t do that again in tomorrow¡¯s breakfast.] Having said that, Wilfred marched out of the room. As for Liliana¡­ she was giving her brother¡¯s words some thought as she laid there on the bed. ===== ¡ô The next day¡­ I was on the training ground in the basement of Redgear castle. Before me was one of my husband¡¯s fiancees. I think her name was¡­ Sharon Roxietta, wasn¡¯t it? The ridiculous blonde haired one. So I ended up engaging in a duel against her. About that¡­ I think it¡¯s because this morning, during breakfast, I had a quarrel with her. [Why do I have to work as YOUR vice-commander? I alone is enough!] [¡­..didn¡¯t I tell you already yesterday? In the first place¡­] And the argument became more heated starting from there. [A duel!] [Whenever you want!] I¡¯ve calmed down since then. Yes, this is the ideal environment for me. Let¡¯s show this girl who truly deserves to stand side by side with my husband, and remind her of the difference in our ability¡­ Oya, why does my brother¡¯s face turn ghastly pale like that? And now that I look around, so did Zion. If you two don¡¯t feel good, then please get some rest instead. Gripping the holy sword Alflex tightly, I strengthened myself with magic. My partner and most beloved sword. Let¡¯s show this weakling the overwhelming difference in ability with one swing. [Are you ready? Blonde.] [¡­that¡¯s rude. At least call me by my name.] [I don¡¯t see the need to remember the name of a weakling. I¡¯ll end this in an instant.] I saw the blonde sighed. It¡¯s as if she saw me as insufficient. But she doesn¡¯t know me. I am the ¡ºSilver Princess Knight¡» who has been defending this Redgear for a long time. I¡¯ll definitely make her regret this. [Wilfred-dono doesn¡¯t seem to be well so I¡¯ll be the one to signal the start, alright?] The one who suddenly appeared¡­ was also one of my husband¡¯s fiancees. A dark haired woman with a pair of unusually large breasts. This big boobed witch, is she trying to make me feel inferior? I¡¯ll show her by finishing this duel right after she gives the signal. [Get set¡­ go!] [DeyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAA!!!!] As soon as the signal was said, I released the magic I¡¯ve been building up inside Alflex in a huge swing. The sword blast swept through the ground, rolling up dust, making me lose sight of my target. ===== ¡ô [Fuhn! How was it?] I shouted triumphantly. I saw my brother fall on his butt, with Zion hurriedly coming to help him. But that¡¯s not what I should be focusing on right now. It¡¯s the blonde in front of me. The dust had somewhat settled and the view became clearer. But something was strange. [What is¡­ that light?] Something behind the dust curtain was shining brightly, making me wonder what it was. The response soon came up from the sideline. [This wave of magic¡­ That is ¡ºValkyrie Armor¡» created by Ares-sama¡­ exclusively for Sharon-dono.] I was surprised after hearing that voice¡­ turning around, I saw the raven haired witch, who should¡¯ve been blown away by my first strike was still standing there calmly¡­ an incredibly thick magic barrier protecting her. [You¡­ you dare to involve Roxanne-san who had nothing to do with this¡­] I could hear the blonde¡¯s voice coming from my front. Impossible! She should¡¯ve taken that hit directly! Now that the dust had been fully settled, my field of view unhindered, I saw the blonde standing there with a sword drawn. A pair of large wings made of magic sprouted out on her back. [What¡­is that¡­?] [The magical wings created by the ¡ºValkyrie armor¡»¡­aptly named the ¡ºWings of Light¡»] The blonde then walked towards my direction. [A ¡ºPhoenix Heart¡»is embedded within this armor, making its magic consumption extremely efficient.] The wings on her back glowed like a rainbow colors as she spoke. ¡ºPhoenix Heart¡» Among magic stones, ¡ºPhoenix Heart¡» is up there with the Dragon Heart as the highest quality magic stone. Once every 10,000 years, a phoenix would gather its entire magic power in its heart before perishing in a storm of fire. The phoenix would then revive itself from the energy stored in its heart that becomes a magic stone in the process of its demise. However¡­ some could not resurrect themselves for one reason or another, permanently sealing their magic power and life force within the magic stone. That¡­ is the¡ºPhoenix Heart¡». [And Ares¡­forged this armor to make us of the phoenix¡¯s power¡­ and I was chosen as its wielder. Despite only a magic stone, its power is still that of a divine beast.] The blonde raised her sword. At the same time the rainbow colored wings also spread open. [Indeed, as a general who has protected this Redgear for a long time, you are strong. But¡­ if you think that we are nothing but wallflowers for Ares then you are sorely mistaken!] I could sense the blonde¡¯s magic power rising as she spoke. Honestly, this surprised me. I felt that I need to raise my vigilance. To think that it¡¯ll actually go this far. [Oya¡­? Have you lost your loud mouth? Or probably you¡¯ve finally recognized your mistake?] [I guess so. All I know is that I have to take you more seriously now.] That said, I tightened my grip on Alflex. [And I do have to also apologize. Sorry.] The blonde was seemingly surprised by my change of attitude. [¡­..however, I still wish to continue our duel. Will you entertain me for a bit?] [For what else do you think I stick around here?] The blonde gave me a small smile. [Let¡¯s go at each other seriously. En garde!] [Come!] Taking the cue, the blonde took the initiative to attack first at a blinding speed. I also raised Alflex and charged towards her. Her gold colored magic and my bluish magic collided, raising dust up once again. And thus, for a while longer, the blonde and I tried to overwhelm each other with all of our strength. ===== [That¡¯s one hell of a monstrous armor¡­ I was surprised.] I spoke to the blonde¡­Sharon. [Monstrous¡­isn¡¯t that a bit rude to say?] [More like both of you are similar in that regard.] Sharon smiled as she tilted the glass of wine in her hand while Roxanne seemed to be a bit sullen for some reason. During that duel, we really had a good fight. Now we could actually get along like this during dinner. My brother showed a weary smile on the side. Somehow, I felt like he had aged a lot during these few days. I wonder why? [Ermm¡­ I don¡¯t have any kind of power though¡­] [Same here¡­] Both Theta and Maria who were both dressed in maid uniforms muttered. But Nina rebutted them with a laugh. [What are you two saying? Theta¡¯s memory and housekeeping skills are in a monstrous class too. My father even wanted to recruit you to be his secretary. As for Maria, you started learning magic didn¡­ mmmnnmmm¡­] [You promised you won¡¯t tell!] Maria promptly shut Nina¡¯s mouth. Seeing this, everyone started laughing on the spot. I took a look at each of my husband¡¯s fiancees. Everyone, each one of them is a beauty¡­after giving them a closer look and listening to each of them, everyone seemed to have one or two special things about them. Starting with Sharon¡¯s valor, then Roxanne and her two sisters¡¯ immense magic power. Nina had her financial knowledge, while Theta boasts good memory and stellar household skills. It could be said that Maria being the only normal person among them was something special as well¡­ [But you know¡­ you haven¡¯t seen the real monster just yet.] Sharon elegantly wiped her mouth, then resumed. [Let me tell you this firsthand¡­ because it¡¯s something important to note. Being Ares¡¯ fiancees, we¡¯ll inevitably meet even more amazing people.] Nina who had been chipper since earlier suddenly stiffened. [Indeed¡­those two are in the league of their own¡­even Ares, has to abide by their will, doesn¡¯t he?] [Ares-sama will most likely end up with more women that he already has right now¡­..are you fine with that?] Their expressions turned serious all of a sudden. Feeling bothered, I asked. [Wait wait, these two women you mentioned earlier¡­ who are they?] All of them kept their mouths shut¡­ and in the end, it was Sharon who replied to me. [Ares¡¯s mother and also our soon-to-be mother-in-law¡­Sera-sama and Arcadia Princess Cornelia-sama.] Right after that, Nina laughed, and added. [Sera-sama¡­ I have no doubt about it. As for Cornelia-sama, she kinda did it unconsciously.] [Nina-sama is still angry about that dress picking session?] [Whoops, I slipped my tongue. Don¡¯t tell Cornelia-han about it, okay?] Everyone laughed once again. [Well, I can understand your feelings. When facing that woman, you instinctively want to bow down.] [Once, I saw her talking with other aristocrats¡­ she had this sense of authority around her¡­ and it¡¯s amazing to say the least¡­] [She¡¯s also kind to people of low status like me.] Wait wait, what is going on here? These people are¡­Ares¡¯ fiancees. In a sense, they are all my rivals. Yet somehow, everyone seemed to respect this Cornelia¡­ and everyone is close to each other as though they are sisters. [You, don¡¯t make such a weird face.] Suddenly Sharon spoke up. [We are all now ¡ºSera-sama¡¯s daughters¡». Of course we should be rivals¡­ but it¡¯s not like we need to fight for positions like concubines do.] [In the first place, none of us will be considered as ¡ºconcubines¡».] Sharon nodded at Nina¡¯s words, and continued. [Right. All of us are equal. Well¡­ except for Cornelia. She¡­ even though I didn¡¯t dare to look her straight in the eye.] Everyone else also nodded. [Because of her, we must unite together! Perhaps you think that¡¯s what happened here¡­ but really, it was because of her that all of us can sit here together harmoniously.] This time Roxanne was the one to speak. [She¡¯s our leader. There is no denying that. Also¡­] Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to me. [You¡¯ll understand when you meet her in person.] ===== ¡ô No matter how many women the King of Heroes Ares married, his marriage life was relatively calm. It is said that it was all thanks to the unity between all other queens and with Cornelia as their leader. Although their ages may vary, their relations were like that of true sisters¡­ they were all on good terms with each other. By the way¡­ when Liliana finally met Cornelia later on¡­ after spending some time with her, Liliana instantly declared herself as Cornelia¡¯s knight. But that¡¯s something for later. CH 115 Chapter 115 ¨C Magic Gun After joining up with Liliana-sama, we left Redgear about a week later. We now arrived at our next destination, Leblanc, an industrial town south of Grants. I¡¯ve been spending our days treating everyone¡¯s needs alongside Theta-neesan. Both Theta-neesan and I don¡¯t actually have to do it, actually. But¡­ since I originally worked as a caretaker¡­ I just couldn¡¯t stand lazing around doing nothing. So I begged the others to allow me to do what I want. Becoming Ares¡¯ fiance¡­..makes me uneasy. The other girls are mostly aristocrats after all. Most of the aristocrats I knew of weren¡¯t exactly good people¡­ wouldn¡¯t they bully me? But all of the other girls turned out to be nice and kind. My life so far has been like living with my own family. It¡¯s a bit lonely being away from Sera-sama, even if only temporarily, but the girls have been like my own sisters. It¡¯s like having a lot of sisters. Anyways, we arrived at Leblanc. I learned that the one in charge of this town was someone named Francesca, the secretary of industry. [Pardon me¡­ the secretary¡­ said that she¡¯s currently busy with research so she¡¯s unable to show up¡­] And that¡¯s why Eugene-san, the deputy secretary acted as Fran-san¡¯s proxy to guide us around during our stay here. Apparently, Fran-san who mostly cares only for technology and arts was no good at town governance¡­ On that consideration, Eugene-san was in charge of the town¡¯s general affairs in her place. I heard from Ares that Eugene-san was a talented man who originally worked at Schwarzer Territory. He seemed to be in his early thirties. With an honest face and short, well kept black hair. [It¡¯s alright. Someone is actually coming here to guide us¡­ is more than enough.] Following Sharon-neesan¡¯s response, everyone else also nodded. [I¡¯m glad to hear that¡­ then I will return later during lunch time. Meanwhile, please have a rest. Excuse me, but there is an urgent matter that I have to attend to.] Eugene-san said before leaving the room in a hurry. It seemed that there was something urgent. [What a busy man.] Liliana-san seemed to be a bit dissatisfied with this treatment. [It¡¯s at least better than when we first met. And I¡¯ve met him before back at the Schwarzer territory, but he¡¯s not like this back then¡­ I wonder what happened?] Miria-san also spoke up following Sharon-neesan¡¯s comment. [Anyways, why don¡¯t we go to our room already? I¡¯m really tired¡­] And so each of us entered the rooms that had been prepared for us. ===== ¡ô At the dining room. [The buffalo magic beasts are attacking the town at night?] Theta-neesan involuntarily raised her voice. [Shouldn¡¯t this town be safe?] [Yes¡­. it¡¯s embarrassing, but¡­] Eugene-san replied after a bow. [There is a buffalo magic beast breeding ground in the town¡¯s vicinity¡­ apparently some of the buffalo magic beasts escaped during transport. They¡¯ve been attacking the town at night recently. It just so happened that the escapees were all the largest of the group. Their more advanced intelligence allowed them to elude the adventurers we¡¯ve dispatched to hunt them so far¡­] [What about sending in the army?] Roxanne-neesan asked. [If we dispatch the army to this town¡­ I¡¯m afraid that there will be damage to our equipment. Thinking so¡­ I¡¯m hesitant to dispatch the army¡­] Hearing this, Liliana-san stood up. [Then it¡¯s my turn! Let me handle it!] [Hold it, muscle brain!] Nina-neesan held her back before Liliana-san could go. Always aggressive like that¡­ [!? What is it?] [Don¡¯t you think that the situation will get messier than sending in the army if you go? The same applies to Sharon as well as Roxanne and her sisters¡­ no you shouldn¡¯t.] [You¡¯re right¡­ Unfortunately, activating the valkyrie armor here¡­ might destroy an entire area¡­] [We¡¯re the same¡­ I even had prior experience¡­] Both Roxanne-neesan and Sharon-neesan regrettably admitted. [Then¡­.is there anything we can do?] Cynthia-chan looked sad. Ah, even when she¡¯s sad, Cynthia-chan somehow still looks cute¡­ But Nina-neesan came up with a solution. [No, there is one. She can probably solve this.] Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Nina-neesan on the spot. I also did. All of us were curious about what Nina-neesan said just now. [Maria, surely you can do something about this?] Ha? What did she say just now? I felt my field of vision turned white for a second after I heard that. And naturally, everyone¡¯s gaze switched to me. [Eh!? What do you even mean!?] [Speaking of which¡­ I think it¡¯s been mentioned before¡­ Is there something you want to hide?] [Hya!] As she was upset, Liliana-san turned her cold gaze at me. Certainly I haven¡¯t told her about my secret¡­ and I don¡¯t want to say this, but your gaze is scary, Liliana-san. [Liliana¡­ stop threatening her like that¡­] Sharon-neesan sighed. [Maria, you say? Certainly if it¡¯s Maria, she should be able to do it.] [If Maria uses ¡°that¡±, she¡¯s indeed the best candidate. I agree.] Roxanne-neesan also unanimously agreed. The discussion went on arbitrarily, leaving me on the side. [Wait, what is this ¡°that¡± you are talking about¡­?] Impatient. I¡¯m getting impatient. But someone tapped my shoulder gently from the back. It was Theta-neesan. [Maria, will you do it?] When I turned around, I saw Theta-neesan looking back at me with a gentle smile¡­ but I could sense some sort of loneliness within that smile. [I¡¯m jealous. Among all of us, I¡¯m the only one who couldn¡¯t fight¡­] [Theta-neesan¡­] I heard someone else, who sounded like Nina-san, whisper [I also couldn¡¯t fight though.], but I decided to ignore it for now. After hearing Theta-neesan¡¯s words, I felt my determination rising. [Understood. I will do something about it.] I stood up from my chair. When I realized, everyone had gathered around me. [Theta can do something that no one else among us can do. So no need to be jealous. This time around¡­ only Maria can do this. All of us need to show our support. right?] Sharon-neesan said so as she also tapped my shoulder. Everyone nodded to her words as well. Seeing this, I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯ll use ¡ºthat¡» for this. ===== ¡ô A large clock tower stood tall in the center of Leblanc town. And here we are on the uppermost part of the tower. [What is Maria¡¯s ability anyway? Can someone tell me already?] Liliana-san was getting impatient. Well, she¡¯s the only one not in the know. Even so, everyone seemed to ignore her. Roxanne-neesan, Millia-san, and Cynthia-chan were charging their magic power. Meanwhile I searched for my target. By the way¡­ everyone seemed to treat Liliana-san badly. Was it because she threatened me earlier? [Found it. They¡¯re going through the bushes toward the town from the northeast.] [There are three of them huh? Those are quite huge. I wonder what class they are in. But the price will certainly be high right? Are you doing okay?] [It¡¯ll be troublesome if they¡¯re allowed to let loose much longer¡­ Maria-oneesama, are you ready?] I steeled myself up upon hearing Cynthia-chan¡¯s prompt. [Yes, I¡¯m okay, thank you. Ready to go] [Come on now¡­ don¡¯t ignore me! What is Maria¡¯s ability¡­] Since Liliana-san kept nagging, I let her see what I¡¯ve been holding. [It¡¯s this.] [What is that??] Sharon-neesan who was lying next to me replied. [It¡¯s a magic gun.] [Magic gun?] [Yes. What Ares made for Maria¡­ was a weapon to snipe its target from afar.] ===== ¡ô The first who noticed my talent was Carla, the owner of the Black Cat. At first, she thought that I just had a good pair of eyes¡­ or something like that. However, as she witnessed me doing things casually¡­ like when I threw garbage into the trash bin, or when I always hit the bullseye while playing with the kids¡­ she started to reevaluate her previous thoughts. Does this child actually have a really good talent there, she thought. My aiming skill only improves after learning how to play with a bow and arrows. I myself wasn¡¯t actually interested, as it was just a game back then¡­ but after a while, apparently I became even better than those who¡¯re supposedly masters in shooting. Even so¡­ bows and arrows were a very inconvenient weapon for me. As I have a weak physique, I couldn¡¯t actually draw a long bow. The same goes for the crossbow as I had trouble when reloading the bolt. Therefore¡­ I couldn¡¯t help much in the end. I could only laugh wryly at that. But¡­ Ares created something that changed this. Hearing about my talent, one day, Ares gave me ¡°that¡±. [I¡¯ve heard from Carla. Why don¡¯t you try this out and see how it goes?] It¡¯s something he called a ¡ºhandgun¡». Apparently, it¡¯s a trial product that uses magic stones as its basis. Ares was pleasantly surprised seeing me using the product with ease. [That¡¯s awesome¡­ I should try making a better one for self defence.] And that¡¯s how¡­ the magic gun ended up in my hands. Then, after repeated improvements, came this gun I had on me right now. Its mechanism uses a thunder element magic stone power to accelerate a projectile along its barrel at extreme speed. Its power had gone beyond that of bow and arrow as its projectile can easily penetrate a solid object. I also heard that he used a small amount of Divine Metal ¡ºOrichalcon¡» to forge the barrel in order to prevent it from breaking due to the sheer power of the magic stone used. I¡¯ve only heard about ¡ºOrichalcon¡» in fairy tales or myths before. Even if it¡¯s only a small amount, it¡¯s still a high class material¡­ which made me reluctant and scared to use it. But Ares laughed it off, pushing the gun back to me and said that he doesn¡¯t mind. [Fumu¡­ A gun? But for self defense¡­ isn¡¯t it a little too big¡­?] This time I replied to Liliana-san¡¯s curiosity. [The self defense version is much smaller than this. This one¡­ is specifically for sniping long range targets.] That said, I set the barrel out, and searched my target. So I could see the buffalo magic beasts had begun to rampage. [I¡­ have a weak body that doesn¡¯t allow me to directly dive into battle. I hate conflict¡­ but I still wish to be able to help Ares even if a little, that¡¯s why I kept this gun.] I pulled the trigger as I said so. In a flash, a bullet was fired from the muzzle. A blink of an eye later, one of the buffalo magic beasts collapsed. [Wha!?] Liliana was shocked to see it. [If this ability¡­ can somehow be useful for everyone, then, shouldn¡¯t I try to embrace it?] I said as I moved on to my next target, aimed and pulled the trigger. Another buffalo magic beast fell. Without a break, I took aim for the last one. [I used to hesitate when pulling the trigger¡­ but not right now. It¡¯s all¡­ thanks to everyone here.] And I pulled the trigger one last time, killing the last buffalo magic beast. [Alright. It¡¯s done. Can you please confirm the kill?] [Eh? O-okay!] Probably entranced by the whole scene, Eugene zoned out a little before responding to my request by hurriedly ordered one of his subordinates to check the situation. Some time later, the said subordinate returned with a report. [According to the report, all of the beasts died from a puncture wound in between their eyebrows. Truly amazing marksmanship.] Hearing Eugene-san¡¯s report, I felt relieved while the others cheered. [That was shocking¡­ so this is a magic gun¡­] Liliana stared at my magic gun with a look of approval. [I¡¯ve seen firearms before¡­ I thought it was only a weak weapon used by those who couldn¡¯t use magic. But¡­ with this kind of power, if it keeps being developed, this will certainly change how battles are fought.] [Even so, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to mass produce this though?] I had to deny Liliana-san¡¯s idea. Un, it¡¯s still impossible to mass produce this. Especially if it has to be the same as this. [But why? With this kind of power, even regular soldiers will be able to compete with mages, wouldn¡¯t they?] [This weapon is certainly strong. But a magic gun like this is way too expensive to make. On the other hand, general firearms that use gunpowder are still in the prototype stage. Loading takes a long time and the accuracy is horrible¡­ It¡¯s for those reasons that no country is willing to adopt it as their weapon. I¡¯ve heard that some mercenary groups use it¡­ but aristocrats didn¡¯t even bother with it.] [Fumu, certainly the firearms I know of took quite a while to load¡­ and the wielder is totally defenseless while doing so.] I nodded at Liliana-san¡¯s assessment. Yes, those are the currently existing firearms¡¯ weakness. [How unfortunate. With that kind of power, it will certainly make a great change.] Right afterward, a voice could be heard coming from behind us. [Yess~ exactly~. That¡¯s why~ I need Maria-tan¡¯s help to help further my research~] When I turned around¡­ there was a glasses-wearing messy haired woman¡­ no, a ghost probably? [Ee©`rr¡­ who?] [That doesn¡¯t matter~ all that important is to have Maria-tan cooperate~] [Maria¡­tan?] [You mean me?] Feeling doubt, I unconsciously stepped backward. Because¡­ think about it. The woman in front of me had such a messy appearance, coupled with baggy eyelids. She also approached with zombie-like gait. [Ee©`rrm, who is she?] It was Eugene who answered to Sharon-neesan¡¯s question. [¡­..she is the secretary of industry herself, Francesca-sama. Pardon her somehow.] He said with a bow. No, please raise your head for I need you to manage this looming zombie (Fran). [Uhihihihi. It¡¯s really been awhile~ since I got such a good guinea pig~] [Hieeeeeeeeeee!] I involuntarily started screaming and running away. Behind me, Fran-san chased after me with equally fast speed¡­. Eugene-san was busy apologizing on the side¡­ while everyone else smiled looking at such a scene. ===== ¡ô Maria Schwarzer, one of Hero Sovereign¡¯s queens, was born a commoner. She was more modest and inconspicuous in comparison to figures like Cornelia, Sharon and Liliana. Which made it so¡­ only few knew of her expertise in handling firearms. But thanks to her, Ares later founded the Dawn mercenary group that would eventually become the key figure in spreading¡ºGuns¡»to the world at large. CH 116 Chapter 116 ¨C Heinz After 1 Year [Oh! Good job! It¡¯s great that you made it!] Elmer, who had moved from the royal capital to Heinz for a year already, greeted me. We were architectural colleagues back at the royal capital. His house happened to be right next to mine so our family really got along well back then. That was¡­ until Elmer decided to immigrate with his family to Heinz. I hesitated to immigrate at first as there were many sad stories about those immigrants after all. Especially if they were poor people¡­ like us. However¡­ comparing the current Elmer with the current me, anyone would be surprised by the difference. Not only did Elmer¡¯s skill look more ruddy and bright, he seemed to have gained some weight as well. On the other hand, I¡­ not only tired from travelling, but I was also thin and pale faced. It was probably obvious just what kind of hardships I¡¯ve been through. [Dennis¡­ it has been tough, hasn¡¯t it¡­] Elmer shed tears when he saw me. Have I¡­really changed that much¡­? The treatment for civilians in the Royal Capital was not that good to begin with. Public security was not maintained and jobs were scarce. Even if I had been working, I still had difficulties feeding my family. Especially the year after Elmer left. The royal capital further lost its integrity after the rumour about war with Thracia spread. More and more people resorted to crime due to the stress, all the while the law enforcers were full of corrupt officers that only acted depending on the bribe they received. In addition to that, the power struggle between the aristocrats only intensified with the people caught in the crossfire. It became harder to get a stable job, making it even more difficult to procure daily necessities. But one day, a letter from Elmer arrived on my doorstep. The content of the letter was¡­ that he¡¯s living happily with his family at Heinz, and a recommendation to immigrate. ===== ¡ô [It should be fine to do the immigration procedure tomorrow. Anyways, come with me today! I¡¯ve prepared a welcoming party for you all!] With that said, Elmer brought me and my family here. We were on unfamiliar land, so we looked around as we walked¡­ and were shocked by what we saw which made us think: What in the world is going on with this city? Isn¡¯t it already looking as if it¡¯s more advanced than the capital? The houses were all made of bricks. Each of them looks beautiful with their walls covered in murals. How elaborate this is¡­ I would appreciate it because I used to work as an architect. Elmer kept walking on. And as we followed him while in daze¡­ we arrived at yet another shocking building. It¡¯s a¡­ three, four no, five story high rise building. [E-Elmer!] I involuntarily shouted. [What is it?] [What building is that?] Elmer glanced at the building and smiled. [Ah, that is an apartment.] [Apartment?] [Since the population kept increasing while the available plot to build houses is running out, that building was built under the lord¡¯s direction. It was the idea of Oliver-sama, the person in charge of city development. It¡¯s a kind of building you probably never saw before. That lad is also reinforced with steel and it¡¯s been through various tests to see if it could withstand an earthquake.] What does that even mean? Are commoners even allowed to live in such an exquisite building normally set aside for aristocrats? [Wait a minute, did you say that the building is meant to house the citizens?] [That¡¯s right. Several families have already lived in their own rooms there¡­ ah, it¡¯s like the rowhouse in the royal capital.] I must be dreaming. I always thought that Grants was a land rife with monsters and danger. As it¡¯s an underdeveloped land, I imagined the houses would be tattered and disorganized¡­ but turned out, this place seemed even more developed than the Royal capital. [Isn¡¯t this strange? How come there are even more of those kinds of buildings? Are there a lot of workers here?] Elmer simply grinned as a response then pointed at the waterway that was still under construction. [Let¡¯s move on over there. You¡¯ll understand once we got there.] When we got there as told¡­ I screamed. [Uaaaaaaaaa! M-monster!?] There were many skeletons and golems there. [Look closely, those¡¯re not the only things, you know?] He tapped my back while chuckling. Elmer seemed to take the scene rather calmly compared to me. And I was even more amazed when I looked closely as suggested. There were several men working alongside the skeletons. [Oi! What¡¯s going on here!?] [Those skeletons and golems are workers. They don¡¯t get tired because they¡¯re powered by magic stones. They can¡¯t do fine detailed stuff but are great for simple works. Because of them¡­ this city has been developing at such a fast pace.] One of the skeletons raised its face, apparently noticing us. It actually stopped working for a bit to wave at us. Seeing that, Elmer smiled and responded in kind. [Well? Interesting, isn¡¯t it?] Rather than interesting, what¡¯s with that? This city is¡­ By the way, there were demihumans among the passersby. And just when I was about to ask Elmer¡­ a demon also passed by. [Ah, are you concerned with the beastkins?] [Why of course I am. What¡¯s with them? They¡¯re slaves and yet they act very complacent and at ease¡­] [That¡¯s because you¡¯re still stuck with the old thinking from when you lived in the capital. Here, they are just regular citizens like us.] Elmer explained to me with a serious face. [There is no slave system in the city. And there is no one acting like those corrupt officials and aristocrats here either. The officials are sincere and the guards are strict¡­ and above all, the ruler of this place, he is certainly a trustworthy man.] Then Elmer tapped my back once more. [That¡¯s exactly why I invited you here in the first place, Dennis. In a few months, you¡¯ll definitely understand the wonder of this city.] ===== ¡ô [Welcome.] [Yes, I¡¯m coming in.] My wife greeted me as I closed the door behind me. We¡¯re now living in a room inside the recently built four story apartment. A month has passed since our family moved into this city. Everyday had been full of astonishing surprises one after another. Not only housing, but everything was also in order at Heinz. The city has a sanitized waterway and sewage system. All the lavatories were flush-type. The city roads were paved with cobblestones up to its alleyways, and the waterways were in places. A lot of luggage was carried by boats via the waterways. The stores along the main street were lively. There are plenty of foods that couldn¡¯t be found even at the capital and they even sold bread cheaply. Before this, I¡¯d never imagine the day when I could eat white bread everyday. I also heard that the quality of food served in the restaurants and stalls had gone up in quality to an unprecedented level during this past six months. And then¡­ the cold ale. This beverage left a deep impact within my very soul. I would work myself like hell if I could have a taste of it every so often. My kids are now studying at school. In Heinz, it¡¯s compulsory to find education at school. They went to the same school where Elmer¡¯s and my other neighbor¡¯s kids go. This kind of thing was impossible back at the royal capital. [Dennis, how do you turn this on?] [Nn? Ah, here¡­] I¡¯m currently working as a site supervisor for the civil engineering business. I could make use of what I¡¯ve learned on the royal capital. At the moment, Heinz required all the help they could get, that¡¯s why they let everyone choose their own job. It¡¯s to develop human resources as well. And now¡­I even worked alongside a beastkin. Honestly, I used to not get along well with demihumans. Because I have had this prejudice since I was a kid. Humans are of a higher existence than the demihuman¡­ I had always followed that teaching of the church. But now that I¡¯ve moved to Heinz, I decided to learn to change my view. They warmly welcome us when we are in trouble in this unfamiliar land. They helped us. They¡­ are pretty much as ¡ºhuman¡»as any of us. My kids also made a lot of friends with many of them. Sure, they¡¯re better in terms of athletics. But that doesn¡¯t mean bullying would happen. Yes¡­ this place is very equal. Even the temple in Heinz¡­ teaches that everyone should be equal. That is the true ¡ºtruth¡». I¡¯m actually unable to tolerate the humans and churches on the empire for discriminating demihumans now. What did they do to deserve such a thing? There will be no end to it if I were to talk about the splendor of this city. But first and foremost¡­ I don¡¯t think anyone will have to fear about tomorrow¡¯s meal or unreasonable violence and discrimination. The city is still developing. More people are gathering after hearing the rumour spread in various places¡­ I think our lord will accept them all. Because¡­ he¡¯s that kind of man. Ares-sama¡­ sometimes I saw him around the city. Patrolling, both officially and incognito. But the hot spring facility is the most likely place to coincidentally meet him. He¡¯d talk to commoners, even ate at the street stalls¡­ at first glance, he doesn¡¯t look like those aristocrats back at the capital. But¡­ For the people of Heinz, he is someone that we would willingly support almost to the point of worship. This peaceful place was his work after all. Unlike those false aristocrats in the royal capital¡­ he truly did things for the people. I don¡¯t think there is anyone who would consider and think through everything for our happiness more than him. For that man. And to maintain this peaceful place, I would willingly lay down my life¡­ maybe everyone living in this city would think the same. Including me. CH 117 Chapter 117 ¨C Church¡¯s Dark Side [Fumu¡­ so the one that will be sent to Grants is those working under Cecil Griffith¡­ is that it?] [Affirmative. Grants is a land of heresy. It basically has no believers at all. Sending our precious subordinates to a place without believers is¡­ and this subordinate of Cecil was someone who doesn¡¯t hesitate to refuse our order. No matter how I see it, there must be something going on here.] The hooded man, Romani, reported to the person in front of him. Romani is the 10th archbishop of the church. He¡¯s currently in his fifties, but he still hadn¡¯t abandoned his ambition to climb higher yet. To become a cardinal, or even the Pope. He had a flabby fat body, and his fingers were decorated with jeweled rings¡­ at a single glance, nobody would be able to tell that he¡¯s a servant of God. In front of him were the four Cardinals of Sierra Hazard. All four of them, along with the Pope, were like the kings of the church. The leader among the four Cardinals was a man named Vandeus. He was originally an aristocrat and held the greatest influence among the four. He¡¯s also currently the closest person to become the next Pope. Right across to him was the second Cardinal, Lucius. Unlike Vandeus, Lucius was originally a commoner. Thus for the former, the latter is essentially a blemish that can¡¯t be easily gotten rid of. Other than the two were the third place Johannes and the fourth place Bowden. Both were members of Vandeus¡¯ faction. And lastly at the center was the pope himself, Zelgius, as the topdog of the church. He had been serving as the pope for nearly 20 years. He was known as the Emperor Sephiros¡¯ colleague before he became the eponymous Pope. But in recent years, apparently his already advanced age had finally caught up to him as he¡¯s been acting like an entirely different person. [Fumu¡­ what¡¯s going on here? Lucius-dono. Didn¡¯t this Cecil report directly to you?] Vandeus didn¡¯t leave the opportunity to push the blame on Lucius to pass so easily. His eyes staring sharply at the person sitting right across him. [Even if you say that¡­ I also have no idea what is going on. Maybe because there are no believers there, he decided to do something on his own volition?] Ignoring the piercing gaze, Lucius exclaimed. [Apparently he has been intending to go there for a while¡­ Grants is known as a barbaric country infested with monsters. An average person would only become prey. In that respect, this Cecil is a person of valor, yet he chose to become an Archbishop at such a young age. Perhaps that¡¯s why he took the initiative to go there.] Lucius stared back at Vandeus, then continued on. [If you find it to be so important, then why didn¡¯t Vandeus-dono send his own subordinate to go there? To be frank, I have no intention to send any more of my subordinates to that plac.e] Vandeus and his ilk were rendered silent by those words. In fact, the church had sent people to breathe in the church¡¯s beliefs on Grants before this¡­ but all of them ended up missing or returning as corpses. That¡¯s why, nobody else in the church was willing to go to that¡­ forsaken place called Grants. [Moreover¡­ that Cecil you denigrate so much is also one of the biggest donors for the church. Eliminating him will be the same as tightening the noose around your own neck¡­ do you understand?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­.] Vandeus could only stay silent. Meanwhile, his fire of hatred only grew hotter. [Enough!] The pope Zelgius finally spoke. In response to that, all other people whose rank is lower than cardinal attending the meeting quickly bowed their heads. [It has been decided that we will be sending our people to Grants. We cannot change that decision so easily. Therefore we will still send a priest as planned¡­ his name is¡­] [This priest¡¯s name is Felix.] Lucius added. [Then, so be it. This meeting is now adjourned.] [Please wait, Your Holiness! What about her highness ¡ºSaintess¡»¡­?] Zelgius interrupted Romani before he could finish. [The meeting is adjourned. We will not discuss any more topics today.] Zelgius stood up from his seat and left. Lucius followed after him in a hurry, while the other cardinals stayed put while gently lowering their heads. As for Romani¡­ he also bowed, albeit while biting his lip. ===== ¡ô [Great work. Romani.] Within Vandeus¡¯ living quarters, Bowden and Johannes invited Romani in. [Vandeus-sama! That Cecil is a dangerous man. We must stop him from becoming an archbishop at all cost!] Romani naturally became restless. Not only was Cecil more popular among the people, he¡¯s also one of the biggest donors for the church, making a lot of the higher ups take note of him. In addition to that, Cecil¡¯s valor and talent in sacred arts can become a major hindrance in the future. Romani simply couldn¡¯t allow himself to be outmatched by someone so young. [Fumu¡­] Vandeus muttered while sending Romani a cold gaze. What a scumbag. This man had been making an enemy out of this Cecil Griffith purely out of jealousy. But even scumbags still have its uses. [It is certainly not a good idea to let this Cecil Griffith become an archbishop. He¡¯s after all, one of Lucius¡¯ ilk.] Johannes spoke up. [If that Ares Schwarzer gains even more power in the future¡­ it will also affect your effort to succeed in His Holiness. After all, he has that much strength, money, and fame.] Bowden added. [And¡­ who would¡¯ve ever thought that he would be betrothed to the ¡ºSaintess¡»?] Vandeus¡¯ face turned bitter upon hearing that last part. Cornelia was known among the commoners as the ¡ºSaintess¡». At first, her presence was insignificant¡­ but lately her fame could no longer be ignored. Cornelia, being a Royal clan member and having a reputation among the higher ups as someone with great talent in the sacred arts, also helped cement her being recognized as a ¡ºSaintess¡». But the good thing was that the other aristocrats weren¡¯t aware of it as it¡¯s not announced extensively. Vandeus once tried to tie down Cornelia before, intending to marry her to his son. The fact that she¡¯s famous among the commoners and well-versed in sacred arts while having the lineage of the Arcadia Empire was too precious to pass up. However, no matter how he tried, the answer remained the same. NO. But he didn¡¯t give up so easily. However¡­ the suddenly-appearing Ares Schwarzer swooped her away in the meantime. When he found out about this, he could only grit his teeth in regret. But there is no use crying over spilled milk. In a way, he also found it fortunate that the ¡ºSaintess¡» was pushed out to the frontier. [Now¡­ our major concern is the existence of the ¡ºChild of God¡». Have we not found him yet?] The child of God was mentioned in an oracle. The upper echelon tried to hide this existence, but the smoke still escaped nonetheless. The rumour spread and now many believed in that oracle. It says¡­ a ¡ºChild of God¡» has been born to guide the people in his reign. [It¡¯s good if we can make use of that person. Otherwise he¡¯s nothing more than a hindrance. He must be eliminated at once.] [We¡¯ve dispatched a lot of people to look for him¡­ but we haven¡¯t even caught a single trace so far. Is the oracle wrong this time?] [The oracle shouldn¡¯t be wrong. There have been a lot of cases where it¡¯s proven right¡­ Moreover, complaining about its credibility is like questioning our faith, which is a foolish thing to do for people like us.] Having said so, Vandeus showed a nasty smile as he continued. [We should keep searching. Also¡­ send more people to Grants in case he¡¯s hiding there. And if push comes to shove, we might as well consider erasing Ares Schwarzer.] Those present nodded their heads in agreement. ===== ¡ô Cardinal Lucius was alone in his private room, reading a letter. It was sent to him by none other than Cecil Griffith. [Good grief. Sending someone like Felix to Grants¡­ that kind of man? What is Cecil thinking?] Lucius thought back on what kind of man Felix was. That man graduated from the same seminary as Cecil did; a very talented man. It could be said that¡­ he was right next to Cecil in terms of capabilities. They were both friends and rivals. He climbed to the bishop position around the same time Cecil was made an archbishop. He was a good man. But the reason why he was slower in his climb¡­ was due to his attitude to the higher ups. He¡¯s a man who disliked forced authority. [Fufufufu, but the young lord should be able to handle him fine. There is also Her Highness Cornelia-sama as well.] That said, Lucius brought the letter to a burning candle, and let the fire burn the paper until there was nothing left of it but ashes. [Well then, should I send Sirius over as well? Right now, Grants is pretty much the safest place in the continent.] Lucius smiled as he imagined the face of his apprentice. [Well, that fellow. He¡¯ll do just fine. Right now¡­ we just have to wait. The ¡ºtime¡» will eventually come so better be prepared¡­] Lucius muttered to himself while cleaning up the ashes. CH 118 Chapter 118 ¨C Wife Talk Author¡¯s note: Thank you for your impression on my writings. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t respond to you right away. Real life has been so hectic recently¡­ yeah, it¡¯s just an excuse. I have no right to say that after promising to take care of the readers¡­ it¡¯s truly regrettable. All of your comments, I¡¯ve read them all. It¡¯ll take some time, but we¡¯ll be sure to reply to them all. Just bear with me a little more¡­ I hope you can wait. ===== Why am I just sitting around here then? Looking at things objectively, Ares should be smiling. But he knew full well that if he smiled, he would only bring trouble to himself. So he refrained from doing so. So, he only sat on one corner of the room. In front of him was the smiling Cornelia. It¡¯s just that her eyes said otherwise. [Then, Ares-sama, can you hear me out for a moment?] [Yes, what is it¡­?] Ares replied with a quickly fading voice. Surrounding him were several other women¡­ his soon-to-be wives, all smiling similarly. Among them was a pink haired female demonkin. Lilith smiled bewitchingly when their gaze happened to meet. (Uuu, you traitor¡­) A week before Cornelia arrived at Heinz, Ares received a letter from her. In the letter, she said that she wanted to meet the other woman Ares had wooed, Lilith in particular, which made Ares frown. [I have heard the report regarding Lilith-dono.] Looking at such a situation, George suddenly spoke up [If there will be bloodshed, please make it quick.] Lilith alone was already a headache¡­ Why this one after another¡­? [Master, please rest assured. I handled the talking properly.] If that was really the case¡­ (Then, why are you on their side!?) Seeing Lilith was standing among his fiancees, Ares could only clutch his head. Lilith was currently treated as Ares¡¯ escort and eventually his concubine. But Cornelia was furiously opposed to this. For whatever reason, he should¡¯ve taken things formally. Blaming Ares for being indecisive, Cornelia pushed him to recognize Lilith as one of his wives as well. On second glance, Ares noticed that Liliana was standing behind Cornelia, like a knight guarding her princess¡­ although the former had an apologetic look on her face. (Even Liliana¡­ just what kind of sorcery did you use!?) [Ares-sama?] Seeing Ares not responding, Cornelia called out to him, which threw Ares out of his revery as he replied in haste. [No, it¡¯s nothing!] Seeing such a response, Cornelia kept smiling, but her gaze sharpened as she threw another question toward Ares. [So¡­ when Ares-sama unknowingly increased the number of wives, did you even consider the feelings of the other people?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­] [I was drunk; is that not a good excuse?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..] It¡¯s like sitting on a mat made of needles. Ares thought inwardly¡­ ah, this was similar to that. Sera¡¯s infamous ¡ºMother¡¯s Talk¡». Why is there always that kind of woman around him? Ares thought. Seeing Cornelia right now, no wonder she stood at the top among his wives¡­ Even though this would be their first meeting after a long while, Cornelia had already pushed Ares into desperation¡­ ===== ¡ô Ares was finally free to go around sunset. [To¡­ to think that Cornelia can be that similar to mother¡­] Theta was sitting right next to him as Ares lay down on the sofa. [Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Ares-sama has brought this upon yourself.] Theta smiled while saying so. Cornelia¡¯s sermon. It was exactly one of the few things Ares couldn¡¯t withstand. Because¡­ it¡¯s so similar to Sera¡¯s ¡ºMother¡¯s Talk¡» . [Back then it¡¯s my mother, now it¡¯s Cornelia¡­ I can¡¯t stand this¡­] Ares turned his face to Theta. [Speaking of which, why did everyone side with Cornelia?] [Eh?] [I mean, you¡¯ve been getting to know each other for a full year, right? What happened¡­?] Right, Ares suddenly had this question. Regarding why his fiancees are banding together like this. And not only Cornelia. Once the session with Cornelia was over, Sharon, then Theta, then Roxanne, then Nina followed one after another. He tried to look for aid, but even Cynthia could only smile apologetically¡­ he was thoroughly cornered. [Well, it¡¯s all because of Sera-sama and Cornelia-sama¡¯s power.] Theta¡¯s words sunk deep into Ares¡¯ mind. [Who would¡¯ve thought¡­ that both my mother and Cornelia are birds of the same feather¡­] [Cornelia-sama is a great person though.] Theta smiled at Ares. [Once people talk to her, they usually realize it. Sharon-san and Liliana-san were at first at odds with her¡­ but one day they just suddenly got along well with each other. Liliana-san even started to worship Cornelia-sama a week after they first met.] [Those two became like that¡­ that¡¯s very surprising.] [Lilith-san was also hostile in the beginning¡­ but she now acts like domesticated cat around Cornelia-sama.] [E¡­ even that far, huh¡­] Ares was lost for words. Ares could certainly sense the ¡ºTraits of a Ruler¡» within Cornelia. But¡­ he never thought that it would go this far. (Perhaps, she has a power that I¡¯m not aware of?) He couldn¡¯t help but think so. [However¡­ it¡¯s not good if I¡¯m on the losing side every time¡­] Ares muttered to himself. Being unilaterally dominated by his own fiancees¡­isn¡¯t that too sad of a fate for a man? Shouldn¡¯t they instead treat their man with all kinds of caring and fluffy stuff? (Regardless, it feels like I¡¯m still losing in the end.) At that moment, Ares¡¯ eyes caught something. It¡¯s¡­ the bottle of the same kind of wine that he once drank in the past. (Should I rely on Gil¡¯s help again¡­? I guess I could¡­ Cause I can¡¯t just leave everything like this!) As a man, he loathed having to rely on Gilbert¡¯s help. But he also knew that he couldn¡¯t just let himself remain defeated like this. He needed a breakthrough. Having made the decision, Ares reached out to the wine bottle¡­¡­ ===== ¡ô [Did we go a little overboard there?] Cornelia muttered after a small sigh. [That¡¯s not too much, I think? He won¡¯t reflect if we don¡¯t go that far.] The one who answered her was Sharon. [But it¡¯s still amazing~ nothing less from Cornelia-sama¡­ no, it¡¯s Cornelia-han now. But Ares fell too easily for it as well.] Having Nina mention it only made everyone to be reminded of Ares¡¯ appearance earlier. [And it is almost our wedding¡­ I think we went too far just now¡­] [No, we have to do that much. Otherwise he¡¯ll just repeat the same mistake again¡­] Just when Sharon responded to Roxanne¡­ The door to their room was opened loudly. [Haa, so everyone is here.] When everyone turned around¡­ they found Ares standing there, pink faced. His eyes glowed brilliantly, but it¡¯s obvious to them that this Ares was different from the usual Ares. That appearance¡­ some of them immediately recognized it. Sharon involuntarily stood up. [D-did you¡­ drink some liquor?] [I might be drunk. But I can still act true to how I feel.] [Even if you say so¡­] Sharon still remembers what Ares did when he¡¯s in this kind of state. When Sharon unconsciously moved to retreat¡­ someone got in between her and Ares. It¡¯s Cornelia. What she said next was actually unexpected. [Who are you?] The air immediately changed. What is Cornelia talking about? everyone thought that. [Oi oi, what is this? You can see that I am Ares, can¡¯t you? Your¡­] [I will ask once more. Who are you?] On her second try, everybody could feel that the temperature around them went down drastically. Cornelia was clearly angry. [Who are you living inside Ares-sama¡¯s body?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­..] Ares went silent, his face upset. But Cornelia continued on. [The one I love is Ares Schwarzer-sama, not you. Begone!] After she said so, a barrier was formed between her and Ares. At the same time, a red glow could be seen in Cornelia¡¯s eyes. [Uwaaaaaaaaaah!] [You might be trying to help Ares-sama now. But it is not your turn. Begone now!] At that moment, Ares could hear Gilbert¡¯s voice inside his head. ((Sorry, Ares! This fellow is bad news. I leave the rest to you!! If I keep insisting, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯d perish for real!) (EH?! Ehhh?!) (You married a truly great lady there, you know? This woman¡­ Let¡¯s talk about it inside the dream later. See ya!) (W-wait a sec¡­ you, you Traiiiiiitoor!) In reality, Cornelia stood in front of Ares, who was kneeling on the floor with heavy breathing. [Now then, Ares-sama. Do you have anything to say about that?] [¡­¡­.I¡¯d be grateful if you can make it as comfortable as possible¡­ Ah, I guess, it¡¯s impossible after all.] With Gilbert disappearing from his head, Ares was once again being surrounded from all sides by his fiancees. After that¡­. The talk continued on until dawn arrived. (Mother¡¯s talk is already hard as it was¡­ but Cornelia really went beyond it¡­ ah, god help me¡­) In the morning, in that room¡­ what¡¯s left was the completely burnt out and pale figure of Ares, sitting on a chair. CH 119 Translator: Raizu Chapter 119 ¨C The Heretic Felix Rhynemeier was born as the third son of an Arcadia Empire baronet. Since he¡¯s the third son of a low ranking aristocrat, he was sent to a seminary from childhood to reduce food costs. He was discovered by Lucius, who was still an archbishop by then. He then was told to study at the Imperial Academy to widen his horizons. He was along with one other person that year, Cecil Griffith, his best friend as well as his rival in most kinds of things. After graduating from the seminary, both chose to walk the path of the holy knights. But their paths took a major contrast from there. Regardless of his achievements, Felix did not receive as much recognition as Cecil did, making the latter more successful than the former. Everybody said that it¡¯s due to Felix¡¯s character. [I didn¡¯t become a Holy Knight to make them even fatter. I don¡¯t want to feed extra mouths!] He¡¯s a stubborn man who does not care about authority, always acting according to his own beliefs. It¡¯s probably because of that he received less recognition from the higher ups despite being as capable as Cecil. And because of that, he often got flagged, with Cecil having to cover for him. He was also harassed regularly. In the end, he got tired of all that and quit from being a Holy Knight, opting to pursue the path of regular priesthood. But it¡¯s still the same old song. He created too many enemies due to his excellent skill in sacred arts. Thus, after some persuasion from Cecil, he decided to leave for Grants, where nobody was willing to go. Cecil had another goal in mind by doing so. It was to stabilize Felix¡¯s position. With his mastery over sacred arts and his knowledge on the teaching, he would be in the position of someone with authority. Normally, it would be inconvenient for an ordinary priest to lead a Royal wedding. People urged that Ares¡¯ wedding should be held at the Royal Capital. But Ares dismissed all those voices and chose to stay in Grants. Cornelia agreed to it, and Arcadia Empire acknowledged his intention, so it¡¯s been decided that the wedding would be held on Grants instead. Many factions originally wanted to send their subordinate to attend the wedding. But it¡¯s Grants we are talking about here, a country of barbarians and monsters, not to mention the existence of the demons. Despite the rumour about how many migrants found a better life after moving into Grants, that land still remained an uncomfortable place for factions and the church as the spies they sent never returned to the point that going there was considered suicidal. No matter how much of a bounty was offered, nobody dared to take the job. Cecil was given the title of ¡ºBishop¡»for sending Felix to Grants. Of course, he also offered a lot of donations in lieu of that. [How superfluous¡­ I just wanted to stay away from those rotten people¡­] [Don¡¯t say that, Felix. The time will come when we will need your strength. At that time, if you happen to be in a higher position already, all the better. Well, for now, just spend your time at Grants. I¡¯m sure Ares-sama will¡­] [Where do you think I¡¯m going? There is that person. And Cornelia-sama is also there so of course I will definitely behave.] After that exchange, Felix left for Grants. A week after he left the royal capital, he finally arrived safely in Heinz. ===== ¡ô The first thing Felix did after arriving was to head to the church. Seeing the church, he was lost for words. [Oi oi, what¡¯s with this building? It¡¯s even more majestic than the cathedral on the Royal Capital.] Although the size was a little smaller than the Royal Capital cathedral, it¡¯s definitely larger than any other churches he had seen. Not only huge, it was also decorated with intricate and detailed carvings. It was attractive to say the least. Of course, there were still some rough sculptures to be seen here and there, but it¡¯s insignificant compared to the entire thing. [Perhaps because the sculptors weren¡¯t experienced. Well, we can easily fix that and probably also fix those that seemed unfinished.] George appeared while saying that, as if answering Felix¡¯s question. After hearing the explanation, Felix came to know that Ares had let any sculptors, both beginner and advanced, to carve on public objects freely. [It¡¯s to help promote and train the aspiring sculptors, so the works are completely free¡­ isn¡¯t that like helping each other?] was how Ares said it. After realizing why some of the results were plain bad, Felix simply chuckled. [That¡¯s just like him alright. He hasn¡¯t changed at all.] While saying so, Felix¡¯s gaze fell on the statue sitting at the back of the temple. The statue in question doesn¡¯t seem like something that should be put inside a church. [But after seeing all these, I kinda can tell why he did that.] George nodded as a response. [We heard that you were sent here by Cecil. [¡­¡­.State Secretary, you coming here personally, is it also some kind of a warning?] [Partially. The other part is me looking forward to seeing the reunion between old friends¡­ do you have anything to say about that?] [Haa¡­ don¡¯t make me laugh¡­ I know you¡¯re not that kind of guy. Depending on my reaction, those who¡¯re hiding in the shadow will jump out to attack me¡­ isn¡¯t that right?] [¡­..just a precaution, that¡¯s all. In case the person who appears this time intends to cause trouble from the start¡­ that¡¯s how I think. But how can I have the heart to do that to an old friend?] George replied while keeping a straight face, causing Felix to laugh. [Aaa scary scary. As usual, that guy always ended up making a hotbed. Well, compared to the Royal Capital, it¡¯ll be harder for me to cause trouble here. Well then, when do I get to meet him?] And so, Felix left the church and headed to the resident of the lord, Ares. ===== ¡ô [Welcome, Felix. It¡¯s been a long time.] Ares chuckled as he greeted Felix. [Oya well, to have the lord himself to meet me. Of course, I¡¯ve been doing great.] [Why of course, you are a ¡ºBishop¡»now after all.] [Ha, touche.] The two were quick to mock each other. But the smiles on their faces made it evident that it was all just in a joking manner. Felix only had a very small number of acquaintances among the aristocrats. One of them was Ares. Of course, Ares was informed about why this man went to this land of self-reliance called Grants. Ordinarily, most aristocrats often get angry since Felix tends to act a bit rude while around them. Thus he wasn¡¯t well-received by his colleagues and boss. Ares doesn¡¯t mind about such a thing. Anyone could act as themselves while around him. That pretty much made Heinz as the most fitting place for Felix to work. [Then, Felix. I think you already know about it¡­] [Yeah, is it something unique to this place?] Heinz¡¯ uniqueness lies in the fact that there are various races living together here. From human to beastkin, half-elf, to demi-human like dwarves and even demonkins who¡¯re supposed to be hostile to humankind. These races of course have different religions. Human worships the Sun God ¡ºAin¡», said to be Great God who is also the father to all other Gods. The other races certainly have their own Chief God. Like the beastkin that worships the Beast God ¡ºLioniel¡», said to be the forefather of all beastkins. The long eared elves worship the Divine Spirit ¡ºCelestina¡». And even the demonkins¡­ they worship ¡ºAin¡¯s¡»sister Demon Goddess ¡ºAcrodina¡». The current teachings of the church forced everyone to worship the Sun God, making other races have little respect for them. In the teaching, races other than humans are also treated as lower beings. [The church here does not discriminate against other races. Demihumans, demonkins¡­ everyone is free to worship their Gods in the church.] Ares turned a sharp gaze toward Felix. [Therefore I want to have my wedding in front of not only the Sun God, but all of those Gods. Be it the Beast God, Divine Spirit, or even the Demon Goddess.] Felix listened to Ares silently. He remembered how the statue of the Sun God wasn¡¯t the only one inside the church. There were also other statues of Gods that are supposedly shunned by the teachings. Reflecting on that, Felix laughed out loud. [Hahaha! Interesting, how interesting. In short, you want me to become the first priest in history to lead a ceremony in front of all Gods? That is very interesting!] Felix then turned to Ares, and bowed. [With pleasure. This Felix will lead the wedding ceremony. Let¡¯s work together for the future to come.] ===== ¡ô That day, Ares consulted Felix about the procession and also about the future. There were two main points in Ares consultation. One was about Cornelia. And the other regarding the existence of Sirius. [When everything has calmed down, Cornelia said that she¡¯d want to help out. So I¡¯ll be imposing on you.] [I¡¯d be grateful to have a certified Saintess to help me out¡­..the most important thing is that she doesn¡¯t discriminate against other races. Perfect for this kind of place.] [Then, about Sirius¡­] [He¡¯s still a youngling. It¡¯ll be good for him to get in touch with the many religions in this place. Doing so will broaden his mindset.] That said, Felix gave Ares a serious look. [According to Cardinal Lucius and Cecil¡­ we decided to send Sirius here to hide him from the eyes of the church, for his own growth and for when the time comes¡­ to make Grants be the center of everything.] Then he smiled mischievously. [Therefore, I have to get used to this place as soon as possible. Sincerely thank you, Your Excellency.] Felix and Sirius¡¯ arrival would later have a significant impact with Ares¡¯ relation with the church. And what they¡¯d cooked up would show itself in a few years from now¡­ ===== CH 120 Chapter 120 ¨C A Talk Before Wedding After arriving at Heinz¡­ I¡¯ve been feeling fluttery. That¡¯s how I, Sharon Roxietta, felt. That one year. Was it all just a dream? Now it felt like it was just a day. Ares proposed to me a year ago. When I heard that everyone else also received the same marriage proposal, I came to think: Yes, that¡¯s just like Ares to do so. After that, I was horrified when Cornelia-sama summoned us all. The other side is a member of the royal clan; she¡¯s not someone we can oppose. At the same time, I was curious about what she had to say to us. Roxanne¡¯s face turned pale¡­ while Theta and Maria almost lost their minds. Later on, I was surprised to hear what she suggested to us. Her intention¡­ was to make everyone get along with each other. There should be no fights between wives. And that all of us are equal. That¡¯s what she said. Yes, that day was probably when she became our leader. It might seem natural as she holds the highest position among us as the Imperial princess. But¡­ there was something more than that. Being united around her felt strange yet pleasant at the same time. Starting there until we arrived at Heinz¡­ I¡¯ve kept this a secret from Ares, but us girls had been meeting up regularly and did many kinds of things together. Cornelia-sama was also happy to get out of the palace¡­ but let¡¯s keep this a secret. Otherwise someone would be mad. Eh? But we didn¡¯t do anything weird really. No dangerous stuff at all¡­ maybe? Anyway, we forged a great deal of bond in the process. A year passed just like that, and we finally headed to Heinz, the capital city of Grants. Before arriving there¡­ We received shocking news. That there would be more wives. Marquis of Redgear¡¯s sister, Liliana Redgear And also a female demonkin we had yet to know the name of. Just how easy that guy could be. Really now. When we heard that, everyone seemed to think the same and sighed. If there was any reason for this, then it¡¯s probably because he IS Ares. But well¡­ I guess I should expect that the number will keep increasing in the future. It can¡¯t be helped because he is just that kind of man. We met them both since, in the end, we¡¯re all betrothed to the same man. Once again, Cornelia was the one who put all of us together in the end. Even the new members Liliana and Lilith turned obedient after a few meetings¡­ that was really scary. Alright then. We¡¯ve entered Heinz now. The city offered a major surprise for me. First of all, the size of the city itself. Until recently Heinz was known as a barbarian city¡­ But now it¡¯s probably almost as large as the Empire¡¯s Royal Capital. Then its development. Roxietta territory couldn¡¯t be compared to this. At the very least¡­ It¡¯s similar if not better than Romaria. The houses were beautiful, the streets and the waterways were paved. There were also high-rise buildings I¡¯d never seen before, with various trees and plants grown along the street. The street looked lively, the stores were thriving and security seemed good. I¡¯d heard that the city population had increased exponentially due to the large number of migrants from various places, including the royal capital. I was skeptical at first, but after seeing this myself¡­ I could only believe it. Finally¡­ The races. Yes, everyone lives equally regardless of races here. That¡¯s very much like Ares. Looking at us, his wives, anyone would be able to tell. Not only do we consist of varying races, each of us also belonged to various social classes, ranging from a princess of the Royal clan to a commoner. There is no such thing as inequality for him. That¡¯s why he built this kind of city. That¡¯s how I thought. ===== ¡ô We were still busy after arriving at Heinz. Meeting Ares¡¯ main retainers, touring around the city, and also wedding preparations¡­ When my father came to visit the still busy me, a month had already gone by. [Hi, how are you doing, Sharon?] My father¡¯s smile has always been gentle. Who would¡¯ve known that seeing such a smile could affect me so? Meeting my father again after quite a while, I felt a sudden longing and I unconsciously burst into tears. I¡¯ve been very busy everyday. But upon seeing my father, the reality returned back to me. My father who always patiently listened to the selfishness of his only daughter will now have to separate with her as she will now be staying in the frontier state called Grants¡­ But my father¡¯s smile never left his face, and responded while gently tapping my back. [Don¡¯t cry. You are going to become the wife of this continent¡¯s hero. Be proud. And it¡¯s not like we won¡¯t meet again, correct? I could always come to visit you anytime.] Hearing his response, I looked at my father¡¯s face with suspicion. Seeing me like that, the smile in his face vanished, replaced with a serious expression. [Would his fate only end here at the frontier? He¡¯s most certainly going to move the entire continent in his wake. More than me, you should be prepared for that.] He said. Father¡¯s words surprised me. Cornelia-sama belonged to the Arcadia royal clan. She has the right to inherit the throne. Meanwhile, His Majesty Sephiros hasn¡¯t announced who will be his successor¡­ Perhaps Ares will eventually stand in the center of this struggle for the throne. That¡¯s why my father said such a thing to me. But that means little to me. What matters to me are Ares, my sisters, led by Cornelia-sama, and lastly this country. Protecting them is my duty. Therefore I want to continue strengthening my feelings as Ares¡¯ wife as I deal with various other things. ===== [Welcome, and sorry for the wait. Esteemed Father.] It was a week before the wedding when my father Alphonse came to visit me, the eldest daughter and my two sisters. [Hey there, it¡¯s been a month. How are you doing?] It has only been a month, yet it felt like years had passed by. This one month¡­ it really felt so long. [Esteemed Father seems well.] [If I changed drastically within just a month, wouldn¡¯t that be sad on my part?] He laughed after saying so. Well, it might be something natural. It felt like it¡¯s been a long time since I last saw Father laugh like that. I mean, it¡¯s only been a month, but still. [However¡­this city, sure is amazing. Just what kind of sorcery did my boy use to turn it into this?] I understood what Father meant. When I first laid my eyes on the city¡­ I too was lost for words Afterward, we three sisters spend our time talking with Father about various things. About this city, about the other wives and also about Ares-sama. ===== [By the way¡­ are any of you suffering from ¡ºmarriage blues¡»? I heard that when the Roxietta missy met her father, she immediately broke into tears?] [Fufufu, that¡¯s so much like Sharon. She reacts like that because she always tends to try to look strong.] The one answering just now was Millia. [I really like the way I live these days. It¡¯s fun to have so many older sisters.] [Everyone is a good person after all.] Cynthia also chimed in. [Thank you, for always caring for us all] Father smiled bitterly at that last. [I see¡­ well, it seems to me that all of you are doing fine as it is. Just be careful not to bother the others.] Father suddenly clapped his hands. Taking the cue, his subordinates entered the room, carrying large boxes with them. [Now then, I came here to hand these to you.] When we opened the boxes¡­. There were three dresses. Wedding dresses. [This is probably the last thing I could do for you girls as a father. Come now, have a look.] Following Father¡¯s words, we silently looked at our wedding dress, lost for words. And I realized for the first time¡­ how shaken my emotions were. Esteemed Father¡¯s kindness, and his warmth, I could feel it¡­ [Thank you very much¡­ Esteemed Father¡­] I finally managed to say that. There was still one week until our wedding. So until then, we decided to spend it as slowly as we could¡­ with only the four of us. CH 121 Chapter 121 ¨C Hero Sovereign¡¯s Wedding Today¡¯s sky was clear blue, as if the light rain last night was nothing but a lie. [Father! Quick, quick!] Right about now, Elmer was walking alongside his kid along the road of Heinz. They¡¯re heading to the center of the city, where the city¡¯s largest church was. [The Lord¡¯s wedding should already be beginning! If we aren¡¯t quick, we¡¯ll miss it!] [Yeah, I know.] That said, Elmer¡¯s breathing was already a bit ragged from following his kid around. Today was the day for Lord Ares¡¯ wedding ceremony. Most of Heinz¡¯s citizens already flocked around the church, hoping to catch a glance at their lord and his wives. He even heard that some actually camped there overnight. (Amazing. I¡¯ve never heard of any other lords letting the commoners attend their wedding ceremony before.] With that thought, Elmer walked a bit faster toward the church. Looking around, there were many others also heading to the church, smiles decorated each of their faces. Above all¡­ aren¡¯t there a lot of different races here? He could see various kinds of people along the road. (I certainly never heard in history of a wedding with so many people coming to give their blessings before. To be able to attend and witness it personally, maybe I should feel happy¡­) While thinking so, Elmer and his kid rushed to the church. ===== ¡ô Sharon raised the curtain slightly, peeked outside¡­ and sighed. [When I¡¯m with him, somehow everything always goes in a bombastic manner.] Outside the church, the citizens of Heinz had gathered to give their blessings. [Isn¡¯t that a good thing? They come to give their blessing for us, aren¡¯t they?] Roxanne responded to Sharon¡¯s griping. The other fiancees also nodded with a smile. Sharon was wearing a pure white wedding dress. The dress was originally her mother¡¯s wedding dress, handed to her by her father, the Earl of Roxietta when he visited the other day. It was a simple dress with barely any decoration, but its simplicity served to highlight her beauty and her pretty long blond hair. Meanwhile Roxanne wore a blue wedding dress. At first glance, it gave off a sense of coldness, but once anyone saw her smile, they¡¯d definitely think otherwise. Miria¡¯s dress was mostly in a pale red to suit her passionate mannerism. Cynthia had a light green dress, which made her look like a grown up despite her young age. [I wonder. It¡¯ll be bad if somethin¡¯ were to happen to us. Would ya rather have bad guys to attend instead?] [That¡¯s even worse, but there is no way they¡¯ll let that happen¡­] [As long as those two are here¡­ it¡¯ll be impossible for anyone to enter without permission¡­] Maria and Theta looked behind them after agreeing to Nina¡­ and right there, they could see Zetos and Helmut standing by. Helmut responded to their gaze with a smile while Zetos, complete with his bright golden armor, stood still in upright position. With the two of them here, there¡¯s no way anyone without permission could barge in or sow some trouble. Nina¡¯s dress was dark blue in color. The calm color gave a sense of gracefulness to Nina¡¯s vibrantness. Theta¡¯s dress was white just like Sharon¡¯s. It truly complements her calmness. At first glance it does look wonderful¡­ but everyone kept insisting on adding this and that. Maria wore a beige colored dress. It was sent by Carla from the capital¡¯s Black Rose house. The older woman stated that it was specially ordered for her. [¡­.wait a minute, Liliana, what are you looking at?] Sharon took note on Liliana, who was focusing on something else entirely. Liliana¡¯s gaze had been seemingly bolted at the sword hanging on Zetos¡¯ waist since the latter entered the room. [Nn? Ah¡­ nothing, I am just wondering what that sword looks like.] Hearing her, Lilith chuckled from nearby. [Arara. Liliana-san really likes swords, doesn¡¯t she? Maybe Liliana-san should¡¯ve married a sword instead?] [¡­.how dare you to say such ridiculous things. I¡¯ll beat you up, demon.] [I¡¯m just teasing you a bit¡­ You really are someone who doesn¡¯t know how to joke around. Scary, scary.] [Cut it out, you two¡­ Lilith too, it¡¯s because you always teased Liliana at almost every chance.] Sharon sighed after saying so. Liliana was wearing a pale blue dress. Just like Sharon¡¯s, her dress was devoid of decoration as she deemed it to be useless for a knight such as herself. Lilith wore a pink colored dress. Hers had the most exposure rate among the other fiancees, emphasizing her sex appeal. And then¡­ [Pardon me for making everyone wait.] Cornelia came while apologizing. Sharon and all other fiancees promptly turned toward her and bowed. [Umm¡­ please raise your heads. You do not have to do that anymore¡­] [No, we can¡¯t do that, after all.] Sharon continued on. [We bowed our heads to Cornelia-sama because we want to. So, please get used to it.] That answer was laced with a mischievous smile. The other fiancees also had the same smile. Cornelia couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. [Really now! Look how you girls get along with each other now.] The room was enveloped in a warm atmosphere. Gentle laughs resounded from within the room until suddenly, the door was opened. [Alright, the brides, the preparations have been completed so please go move to the room over there.] Hearing that voice, Helmut immediately bowed reverently. [Then this Helmut will now guide milord¡¯s wives to the appointed room. Please follow me.] Everyone looked at each other and got up. [Now then, what should we do about Ares later?] [If it¡¯s me I¡¯ll just go with the flow. Is there anythin¡¯ particular we should be worried about?] [I¡¯m just worried that he¡¯ll turn to that ¡ºGilbert-san¡» again for guidance.] While having small talks like that¡­ they headed to the other room. ===== ¡ô This subsequent event was recorded in history books. A lot of written evidence had been found since there were many people present as witnesses. The history books also noted about the interior of the church. Not only there was the statue of the Sun God Ain¡­ there were also the statues of other Gods, previously considered as heresy by the church. The wedding itself was led by bishop Felix, formerly known as a heretic within the church order. Humans like Sharon and Cornelia bound their oath in front of the Sun God Ain while beastkind like Nina and the demonkin Lilith took their oath in front of the Beast God and the Demon Goddess respectively. The brides and groom kissed after taking the oath, their cheeks flushing pink with each kiss. Once that was done, it¡¯s followed by the reception where Ares and the brides would receive the blessings from those who attended. Only after that the ceremony truly ended. [Now, please exit the church. The people are waiting for you.] Urged by Felix, Ares made an appearance outside the church. He and his wives stood on top of the large stairs leading to the entrance of the church. [Ah, here he is!] [Our Lord is here!] [With the lord¡¯s wives as well!] [Uwaaa~ each one of them is a beauty.] [Indeed¡­ too beautiful and enchanting even.] [Right? Our Lord is surrounded by so many beauties¡­ dammit, how enviable!] [Ahh, Sharon-sama¡­ She¡¯s too beautiful¡­] [Liliana-sama looks more dignified than beautiful.] [All of the lord wives are too beautiful¡­ so envious¡­] [The last one who appeared¡­ that¡¯s Cornelia-sama!] [Ooo, our saintess is here! I came here today just to see her!] [Me too! If not for her, my child would not be saved. She¡¯s truly a lifesaver!] [¡­.come on now, let¡¯s just celebrate the occasion.] [That¡¯s right¡­ then, long live Ares-sama!] [Long live the lord¡¯s wives! Congratulations!] [Glory to Heinz!] [Glory to the Schwarzer Frontier Territory!] The cheering only grew bigger. The enthusiasm sparked even greater enthusiasm, and soon the outside of the temple became very noisy. [See, everyone wants to see us.] Ares whispered to his wives. [What I want to protect¡­ are these people. Surely various things will happen in the future. It might get difficult¡­ but¡­ I hope all of you can bear with it.] Sharon was the first to open her mouth in response to Ares. [Why do you even bring that up now?] [Nn?] [Isn¡¯t it already obvious? Would all of us be in here if we weren¡¯t prepared for that?] The others also added. [Being your wife means accepting everything you care about after all.] Said Roxanne. [In the first place¡­ don¡¯t you feel it¡¯s strange that many women gathered around you without too much of an effort? Nothing else would surprise me now.] Nina laughed, and so did the others. [Ares-sama.] Cornelia was the last to respond. [We will accept all the things that you are. If you treated these people like your own children, then so will we. If you consider this country as something important, then so will we. Just pick the path you wish to take. We believe in you and look forward to how far this journey will bring us.] All other wives nodded in agreement to Cornelia. [Everyone¡­ thanks.] A smile bloomed in Ares¡¯ face after hearing all that. ===== ¡ô Boasting an ¡ºironclad bond¡» that was ¡ºstronger than even real parent-child or sisterly relationship¡», Ares¡¯ harem began with this number at the beginning. As his territory expanded¡­their numbers kept growing to the point that it made many historians scratch their head. However, because each of them were undeniably similarly competent in their field, for better or worse, they became a major influence in both political and military matters. There was another major historical event aside from the grand wedding, which was how other Gods were enshrined on the same pedestal as the Sun God inside the church where the Royal wedding was held. A few years later, this incident would lead to a full blown confrontation with the church¡¯s forces. CH 122 Chapter 122 ¨C Barbarian It was a month after Ares¡¯ grand wedding was held. The Schwarzer Frontier Territory was in a haste to dispatch soldiers. Originally, Ares wanted to enjoy the afterglow of his wedding for a bit longer, but Zekka had an urgent message concerning the amassing barbarians in the north. Thus Ares was forced to leave the sweetness of his honeymoon to deal with the matter. First, it¡¯s been decided that he and Sigurd would lead the strike force, which consisted of his Second Corps and Sigurd¡¯s dragon rider knights. The Third Corps, originally led by Darius, would be sent to guard the northern fortress. In addition to all that, Shion would also go as the military staff member. [This barbarian revolt is likely to be bigger than ever. They have gathered a much larger force than expected¡­ I have to go as well if it¡¯s like this.] He unusually declared that he needed to participate in this battle. That goes to show how serious the situation was. Shion was mostly calm and laid back, preferring to take things as comfortable as possible. Him saying that he needs to go to the frontline speaks volumes about the urgency. Everyone on the military council frowned. [Zekka¡¯s intel suggested that there was a political change among the barbarians¡­ that a new king that could bring them all together was born¡­ This was certainly an unexpected development. We have to move quickly.] The northern barbarians were divided into many tribes, but the largest were the ¡ºWind¡»and the ¡ºIron¡» tribes. For decades, the two tribes had been at each other¡¯s throats, incapable of uniting¡­ but apparently, a mighty power had appeared and actually assembled the two tribes under one banner. Ares was intrigued by this development, thus he requested for more information regarding this power. [According to Zekka-dono¡¯s intel¡­ his name is ¡ºAmga¡», the new patriarch of the now largest ¡ºIron Tribe¡».] [So it is the ¡ºIron Tribe¡»¡­ I am afraid there are bad rumors circulating about them¡­] Darius made a follow up to Gale¡¯s statement. [Back then, I remember crushing their raiding force before. They¡¯re probably the most warlike among the northern barbarians. But their tribe had no real commanding or strategic power. The best they could do was to raid others for loot as many times as possible¡­ that said, the other tribes most likely loathe them.] Shion nodded in agreement to Darius¡¯ words. [Yes. What truly happened was still unknown yet, but they suddenly gained an increase in power and the other smaller tribes were unable to match them anymore. It is said that this new barbarian king wanted to claim the title of ¡ºRan (chieftain)¡»for himself after his achievement of subjugating many other tribes. But the ¡ºWind tribe¡»is stubbornly against this since the title originally belonged to their tribe.] [The title of ¡ºRan (chieftain)¡»was originally given to the Wind tribe¡¯s Legendary King ¡ºJamka Ran¡». If the Wind tribe willingly gives up the title, they¡¯ll lose their pride.] This legendary Barbarian King known as ¡ºJamka Ran¡»lived hundred years ago. His vast territory was comparable to that of the Great Arcadia Empire. Even if it only lasted for one generation, his deeds remained as one of classics of Eastern continent¡¯s history. [Amga¡¯s personality truly matches those of the Iron tribe, brutal and arrogant. Those who fear him call him the ¡ºBarbaric King¡»out of spite, but apparently he likes the name¡­] While listening to the report, Ares was thinking deeply. [I see¡­ but the intel we have is still too little. Continue to gather the information. And by the way, if that so-called Barbaric King dies, is there any potential person to substitute him to lead the barbarians?] [That, we don¡¯t know yet¡­ Let¡¯s have Zekka-dono to investigate more, including that] Ares nodded at Shion¡¯s suggestion. [That¡¯s right. The situation may change rapidly. It¡¯s likely to be a tough battle so we have to take this chance to conquer the east as fast as possible.] Having said that, Ares returned his attention to the map, thinking about how to advance. ===== ¡ô Geographically, the mountain ranges to the east of Grants was located in the north of all other eastern countries. It serves as a natural barrier for the eastern countries, but there were many gentler paths that lead to Grants. There were two major tribes living in these mountains. The first was the ¡ºTrue¡»dwarves. Unlike the other dwarves commonly seen outside, they regard themselves as the direct descendants of the ancient dwarves, which also led them to isolate themselves from the other races. Their body is one size bigger than regular dwarves, and they¡¯re also known as the better craftsmen. They certainly don¡¯t interact with other races often, but they are known to be mild mannered. Therefore the former Grants Principality could tolerate their existence and left them to their own devices¡­ except for one person. [Darius, are you saying that you are familiar with those true dwarves?] [Yeah, their liquor was topnotch.] Darius laughed at Ares¡¯ question. Meanwhile Gale looked like he was bitten by a bug. [He still went and visited them to have a drink even after I told him not to visit too often. He was truly a troublesome boy back then¡­] [Still saying that even though I know that Father secretly enjoyed the liquor I brought back home?] [You¡­ that does not have anything to do with this¡­] Gale instantly snapped back. Ares laughed seeing the exchanges. [Well, it¡¯s not like we are looking for a fight with them. We are trying to strike a non-aggression deal with them here. And if possible¡­ exchanging supplies with them.] Shion and George nodded at Ares¡¯ words. [The weapons crafted by the true dwarves are certainly of high quality¡­ I¡¯d be glad if we can deepen our relationship and enable their skills for our use.] [They¡¯re certainly some of the best, especially if we want to develop new weapons. Milord better do really well to strike on this negotiation.] Listening to the two, Ares grinned. [Well, of course I¡¯ll do my best. For now, the White Legion will patrol some distance away from the settlement to avoid unease, and I¡¯ll be going with Darius this time¡­ now, here is the problem] Ares then pointed to the open map, to the area north of the true dwarven settlement to be exact. [The Aryans may come to raid at any given moment¡­ we need to somehow suppress them first.] The Aryans lived on the northside of the mountain ranges, directly facing the barbarian grassland further up north. Their society revolved around an extremely militant way of life. According to rumours, they would drop their young down the cliff and only raised those who managed to climb back up. All of them have strong muscle-bound bodies, and boast extraordinary physical capability. They knew not how to use magic. However, it¡¯s as if their body is automatically strengthened with magic perpetually, resulting in them having greater physical strength than the norm. [The scariest thing about the Aryans is that they fight without any fear of death. Once they are on the battlefield, they¡¯ll keep fighting until there are no more enemies left or until their body ceases to function completely¡­ That¡¯s the kind of people they are.] A few years ago, Grants Principality had to defend against the combined forces of the Aryan and some smaller northern barbarian tribes. At that time, Grants forces that Gail led managed to intercept them¡­ [I will never forget about that battle. The opposing forces were only a few thousand strong. I brought 30,000 Grants forces that day. Even so¡­ our losses were still very great.] Back then, it was thanks to Darius¡¯ valor that they managed to pull through. [It¡¯s imperative to keep them down after all. We have taken a year to prepare ourselves in our plan to pacify the north¡­ and now, our wait is over. All of us need to be vigilant for any sudden changes.] Everyone on the military council nodded their head in agreement with Ares. ===== ¡ô [That said, I¡¯ll be departing tomorrow.] All of the wives turned silent upon hearing Ares¡¯ explanation. It¡¯s only been a month since their wedding. Naturally they wished to spend more time together. But circumstances cut their happiness short almost forcefully. [I will be lonely if you leave¡­ and I know for a fact that everyone here will too.] Sensing the consensus in the other wives¡¯ feelings, Cornelia spoke up first. [But you do not have to worry about us now, please concentrate on what is important.] [While Ares goes to war, we¡¯ll stay here doing our best for the good of Heinz in the meantime¡­ don¡¯t worry about us.] [We¡¯ll look forward to your safe return.] Sharon and Roxanne also added in. Hearing their encouraging words¡­ Ares could only smile back. ===== ¡ô The next day, the combined forces led by Sigurd and Shion headed to the northern fortress. At the same time, Ares and Darius also rode to the eastern mountain ranges. [The White Legion will be joining us along the way¡­ or so they said.] Ares chuckled. There were only two of them when they departed from Heinz. Then along the way, as Ares said, one by one, more people gradually joined up. In the end around 80 people were riding together to the eastern mountain. Each of the additional people was dressed like ruffian, but it¡¯s obvious to tell what group all of them belonged to. [Milord¡­ it¡¯s certainly exciting to see all these talented people you have here.] Darius commented with a laugh after giving the group short observations. [I bet they¡¯re also surprised when seeing you. This is the first time for me to see them looking so tense when they joined up with us earlier.] Ares also laughed in return. Then he turned his attention to the scenery spreading before him. The settlement where the dwarves lived was already within sight. And thus, the Schwarzer Frontier Territory was finally about to take yet another step toward the future. CH 123 Chapter 123 ¨C True Dwarves The dwarf. It¡¯s said that they¡¯re born as the servants of God to control the ground. They are excitable and easy going. They also don¡¯t bother too much about details. They are short statured, but their body consists of solid muscles. Therefore, many of them became renowned warriors. There were many dwarves who actually work as mercenaries. But what they are truly best at is craftsmanship. Be it weapons, armors, sculptures and buildings; all are top quality. And contrary to their characteristics, their works are meticulously detailed. They are also a race with a fondness for food and liquor. If you can bring them a delicious meal or good liquor, they¡¯d even go as far as buying those with money. They certainly had their quirks, but they are undoubtedly an indispensable presence in this world. And then¡­ among the dwarves, those who bear the pure bloodline of their forefathers were called the ¡ºTrue Dwarves¡». There were three dwarven clans that claimed themselves to be the ¡ºTrue Dwarves¡». One was in the northern Wolfgard. Another was living on the border of Thracia in the west and Tranberg Principality in northwest. And¡­ the last one built their settlement in the mountain ranges near Grants. During the time of the former Grants Principality, they weren¡¯t particularly hostile and neither did they interact with outside often¡­ [But we can¡¯t say that for sure in the coming days. They might not be hostile today, but there is no guarantee that they won¡¯t attack us in the future. Also, we need their skills to forge ahead further, that¡¯s why we need to negotiate well with them.] Ares explained as the group entered the true dwarves settlement. ===== ¡ô [Halt, humans!] The moment the guard entered the town, they were stopped by what appeared to be the town guard. [This is the city of the ¡ºTrue Dwarves¡». I do not recall having asked humans to come. With what purpose do you all come here??] [Oi oi, don¡¯t tell me you forgot my face already?] Darius moved forward ahead of Ares. He then approached the guard and leaned his body forward as if letting the guard see his face better. [Y- your face is too close!] The guardsman shouted as he retreated. [Lo-Lord Darius!?] [Yes, it is I. Darius.] Darius smiled, while on the contrary, the dwarven guardsman looked a little disgusted. [You¡­ nothing good ever happened when you were around¡­] [Whatsoever do you mean?] [No, it is nothing!] The guardsman promptly struck up a salute, and said. [Welcome, dwarven friends. Bless you all for the arrival.] [Ahh, thanks. I shall be intruding without hesitation then. Let¡¯s go, Milord.] Darius then urged Ares, who was smiling wryly, to go onward. ===== ¡ô [Ey, Darius¡­ are you really a friend with these dwarves?] Ares asked Darius carefully. [Obviously. That¡¯s why everyone is staring at me. They must be glad to see me again after a long absence.] The dwarves they passed by were certainly eyeing Darius. Ares sensed no malice from all of them¡­ but for some reason, all of them had an annoyed look on their faces. [Ermm¡­ just what have you done in here anyway?] [What does Milord mean¡­ I came here just to buy some ¡ºDwarven Firebreath¡»though?] [Ah, that. Of course.] The dwarven firebreath was famous as a liquor with a strong alcoholic content. It can be said to be the longing of every liquor gourmet around the continent. And¡­ of course it¡¯s the favorite liquor of the dwarves. [Rest assured. I haven¡¯t done that anymore ever since the ¡ºDistilled Spirit¡»was made.] Darius showed a refreshing smile while saying so. Ares deeply sighed. Darius said before arriving in this town to leave the talking to him since he had a strong connection to these dwarves. But¡­ (U©`n, this has become worrying now. I was too optimistic¡­) Ares unconsciously facepalmed. [Ah, Milord.] [What is it this time?] [I forgot to tell you, I had a scuffle with the chief the last time I visited. I was quite devastated, since it¡¯s a quarrel over just a small amount of liquor. That¡¯s why, it¡¯ll be up to Milord to make this negotiation come through!] [You should¡¯ve told me that earlier!] Ares became even more uneasy. On the other hand, the chief¡¯s residence was already in sight. It was a large stone building. Regardless of his anxiety, Ares bravely passed through the gate. ===== ¡ô [Welcome, O¡¯ Lord of the Frontier! I¡¯m Galdor, the chief of this town!] Unlike what Ares imagined, the true dwarves chief Galdor greeted him with a lively smile. Ares observed the person carefully as he accepted the handshake. Just like all other dwarves, Galdor had a short stature. But his arms and legs were equally thick with muscles. The calluses in his hand also gave off the clue that he¡¯s an excellent warrior. [But well, I¡¯ve never expected someone like him would actually call someone else his lord¡­ after hearing the story, I¡¯ve really wanted to meet you in person¡­] While saying so, Galdor glanced at Darius before returning with a serious gaze to Ares. [The gnomes made a fuss when you came. It¡¯s a happy occasion when they do. But they didn¡¯t do that when Darius came on his own¡­ so it¡¯s gotta be because of you.] He grinned while saying so. [Well then, what has brought the Lord of Frontier himself to our door this time?] But Galdor¡¯s eyes remained sharp during the entire exchange. ===== Even under Galdor¡¯s sharp gaze, Ares didn¡¯t break his smile one bit. This made Galdor to inwardly growl. (He must be very used to killing intent if he didn¡¯t even flinch after all that¡­ what a fine fellow. Now, is he truly a big fish or just another fool¡­) Ares took out a wooden box all of a sudden and offered it to Galdor. He then said. [Friendship.] Galdor was dumbstricken by that word. But Ares continued on. [I wish to befriend the true dwarves. And¡­ I wish that we could interact with each other more often. Of course, it¡¯s not for free.] Ares then gently opened the box. On one side was a beautifully made glass bottle, with sparkling amber colored liquid contained within. On the other side, was a large chunk of dried meat. [While interacting, I wish that I can learn your trades in craftsmanship. And in exchange, to deepen our friendship, we¡¯ll provide you with this liquor and food.] Galdor¡¯s eyes were already nailed to the bottle of liquor from when it was revealed. Even the famous ¡ºDwarven Firebreath¡»couldn¡¯t be processed to become that clear looking liquid. Dwarves are inherently fond of good liquor and delicious food. And now Galdor was presented with a liquor that he¡¯d never seen before. [Fumu¡­ bringing liquor to the dwarves¡¯ home. Just how confident can you be?] [Ee, but I am confident that this high quality liquor will manage to impress you. How about it? Don¡¯t you want to taste it??] [I intend to do that from the beginning. Anyone! Bring me a goblet!] [No need, I¡¯ve prepared it here.] Ares then took out a chalice made from clear glass from his bag. Galdor looked surprised when he saw it. [Hou¡­ that¡¯s a beautiful vessel you have there¡­] Ares poured the liquor into the glass chalice under Galdor¡¯s gaze. The latter took a single sip, and promptly shouted. [Wh-WHATintheWORLDisTHIIIIIISSSSS!!] Then he took a second and third sip to confirm the taste. [Strong¡­ strong liquor¡­ probably stronger than our Firebreath¡­ but with such a mellow taste.] What Ares brought out was of course the ¡ºDistilled Spirits¡». Dwarves like liquor, especially ones with strong alcoholic content. This time, Ares thought to win them over via their stomach. [Why don¡¯t you sample this one as well to top it off?] [Un? This dried meat? We have plenty if it¡¯s just this¡­] [But this one isn¡¯t any ordinary meat. Well, I shouldn¡¯t divulge further. Just sample it and you¡¯ll know the difference.] Following Ares¡¯ suggestion, Galdor sampled a small piece of the dried meat that Ares had cut for him beforehand¡­ and he once again roared. [WHATintheWORLDisTHIIIIIISSSSS!!] Unlike earlier when he carefully sipped the liquor, Galdor practically devoured the meat. The dried meat on the plate was gone in a matter of seconds. [Delish! Too delicious actually! What kind of meat was that?!] [It has gradually become our local specialty¡­ the platinum meat, buffalo magic beast¡¯s meat.] [Buffalo magic beast you say!?] [Yes, this meat is the result after we drained out the blood. We devised a way to process the meat of this magic beast, and it resulted in this delicious meat. Ares observed Galdor. It seemed that he managed to pique the latter¡¯s interest. So Ares launched the final blow. [Galdor-dono¡­ I always consider that the dwarves¡¯ history and technology are wonderful. We¡¯ll be proud if we could push our technology to be slightly on par with yours. Building friendship by interacting with each other and taking in each others¡¯ good points¡­ wouldn¡¯t that be mutually beneficial for both of us?] Galdor turned his gaze toward the liquor and meat, then back to Ares. [Do you mind setting aside some of this meat and liquor for me?] [I don¡¯t really mind¡­ what is it for?] [I¡¯ll use them to convince the elders. The exchange should be worth it. Especially with these meat and liquor in the equation. And in addition to that¡­] Galdor grinned widely. [There is also you.] ===== ¡ô At dawn, Ares and Darius headed back to the dwarven town from their camp. Just as Galdor told them the day before, the two headed to a hill overlooking the town. Upon arriving, Ares saw many dwarves, including Galdor, had gathered there as if waiting for him. [O¡¯ Lord of the Frontier, did you sleep well last night?] Galdor greeted with a smile. [About yesterday, we¡¯re here to announce the response¡­ the elders will be the one to do so.] Behind Galdor were eight elderly looking dwarves. [The distilled spirits and dried meat you brought¡­ were too attractive of an offer for us. The elders are convinced. However¡­] Galdor stared at Ares sharply. [We¡¯ve been avoiding interaction with other races, because¡­ we wish to preserve our culture.] Ares could understand what they mean¡­ somewhat. Exposure to another culture will bring changes. And the true dwarves didn¡¯t want any of that. [However¡­ I have a feeling that your arrival here might¡¯ve been the sign for us to finally change. Therefore, we would like to consult our God first.] Galdor pointed at something behind him. It was a spear lodged in a rock. [Inside that spear resides the spirit that the Goddess Celestina sent to protect us. It was thanks to the spear¡¯s protection that we could live here peacefully. If you truly mean no harm and would protect us, then according to the Goddess¡¯ words, the spear will accept you¡­ Lord of the Frontier, can you pull that spear out from the stone?] [Oi oi, hold on a minute. Isn¡¯t that the spear that I couldn¡¯t pull out back then? Having Milord attempt to pull it out¡­ are you sure?] Galdor replied to Darius¡¯ question. [We have thought a lot about this, Darius. What the Lord of the Frontier said yesterday made sense. And the liquor as well as the meat were too attractive to pass. But we still have our reservations. So in the end, we decided to leave the decision to the Goddess¡¯ will. Should the Lord of the Frontier pull the spear out, that means Goddess Celestina is giving us Her approval to finally move on.] Galdor then urged Ares once more. [Lord of the Frontier. Would you¡­ please?] Ares walked toward the spear quietly in response. The dwarves present at the site couldn¡¯t tear their eyes away from the sight. (Good grief, why does it have to be this difficult?) Ares laughed inwardly. He could sense an immense magic power coming from the spear which was lodged deeply into the rock. Ares whispered in his heart as he placed his hand upon the spear handle. (O¡¯ spirit and Goddess Celestina. If I¡¯m worthy to become these dwarves¡¯ friend¡­ then please assist me.) With that, Ares started pulling the spear from the rock. And then¡­ The spear was pulled out of the rock so effortlessly. [Hou¡­] [Hooooooo¡­] Seeing this spectacle, the dwarves started to make noises. Ignoring the hubris, Ares observed the spear carefully as he held it in one hand. It was a beautiful spear. As if the fact that it¡¯s been left in the open all this time was a lie. And the immense magic power remained even after it¡¯s been pulled from the rock. A bright light was emitted from its tip, attracting a lot of attention. While Ares was fascinated by the spear, he finally sensed someone behind him. When he turned around, he noticed that many dwarves, including Galdor, had gathered around him. [Lord of the Frontier¡­ well done.] Galdor smiled. [We, the true dwarves, hereby recognize you as our true friend, and therefore we agree to your suggestion. As the true dwarves, we are willing to lay our life if it¡¯s for the sake of our true friend. So ask anything you want.] That said, he stretched his hand out. With a smile on his face, Ares shook that hand. [I see. Thank you. Then, can I make my first request now?] [What is it? Ask anything you want.] [Whatever the case, I don¡¯t want you to give up your life for me so easily.] Hearing Ares¡¯ first request, Galdor¡¯s face frowned, before quickly turning into a satisfied laugh. The other dwarves also did the same. Ares and Darius also joined the laughter band. Soon, the echo of their laughter could be heard even from the dwarven town. ===== ¡ô Afterward, a banquet was held in the dwarven town. The White Legion that were standing by outside was called to join in as well. The entire town had become a grand feast. [O¡¯ friend, I want you to keep that spear.] At one table, Galdor kept insisting Ares to keep the spear. Although Ares declined at first, Galdor persisted until Ares finally had to give up. And thus, the spirit goddess spear, the ¡ºDivine Spear Reinart¡»was entrusted to him. [With that spear in hand, the other ¡ºtrue dwarves¡»living on the different sides of the continent will also assist you.] Galdor said. On the next day, Ares and Galdor concluded the agreement, although it¡¯s only provisional at the moment. He and Darius then headed out of the dwarven town, this time heading to the mountain where the ¡ºFighting Tribe Aryans¡»settled. [Well¡­ this time we might be up for some difficulties. We should be prepared.] Ares whispered to himself. CH 124 Chapter 124 ¨C White Legion and the Aryan ¡ºFighter Tribe¡» That was how people called the Aryans. They were gifted with rare physical capabilities and have been honing said abilities to the utmost limit through harsh military training. They were educated from youth to not fear death, and those who¡¯re lucky enough to witness them in battle and survived likened them to nigh unstoppable killing machines. It¡¯s said that back when the eastern continent was still rife with forest, the Aryans were once a great country with a major military might. However, after their defeat to the Great Arcadia Empire, the Aryan kingdom lost most of its power. Their defeat was mostly because of their preference in melee combat; their opposition, the Great Arcadia Empire army made use of their overwhelming numbers, various weaponry, and magic to respond against the Aryans¡¯ ferocity. The first emperor, Leon Arcadia who led the Arcadia army personally at that time even commented ¡°I do not wish to fight them a second time¡±, giving credit to how fearsome these Aryan warriors were in combat. The remaining Aryans then moved to the eastern mountain range, living and developing their own culture there until now. Two-third of the eastern mountain ranges were their territory. The true dwarves never provoked them, choosing to avoid fighting them. The Aryans usually stay in their territory in a self-sufficient manner. But occasionally, when their bloodlust and longing for battle rises back, they would go fight the northern barbarian or Grants Principality to sate their need for combat and plundering. They fought with no rules, only following their own instincts¡­ truly a tricky opponent. [Then, how will Milord hope to make them obey?] Along the way to the Aryan territory, Darius asked Ares. [Through battle?] [Of course not. Even with this many White Legion, it won¡¯t still be enough¡­] [Then why did you bring the White Legion along?] Ares smiled in response to Darius¡¯ question. [The White Legion will act as a bait to catch the bigger fish.] [What does that even mean?] [Well¡­ you¡¯ll see. By the way, we¡¯ll be arriving soon.] Ares pointed to a direction¡­ where a series of houses started to become visible in the distance. ===== ¡ô At the front was a solid looking stone gate. A lot of Aryans could be seen around the gate, ready to fight. At glance, their number was about the same as the White Legion. Probably a scouting party. A large man who seemed to be the leader shouted loudly. [Uninvited guests, what do you want by trudging into our land?] [Friendship.] Ares smiled refreshingly. [We¡¯ve come to forge a bond of friendship.] The squad leader laughed. [O¡¯ uninvited guest. We have no intention to forge any friendship with the weak. You¡¯ll have to prove your ability first¡­ Although I doubt that you can match us. Boys! Do it!] The Aryan advance party attacked without much words. Seeing this situation, without breaking his smile, Ares spoke up. [If you want to see my power, then I¡¯ll show you. I¡¯ll show you that there are warriors out there who could match you.] After saying so, he turned around and spoke to the White Legion behind him. [Well¡­ as expected. White Legion, get them.] About 50 White Legion that had been riding behind Ares began to march forward. Each of them holding what seemed like a cylindrical stick of various sizes. Those who¡¯re good with a sword held a sword-length stick, while those who¡¯re good with a spear held a stick with the length of a spear. Seeing this, Darius couldn¡¯t help but ask Ares. [Is this the solution you spoke of, Milord?] [Eh, of course not] [Then, did you prepare a tactic or something?] [Not really? I didn¡¯t give them any specific tactic.] That said, Ares still grinned. [In any case, the Aryan scouting party¡­ At first glance, their numbers seemed to be equal to the White Legion. But the White Legion will repel them. These guys can make their own judgment after all. If the Aryan only knows the language of ¡ºPower¡», then we¡¯ll show them just that right here.] ===== ¡ô All the White Legion members that responded to Ares¡¯ order to march were those who were experts in melee combat. [Hooooo, amazing. I thought you¡¯d turn tail.] The one speaking just now was Baran. In his hand was a broadsword-size stick. [Aahh, I hate this. I don¡¯t want to deal with these muscle-bound people. I¡¯d rather go back to Heinz and embrace some beauties.] That one was Flick. In his hand was a longsword-size stick. [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­] While Kill who rode next to Flick remained silent. His eyes firmly focused on the Aryan. He also wielded a longsword-size stick just like Flick. [Can you guys focus ahead without spouting nonsense for once? It¡¯s noisy, you know?] Karina reprimanded. She¡¯s wielding a stick with the length of a spear. Those stick weapons were custom made and only distributed for the White Legion. Thanks to Ares¡¯ knowledge in alchemy, the stick became almost ¡ºunbreakable¡». The White Legion was not allowed to bring their personal weapon this time. They would only be allowed to do so in important battles. If they brought out their personal weapons¡­ the result would be slaughter. To avoid that, they fought with these special sticks. This time, Ares¡¯ order was to capture every single one of the Aryan, not to kill them all anyway. [The Aryans¡­ a single one of them might be enough to kill 10 regular soldiers¡­ with the currently weak Imperial soldiers, I guess dozens of them will be needed to kill just one Aryan.] Ares mused as he turned the White Legion. [Well, I don¡¯t think you guys are weaker than them¡­ Unless they grossly outnumber you, then use the stick to fight them. Our aim is to capture all of them alive. We are trying to befriend them after all.] He also added. [However¡­ they are still, strong¡­ so, ¡ºtake it seriously¡».] [Alright then¡­] As he said so, Flick infused magic into his battle stick. The same also applied to the other White Legion members. Their battle stick started to glow with bluish light. [We got permission to go serious this time¡­ I¡¯m not going to pass it up since it¡¯s been a long time. Well then, Aryan, how long you guys will keep me entertained?] And with that, Flick rushed towards the charging Aryan. ===== ¡ô [I see¡­ scatter them around. Brilliant, the Aryans fell for it. They are good.] Darius commented with a laugh. [Strong¡­ very strong. Those guys. They certainly can capture all the Aryan advance squad.] Darius was amazed from seeing the White Legion in action. After all, Darius never seen ¡ºsoldiers¡»as powerful as each member of the White Legion so far. [In other places, each of them could become a military general or even a Hero at the very least.] [Even so, those ¡ºweirdos¡»are content with only being soldiers. That¡¯s how they are.] Ares himself laughed. The Aryans are strong. Anyone will know at first glance. Grants regular army unit would struggle when facing them After all¡­ Ares was very familiar with their fearsome strength¡­ thanks to Leon¡¯s memories within him. The Aryans attacked the White Legion with overwhelming speed and power. But the White Legion¡­ [Haha, they¡¯re still coming at you even after their bones have been broken. They got some guts.] [The only way to stop them is to instantly knock them unconscious. Aim for the key points!] [Interesting, isn¡¯t it? Here I thought you¡¯re itching to get serious?] [You guys¡­ you might get killed by accident if you keep blabbering your mouths like that. You know how angry Ares-sama will get if any of us die¡­ we must absolutely survive.] [No shit¡­ ah, here comes another one] The Aryan¡¯s attack was evaded swiftly and they counter attacked with absolute precision to effectively take their opponent out of the battle without killing anyone. The Aryans are certainly strong. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that if they¡¯re prepared to die, even one will be enough to take down 100 regular soldiers before expiring. But the precise attacks that the White Legion did¡­ could take them out of battle instantly by rendering the Aryan unconscious. [UooooOOOO!!] Baran wielded his large battle stick at a tremendous speed. The Aryan who received his blow head on staggered back, then he took that chance to slug them down in the face with his left fist. [Ugu!] But since the opponent was an Aryan, he didn¡¯t instantly get knocked out. At that moment¡­ [Gue!] An intense kick hit the Aryan, whose stance had crumbled, in the temple. This time the attack managed to knock him out. [Oi¡­ deal with your own side.] [Sorry sorry, his head just happened to be in the right place.] That kick came from the nearby Flick. He laughed Baran¡¯s protest out then proceeded to move to his next target. And just like that, the Aryan scouting party quickly dwindled in number. Watching his Aryan compatriots fall one by one, the squad leader was left speechless. [Impossible¡­ we, the Aryans, were beaten so easily¡­ and to Arcadia¡¯s rank and file soldiers no less¡­!] The moment he muttered that, an invisible slash hit him. The squad leader managed to react, but his sword actually broke off from the exchange. [Ah, thank goodness you can block that. I know that if it¡¯s you guys, you¡¯ll be just fine.] The one who said so¡­ was Ares. [Now then, squad leader. Can you go and deliver my message to your chief now?] [¡­guh, what is it?] [That the Commander of the enemy forces wants to talk. If he doesn¡¯t come¡­ I have a lot of prisoners of war here with me. Please tell him that.] Said Ares with a smile. CH 125 Chapter 125 ¨C Gilgamesh, the Aryan King Ares and Darius now walked through the Aryan settlement with the purpose to meet the Aryan chief, Gilgamesh. Sharp, murderous gazes were directed towards them. It seemed that the result of the skirmish had spread. Everyone in the advance party had been taken prisoner¡­ that was pretty much a humiliation for them. It would be the first time something like this happened, probably since the Aryans first gathered and formed a country.. As a result, all of them let out an extraordinary amount of hate and murderous intent when they saw Ares. Any regular man would¡¯ve probably melted on the spot under this treatment. But the two had no visible change on their faces. In fact, both Ares and Darius were smiling lightly as they walked behind the guide. [What pleasant glances.] [If anyone can feel comfortable in this kind of atmosphere¡­ they must be weirdos.] [And yet Milord walks with a smile on your face.] [I can¡¯t help it. I won¡¯t be able to proceed unless I do that.] While the two were having a small chat, they eventually arrived at the center of the town; a square area with what seemed like an arena made of stones. When Ares stepped in the arena, many Aryans started to gather around. Soon enough, the outside of the arena was full with people of various genders and ages. [My my, everybody certainly looks scary¡­] After commenting about their surroundings, Ares turned his attention towards the huge man standing in the center of the arena. He was a muscular man with long blond hair, stubbled chin, and sharp eyes who seemed to be in his mid thirties. After seeing Ares and his entourage, the man spoke. [My name is Gilgamesh. The Chief of the Aryans. O uninvited guest, what has brought you all here?] As Gilgamesh¡¯ loud voice echoed around, the Aryans cheered. In response to that question, Ares calmly replied. [Friendship.] The cheerings were silenced by that single word. Gilgamesh stared sharply at Ares, but started to laugh not long after. [Ha? Who do you think we are? We, Aryans will not work with a weakling like you!] The Aryans around also laughed when Gilgamesh did. However, Ares kept talking as if unaffected by those mocking laughs. [But your troops lost to mine. Moreover, we have captured all of them as prisoners.] The Aryans were once again silenced by Ares. [Rest assured. Your brothers are all alive¡­ But you should know this. We are not inferior to you. In fact, we are stronger.] The Aryans remained silent. Their faces were sullen. It was the truth. Their previously undefeated advanced party was defeated by the ¡ºpower¡»of the forces led by this man in a straight battle. Despite the silence, the Aryans still leaked out murderous intent. However, Ares did not even flinch, as he continued to speak to the Aryans around him. [Aryans, listen to me.] At that moment, all the Aryans present looked at Ares with surprised gazes because his seemingly calm voice somehow had directly echoed within each of their ears. Ares had used wind magic to make everyone around him hear his voice. But it served to upset the Aryans, who were unfamiliar with such magic, [Us, of Grants, are now walking on a new path. A path of development. A path of peace. And also¡­ a path of carnage.] Ares spread his gaze towards all the Aryans around the arena. [Do you all intend to stay in here forever? This world is wide. The battlefields you all so wish for are out there. Lots of chances for you to be in action.] Ares¡¯ words completely stilled the Aryans. Yes, to them, what Ares said just now was like a very enticing drink. Darius, knowing this, simply observed with interest. [Don¡¯t you want to meet even more adversaries? To spread the pride of the Aryans? Don¡¯t you wish to test out your strength? If you do¡­ then I¡¯ll take you in.] Ares turned back to Gilgamesh. [There will be a lot of battles ahead of us. And I want the Aryans to be there with me¡­ together when I walk the path of carnage. From your perspective, isn¡¯t that how you¡¯d want to live your life? With pride?] Even Gilgamesh was silenced by Ares¡¯ words just like his fellow Aryans. But his silence didn¡¯t last as long. He laughed out loud in turn. [Hahaha, truly interesting. How truly interesting, O leader of Grants.] Gilgamesh laughed once more before continuing to speak. [I see. It is certainly an enticing offer for us. However¡­ Does that not mean we will have to follow you? Am I correct?] [Indeed, you are.] Ares¡¯ answer was immediate. [But I don¡¯t want you to be there as my subordinate. I want you as a friend.] Gilgamesh turned silent once more before finally speaking up. [Then¡­ can you show us something to convince us?] Hearing that, Ares simply grinned. [Of course. Following your customs, I want to have a one on one fight between us, the leaders. It¡¯ll be a match of power. Will you accept the challenge?] ===== The arena where Ares stood¡­ yes, it was once the same arena where Gilgamesh fought against the other Aryans for leadership. Unlike the earlier murderous intent, the atmosphere suddenly changed into that of [Expectation]. As a tribe primarily focused on fighting, the Aryans enjoy the struggles of battle. And they were excited with the prospect of this duel. The entire town had this same air. [As usual, Milord is truly an interesting person.] Darius let out a hearty laugh. Ares first offended the Aryans, then confused them, and finally skillfully guided them by making use of their pride. All that allowed him to snag his reel on the chief as he intended. [But, I don¡¯t get one thing. Why did Milord nominate yourself to fight instead of me?] [You¡¯ve been kicking Aryans¡¯ asses for years now¡­ they¡¯d be wary if I nominated you as the competitor. Well, perhaps I just think that I could manage it myself.] Ares chuckled. [Fuu, you¡¯re being too lenient and they are as well. If only they know that their chief is going to fight someone more fearsome than me.] [¡­I guess you¡¯re also the kind of retainer who doesn¡¯t hesitate to tell off your own lord¡­good grief.] Darius simply grinned in turn. [But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m wrong, aren¡¯t I? That Aryan chief will regret not challenging me instead at the end of the day.] Darius turned his attention to the opponent. The opponent was wearing leather armor, and was wielding a large battle axe. His face was that of a man who is itching to go into battle. [Well, this is gonna be one hell of a fight. It¡¯ll be fun¡­ for certain.] Darius then shifted his gaze diagonally to the right. ===== ¡ô [Here goes!] [There!] Right when the signal to begin the duel was sounded, GIlgamesh immediately charged in with great momentum. On the other side of the arena¡­ Ares stood still, with the spear Reinart that he obtained from the true dwarves poised. [Ohhhh!] The large axe swung at Ares, causing wind to blow around violently like a tornado. [I see¡­ this is amazing. Certainly fitting for the chief of the Aryans. Regular soldiers would be shredded by the wind alone.] Ares observed the situation calmly. The swing was not only powerful, but also fast. A testament to the strength they¡¯re so proud of. In order to gauge the opponent¡¯s ability, Ares received the attack head on with Reinart. [Guh!] Ares skidded backward due to the momentum of the swing. The Aryans cheered. [Come on now, let¡¯s have fun, Leader of Grants!] Gilgamesh barked loudly. Ares quickly regained his posture and smiled. [It¡¯s certainly on a different level compared to the Aryan soldiers outside. If a member of the White Legion was to challenge him in a duel, it¡¯d be difficult for any of them to win. However¡­] Gilgamesh already launched his next attack. Ares looked at the axe head calmly. This time, he intended to avoid it by a thin margin, twisting his body and stepping aside just enough to barely miss the swing. [A shame. He would¡¯ve been a greater warrior if he has the right tool.] [What are you rambling on for¡­ Now fall to my axe!] Gilgamesh attacked once again. [No no, if I got hit by that¡­ I¡¯ll die. There is no way I¡¯ll abide by that.] With a chuckle, Ares once again waltzed through the attack, this time also finally brandishing Reinhart at Gilgamesh. [Alright¡­ then. I¡¯m also getting bored of these acrobatics.] That said, Ares suddenly dashed in with incredible speed. His spear tip moved as if it¡¯s homing in towards Gilgamesh¡¯ elbow. [Gah!?] Gilgamesh dropped his axe due to the sudden pain. [The Aryans¡­ their strength is certainly impressive¡­ However, that¡¯s all there is to them. Their movement¡­ is rough.] Ares then kicked Gilgamesh on his knee cap, causing the latter to fall on one knee. [But if this kind of strength comes in hundreds or thousand¡­ it can certainly pose a massive threat. That¡¯s why I want their power. Although, it turns out they¡¯re not that fearsome individually.] And as a finishing blow, Ares spun and launched a roundhouse kick, hitting the back of Gilgamesh¡¯ head. [Uguh!] As a result, Gilgamesh was forced to crouch on all fours. The difference in power was too obvious. The Aryans turned silent. Their excitement had gone off somewhere along the line. [Well¡­ is that it?] Ares said as he gave the still crouching Gilgamesh a look. Then suddenly, from among the silent Aryan crowd, [There is no way I¡¯ll let this end like this! I¡¯ll be your partner instead of my brother now!] When Ares turned his sight to the source of the voice¡­ he saw a tall young woman jumped out from the crowd. She¡¯s holding a sword that is almost twice as large as herself, which is very large considering that she¡¯s also much taller and muscular than Ares. The most impressionable part of her was her eyes, as they exuded unbridled fearlessness. [It¡¯s the princess¡­..] [Zenobia-sama is here!!] The Aryans who were silenced earlier seemed to regain their excitement. Their cheerings and shouts turned louder and louder. Ares took a look at her once more¡­ and his face turned severe immediately. [Well well, this is surprising. Is she the real champion of the tribe?] Gilgamesh was certainly strong. But the vibe that this Zenobia gave out was of a different level than him. It¡¯s like Ares was looking at a high-ranking demonkin or magic beast. Ares put away Reinart, but when he reached for the Seven Heavenly Sword, someone called out from behind him. [Wait, Milord. Let me take this one.] Darius emerged to the arena slowly, his eyes shining with intent. [We can¡¯t have Milord lose here so there is no other way. I¡¯ll take her on instead.] Hearing that, Ares could only smile bitterly. ===== ¡ô This meeting between Darius and Zenobia was probably destined. This may not often be written in history books, but the tale of the ¡ºHeavenly Warrior¡»and his wife, the ¡ºAryan Heroine¡», was very popular among the bards. CH 126 Translator: Raizu Chapter 126 ¨C Aryan Heroine Gilgamesh, the chief of the Aryan has a younger sister. She is Zenobia. She¡¯s still in her mid twenties. She had a well-formed face, making for an outstanding look coupled with her long black hair and supple muscles. Truly, she is a rare beauty among the Aryans. Although, there is something else that would catch people¡¯s attention.. [She¡¯s tall¡­] Darius muttered. Right, she¡¯s very tall. Her height was about 190cm tall. The 2 meter tall Darius didn¡¯t even need to look down to meet her gaze. With her appearance, the excitement among the Aryans was actually becoming much fiercer than before. Yes, for even amongst the Aryans, she¡¯s an exceptional warrior. There was a saying within the tribe, that she¡¯s the only true Aryan among the modern Aryans. A ¡ºSupreme Masterpiece¡», so to speak. ===== ¡ô [The Aryans¡­ have become very excited.] Darius commented after looking around. Zenobia¡¯s appearance had reignited the atmosphere. They looked considerably excited during the fight between Gilgamesh and Ares¡­ but this one was on a whole different level. The Aryans shouted and cheered excitedly and, as if that¡¯s not enough, they also made many other noises such as stomping on the ground repeatedly. While watching such an atmosphere, Darius walked toward the center of the arena with his long spear. On his front was Zenobia, carrying a sword that was twice as large as herself. [Oya? Why is it not the short guy from earlier?] [Are you not satisfied?] [Well~ it¡¯s nothing like that. I just wanted to see that short guy fight seriously.] Darius chuckled upon hearing her. She actually knew that his Lord wasn¡¯t fighting seriously. [But you look strong too. Who is stronger, you or that short guy?] [That hit my sore spot. I certainly lost against him once before. Judging from that, guess you can say that I¡¯m weaker than him.] Darius chuckled. It was his first ever defeat. His match against Ares in the previous war ended with his loss. But he didn¡¯t see it as something shameful. He actually felt proud of it. [Oi, I only won out of sheer luck. Don¡¯t go making me into some sort of a freak.] Ares¡¯ voice could be heard from behind. His lord truly had sharp hearing. But Darius ignored that complaint. [Well, I did manage to make him go serious, although he still beat me by a step. So why don¡¯t we see how good I really am through battle?] [Fuhn, whatever. I can see that you¡¯re also a very strong person. All I need to do is to defeat you to force that short guy to come out.] Zenobia brandished her sword. Wind and dust was kicked up just from that simple movement. [Let¡¯s have some fun! Here goes!] And she started dashing unexpectedly fast. ===== ¡ô [Hah!] Darius blocked Zenobia¡¯s attack head on. [Muuuu!?] The moment his spear clashed with Zenobia¡¯s sword, Darius¡¯ feet actually sunk a few centimeters deep into the stone floor. That was how huge the pressure of Zenobia¡¯s sword swing was. Even so Darius managed to shake her sword off. But Zenobia quickly retreated with cat-like agility. [Oi oi, are you kidding me¡­? There is actually someone like this.] Darius¡¯ face turned serious. His long years of experience told him that this is a strong enemy. On the other hand, Zenobia was smiling. As if she¡¯s having fun. [You actually took that pretty well. That¡¯s a first! Entertain me some more!] Zenobia charged in to attack swiftly once again. [Not only strength, I have speed as well!] Having said that, Darius entered a stance with his spear poised. His spear met Zenobia¡¯s spear blow by blow, causing sparks to fly every time. Zenobia¡¯s attack had devastating power in its own right. Her lack of technique was covered thanks to her speed and overwhelming strength. Darius was gradually forced into a defensive stance. At that moment¡­ [Gaaa!] Darius shook Zenobia¡¯s sword away with a roar and Zenobia once again retreated. Both of them barely lost their breaths. Darius took the short break to observe her¡­ and smiled. [I¡¯ve been fighting Aryans many times before¡­ but I never imagined that someone like you actually existed. I¡¯m going to get really serious for the first time outside of my fights with Milord and Sigurd.] Darius¡¯ body began to glow gold. [Haaa¡­] Darius ignited his fighting spirit. His muscles swelled up. Seeing this, Zenobia actually frowned. [Alright. Let the real game begin now. Show me¡­ how long can you last!] Darius started attacking Zenobia violently. [Kuh!] Zenobia involuntarily groaned after receiving Darius¡¯ first attack. The weight was heavier than his previous blows. But Darius didn¡¯t simply stop with one attack. He attacked again and again. Now Zenobia was pushed into defense. While chasing his opponent, Darius clicked his tongue. (To be able to stand this much¡­impressive.) At the corner of his eyes was the sight of a stupefied Ares. Even he didn¡¯t think that she could keep up with Darius that far. [Guh!] Darius¡¯ last attack caused Zenobia¡¯s body to shoot backward. She dropped her sword and even closed her eyes. (Is that it¡­? No, it¡¯s not. She hasn¡¯t lost her will to fight.) While Darius was wondering¡­ [Hah!] [No way!?] Golden light started to envelop Zenobia¡¯s struggling body, making her glow in the same manner as Darius. The Aryan spectators were lost for words. At first, they were silent, probably confused¡­ but then they started to loudly cheer again. [I must thank you, Warrior of Grants.] Zenobia said as she checked and tried moving her body. [This feels¡­ Different. My body feels so light¡­ I never thought there is such a thing in this world before.] Zenobia then turned to Darius again after retrieving her sword. [Well then, let¡¯s continue our spar!] With that, Zenobia began to attack Darius again, this time at a faster speed than before. ===== ¡ô Darius and Zenobia collided once more. [This is nice! My body feels so light as if I¡¯ve grown wings!] Zenobia kept attacking, although the expression in her face was that of happiness. Darius on the other hand, didn¡¯t show any emotion and simply responded. [What¡¯s wrong? What can you do if you keep defending?] Darius kept enduring while ignoring Zenobia¡¯s provocation. They probably had clashed for more than fifty times already by now. Ares, witnessing the battle, suddenly muttered. [Is it almost time?] And at the same time Darius also muttered. [It¡¯s about time.] Soon afterward, a visible change happened to Zenobia¡¯s body. [Guh! What?!] The golden light that covered Zenobia¡¯s body suddenly disappeared, and Zenobia promptly fell on all four. Her breath became ragged, as if her performance just now was a lie. Standing before her, Darius spoke up. [It¡¯s because you overused your fighting spirit. Fighting spirit causes your body to exhibit its inner potential after all. This happens for those who use it for the first time.] [Bastard¡­ you know that and yet you said nothing¡­ coward!] [Coward? Don¡¯t make me laugh. I could¡¯ve easily wrestled you to submission if I were very serious.] Darius then unleashed his true fighting spirit. This is Darius¡¯ secret. He actually had two levels of Fighting Spirit release. [No¡­ no way¡­] [You do understand, right? What does this mean?] Cold sweat soaked Zenobia¡¯s back. She realized now. There are stronger people out there and this man before him was one of them. Zenobia finally relaxed, sat down on her butt and said while scratching her head. [You got me¡­ I submit.] Along with Zenobia announcing her surrender, the crowd also became subdued. It¡¯s only natural. Their strongest champion had been defeated. And with that, the duel between Darius and Zenobia came to an end. ===== ¡ô [Well then¡­ you¡¯ve lost. So does that mean you¡¯ll agree to become our friend, just as the Aryan customs say?] To Darius¡¯ words, Zenobia turned to Gilgamesh who was watching at the back. [Kuh¡­ very well. We will abide by your words. Name your requirements.] Darius laughed openly, then he turned to Ares. [Good grief, who is the lord here anyway?] Ares sighed, then shrugged his shoulders. [I only have 2 requests.] Darius slowly raised two fingers, before continuing. [The first request is to follow the instruction of my Lord over there. You all have also recognized his power, correct?] The many Aryans promptly turned toward Ares, which the latter responded with a smile. [And for your information¡­ Milord is stronger than me. Remember that.] The Aryans started whispering and muttering to each other. Ignoring them altogether, Darius continued on. [As for the other request.] The Aryans quickly settled themselves down upon hearing that. What Darius said next was unexpected, even for Ares. [Oi¡­ the woman over there. You, be my wife.] Right then, it¡¯s as if the time stood still for a while. [Ha?] Ares was the first to recover from the startling scene. [Wha- Darius. What are you sayin¡­] [Pardon me, but please be quiet for now, Milord.] Darius then approached Zenobia. [While fighting you earlier¡­ I came to like you. So be my wife.] Zenobia, in turn, looked deep into Darius¡¯ eyes. [Do you really mean it?] [I do. I want you to bear my child. If it¡¯s with you, our children will certainly be born strong.] Silence covered the area once more. Until¡­ [Ahaha. Interesting offer. Very well. I will bear your children.] Zenobia responded with a hearty laugh. [Aryan women will only submit to someone stronger than themselves. Unfortunately, there is no one stronger than me within the tribe. In that case, you fit in the requirement just fine.] She then turned to Gilgamesh. [My brother surely won¡¯t mind as well.] [¡­..well, I do not mind.] Gilgamesh nodded in consent. The previous calm Aryans started cheering again. [We welcome the strong as our friend.] [Finally, our princess found her fated.] [Their offspring will certainly be even stronger!] Meanwhile, Ares muttered wryly without anyone taking note of him. [What was that? To think it¡¯ll develop this way¡­] The Aryans rushed to congratulate Darius, ignoring Ares¡¯ existence. But regardless of what happened in between, Ares managed to befriend the Aryans in the end so he decided to join the Aryans in the celebratory mood. ===== ¡ô No less than the Hero Sovereign himself, the Heavenly Warrior Darius Grants was also a man who really got around with women. He was known to marry several women, but the most famous among his wives was certainly Zenobia, who was known as ¡ºAryan Heroine¡»in the later dates. She was famous for her fighting prowess as she¡¯s said to be stronger than any of the Arestia Twelve Generals, but still fell short to those of the Six Heavenly Generals. People also said that she didn¡¯t really get along well with Ares, as it is believed that her loyalty lay in Darius alone. Zenobia later went on and served as Darius¡¯ deputy, making a name for herself as one of the Arestia¡¯s strongest. CH 127 Translator: Raizu Chapter 127 ¨C Fort Troia [I¡¯ll stay here for a while to build ourselves a proper unit of Aryans.] Darius told Ares. It was the day after the Aryans were successfully suppressed. [Seeing Milord¡¯s White Legion, I feel the urge to create a unit with similarly strong soldiers.] The Aryans were certainly strong by nature. However, they¡¯re very lacking in terms of military specifications. But¡­ what if they were taught proper tactics? What if their immense individual power was consolidated into a united group? Therefore, Darius said that he would do just that. He¡¯s certainly qualified for the task. His wife is the chief¡¯s sister and he has the overwhelming valor needed to make the Aryans obey him. In any case, the Aryans didn¡¯t really know what they¡¯re signing for. Thus Ares needed someone to guide them¡­ at least until he can do so himself. Darius was certainly qualified. But there was one problem. His power is needed elsewhere. They still have to deal with the Northern Barbarians after all. [Well, I¡¯ll rejoin with Milord back after the matter with the northern barbarians had been resolved. There are already Sigurd and Shion, surely they can still make do even without me?] [¡­..you¡¯re being too carefree of a person there¡­] Ares sighed. If Darius already made up his mind, then there is probably nothing Ares can do to change it. In the end, Ares allowed Darius to stay for at most a year¡¯s time. ===== ¡ô After parting with Darius and dispersing the White Legion, Ares rode alone to the north. Toward Fort Troia to be exact. After Ares decided that the place would be a key point in dealing with the northern barbarians a year ago, a fort was hastily built there. The fort would not only serve as a defensive line against the barbarians, but also as a deterrent for the northern invaders. But since then, there was barely any major battle occuring. The fort¡­ had apparently become a small town, thanks to the travelling merchants interacting with the soldiers that were stationed there. [Alright then¡­ with Sigurd and Shion, I doubt that it¡¯s going to be that hard¡­ and what do we have here?] Along the way, Ares saw traces of battle. Not only that, many of the northern villages had been burnt down. But strangely there was no sign of looting or strewn corpses around. Then, what¡¯s the point in burning down the village? [Shion wouldn¡¯t do something like this, would he¡­? I¡¯ll just have to ask him what is this all about¡­] While Ares muttered to himself, his beloved horse also chimed in. ¡´You know, I could also use some rest¡­¡µ [What are you talking about? A Kirin of all horses shouldn¡¯t say something like that. Come on now, it¡¯s just a little bit more until the fort. Just one last push¡­] ¡´¡­..My master really is a slavedriver¡­ah, never mind. Here I go.¡µ Ares arrived at Fort Troia before sundown. He checked the fort¡¯s condition, and was thoroughly surprised. [Isn¡¯t this fort¡­ a little too big?] It was only a year since Ares declared this place as the key point and dispatched the troops here. Each corps would send their members to guard the fort in a shift. Everytime the guard changes, the fort would either be repaired, renovated, and sometimes he heard that they also gradually enlarged it¡­ [Shion¡­ you¡¯ve really done it this time. This is now a bonafide fortress.] And another surprising part, there was a town surrounding the fort. Suffice to say that Heinz was ready for anything¡­ but nobody will say it¡¯s easy. Still, the small town was there, complete with houses and shops. Why did a lot of people gather here? Of course because there are a lot of soldiers standing guard in the fort. People can trade with these soldiers after all. That¡¯s why many merchants, street vendors and even prostitutes flocked to this place. Moreover, it¡¯s pretty much the safest place in the entire north at the moment with the fort protecting it. Therefore many villagers from surrounding villages also migrated to this place, in the end forming a large town. While looking at such a scene around him, Ares entered the fort. ===== ¡ô Once the news of Ares¡¯ arrival spread, a military council was held immediately. [Welcome, Milord.] The first to welcome Ares was Shion. [Yeah, you too. And thank you for the hard work, everyone.] Starting with Roland on the left, all military officers serving to guard the area were here. [And Sigurd too.] [I¡¯ve been waiting for Ares-sama to arrive here everyday.] Sigurd replied with a refreshing smile. [Everyone, please have a seat.] [Thank you.] Once Ares sat down, the others also followed suit. [Well then, can you please tell us the current situation? And also about those burned villages?] Shion stood back up to those words, unfurling a map of the northern area. [There have been two skirmishes so far.] Shion reported as he pointed his war fan to the grassland north of Troia Fort on the map. [The enemy was 20,000 strong cavalry. We fielded an equal amount from the second corps, led by Sigurd. As for what happened, I¡¯ll let Sigurd himself explain.] Shion paused there, giving Sigurd a chance to speak. [It¡¯s like they are gauging us. They only clashed with us for a while, retreating before things got too bloody.] Shion then took over from there, pointing his fan to the northeast. [The second skirmish happened here, northeast of Fort Troia. This time the attacker had more numbers than before at 30,000 strong.] Then the war fan moved to the location where the burned villages were. [The difficult part in fighting them off is to predict their movement. We managed to evacuate the villagers in advance, thankfully¡­ but the barbarians still burned down the villages. What Milord saw was the ruins of those villages.] [Ah¡­ that¡¯s why¡­ there was no sign of looting and killing.] [It¡¯s a diversion¡­ I should say that in advance. And to prevent them from looting the people.] Shion then moved his fan to Troia. [And so, they tried to storm Fort Troia.] [!? They suddenly raided this place?] [Yes. It¡¯s pretty much their biggest target. Not only does this place serve as our base of operations, but they could also loot the town that surrounds this fort.] Then Shion grinned. [But this time, not only were they up against the second corps, but there were also the third corps¡­ and the dragon rider knights.] [So you made use of the dragon knights in this clash¡­ how¡¯s the result?] [Although they were caught off guard by the aerial attack, they were also quick to regroup their scattered troops and counter-attacked.] Ares was surprised upon hearing Shion¡¯s report. He thought that the barbarian would be defeated due to the confusion. [Their greater number was probably meant to exchange one of their soldiers for one of ours. In the end we¡¯ll end up losing¡­ But probably sensing something amiss, they immediately left like the wind after a short clash¡­ truly a good move they had there.] Shion praised someone, which is unusual. Sigurd then made a follow up. [The barbarians were doing good¡­ no, rather, it¡¯s their leader who was good¡­ even I can say so as well.] [Hee. Is there really someone among the barbarians who deserved to be praised by Shion and Sigurd like this?] [There are. Two of them in fact.] Sigurd continued on. [One of them is the chief of one of the northern barbarian tribes. His fearlessness and outstanding leadership could possibly bring the many tribes together. I have a feeling that he is the commander of these invading forces.] After a short pause, Sigurd continued almost excitedly. [But¡­ even better than him was the foreigner who accompanied him.] [Foreigner?] [Yes. I believe Ares-sama has told me about them before¡­ that man dressed like a warrior from the far east.] [¡­¡­¡­.] Ares was intrigued by Sigurd¡¯s story. So he asked the latter for more details. [I underestimated them, thinking that the battle would end quicker if I took their general¡¯s head¡­ so I aimed at the barbarian chief¡¯s head, but the foreigner was able to prevent me from doing so.] Sigurd¡¯s eyes stared to the distance as he recalled the skirmish. [I knew from a single glance that this foreigner is a warrior. It was quite obvious from the number of spears he brought. This foreigner¡­ if I have to make an estimation, he¡¯s probably on par with me or Darius.] Everyone in the room turned silent. Each of them recognized the valor of both Sigurd and Darius. That¡¯s why it was quite shocking to hear Sigurd¡¯s estimation. Shion was the one to break the silence. [His commanding ability is also good. Probably as good as the tribe chief¡­ or maybe better.] Ares pondered for a while after hearing the report, then called out a name. [Zekka.] [Yes, Milord. I¡¯m here.] A shadow rose from beside Ares, gradually revealing the form of a man. But no one was surprised at the scene. Everyone simply watched silently. [I want you to thoroughly investigate the identity of these two people who led the attack to Troia Fort.] [As you wish.] Zekka then disappeared back into the shadow just like how he appeared. [So¡­ a barbarian tribe chief and a foreigner. I¡¯m actually glad that there is someone like this tribe chief among the barbarians] After murmuring the last part to himself, Ares continued on. [What worries me is actually this foreign warrior that Sigurd spoke about. Just what kind of man¡­] Ares unconsciously grinned when he said that. Seeing this, both Sigurd and Shion sighed, well aware of what¡¯s going on when their lord had that kind of smile. Yes, it has begun, once again. [I want¡­ I want to recruit that foreigner. But first I have to understand just what kind of man he is¡­] Ares chuckled as muttered to himself. CH 128 Translator: Raizu Chapter 128 ¨C Northern Expedition It¡¯s been about three weeks since Ares first arrived at Fort Troia. He didn¡¯t have many other activities aside from running the soldiers through some training. On the other hand, the barbarians often made appearances near Fort Troia, but never really went for a full offense. The two sides were pretty much stuck in a stalemate. Ares took Shion to the top of the rampart to see the situation. [There is a sea in that direction.] [Nn. The northern sea is indeed situated just beyond the grassland.] [I wish I could get there somehow.] [Arcadia is a land-locked country¡­ having a shoreline will certainly lead to a large scale development¡­ if we aren¡¯t careful about it.] [Right, they will most certainly seize both the frontier territory and the shoreline from us. For thec¡ºEmpire¡», reaching the shore has been, in a sense, a long-time wish after all.] Ares chuckled. Presently, the frontier received barely any attention due to its known status as an ¡ºUndeveloped Land¡». Adding to that was the fact that Grants itself had long been known as the ¡ºCursed Land¡». The impression that the people at the Royal Capital had was that it¡¯s an undeveloped land where wild magic beasts, demons and bandits run rampant. It¡¯s said that you¡¯d be lucky to be alive after setting foot on this poor land. [Because of that, I was able to develop as much as I want without too many prying eyes.] Of course he knew that there were still some spies coming in to check the real situation. But he had the ¡ºDragon¡¯s Eye¡»acting as counter-espionage. The spies captured sometimes submitted becoming a source of information. But now, the situation has changed a bit. A greater number of spies had been sent to the frontier lately, be it by the Royal Clan, aristocrats, the church forces and even from other countries. The reason being the mass migration. The capital had sent many messengers to better understand the state of the frontier territory. But none of them managed to enter Grants due to security reasons. That¡¯s why they at most stayed in Redgear, awaiting for news from Grants¡­ but of course the response was already obvious. ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± or ¡°Aren¡¯t those peeps simply spread out in the three former countries, including Redgear?¡± That¡¯s how it went. But this great unknown¡­ and the fact that the lord of this frontier territory is ¡ºthat¡»Ares Schwarzer, of course it became a source of curiosity to those who hold power. So even if their spies kept missing in action, they simply sent even more spies. [Not yet, we mustn¡¯t let them know yet¡­ at least in 3 years. By then, we must have already calmed the barbarians, and in addition to having a shoreline and creating a stable foothold in the eastern continent¡­ only then we¡¯ll let the entire continent know of our true form.] Shion chuckled at Ares¡¯ words. [The entire continent is going to be in deep trouble.] [Might as well. At that point, I think the entire continent is probably already in deep trouble.] During that conversation, the two noticed something coming from behind them. [Zekka. You¡¯ve returned?] [Yes, milord. It actually took longer than expected.] It was Zekka, emerging from the shadow. [Then let¡¯s hear the report. Shion, sorry, but can you please gather up the main personnel?] Ares said as he turned around, now heading to the council room. ===== ¡ô Ares urgently summoned the officers of Fort Troia to gather. [Zekka is back. After confirming the information he got, we¡¯ll arrange a plan accordingly.] Ares announced first. The attendees¡¯ face became solemn. Ares had all officers stationed in Troia Fort to avoid unnecessary clashes with the barbarians until they obtained more reliable information. was what Ares often says. [Well, everyone has gathered it seems. So, Zekka, please.] Zekka obeyed and began his report. [As per Ares-sama¡¯s order, I have investigated about three matters. One about the leader of the barbarian army that attacked us twice the other day. Two about the foreign warrior who was with the army leader. And three¡­ regarding the current leader of the barbarians, the Barbaric King Amqa. Zekka paused to take a breath before continuing. [Firstly, regarding the army leader¡­ the man¡¯s name is Batu. The young chief of the Wind tribe.] [He is the Wind tribe¡¯s chief¡­?] Roland groaned. The Wind tribe is one of the two largest tribes among the Northern barbarians, rivalling that of the Steel tribe. The heroic king Jamka, the first to obtain the title of Ran, also belonged to this tribe. [It¡¯s hard to believe¡­ that they¡¯ve also fallen to the Steel tribe¡­] [A few years ago, the Steel tribe attacked and defeated the Wind tribe when they were at their weakest state. Since then, the former has been using the latter as a vanguard against tough adversaries.] Everyone groaned after hearing Zekka¡¯s report. [Batu is a legitimate successor to the previous chief Bahar. His valor is praiseworthy, was fair to the many tribes under the Wind tribe and he¡¯s also a perceptive man who aimed for a better future. But now¡­] [How did Amqa manage to elude such a good man?] [According to the investigation, we found out that Amqa took the old chief Bahar, along with several women and children of the Wind tribe as hostages. Batu had no choice to follow his order around.] To summarize Zekka¡¯s report, a few years ago, the Steel tribe attacked the Wind tribe¡¯s settlement. Amqa caught them by surprise since Batu and most of their elites were away. The old chief Bahar fought back, but was defeated, leaving the settlement in shambles. The women and children were taken hostage and now, Batu and his men had to endure the humiliation to keep them alive. [Hmm¡­ Batu of the Wind tribe¡­ I think we can come up with something to deal with them.] Ares then motioned Zekka to continue. [The foreign warrior that Ares-sama has been worried about¡­ is a man called Shu Shiranui.] Listening to that name, Ares was hit by a sense of familiarity. [¡­.did he hail from the far east island nation?] [Yes. He¡¯s a warrior who came from the far east islands. Apparently he¡¯s been helping Batu because it¡¯s beneficial for himself.] Zekka replied obediently. But Ares¡¯ mind seemed to be elsewhere. [Shiranui¡­ is it that Shiranui? Could it be that¡­ he¡¯s the descendant of that sage Shiranui? How nostalgic¡­] [Milord?] [Ares-sama?] Feeling suspicious of their lord¡¯s reaction, Shion and Sigurd called out. Woken up from his reverie, Ares chuckled and apologized. Zekka then resumed his report. [Unfortunately, nothing more is known about this person. In my understanding, we are going to try to persuade the barbarians, aren¡¯t we?] [Yes, indeed. We¡¯ll surely meet again on the battlefield so let¡¯s use that chance.] Ares chuckled. [And lastly¡­ Regarding the barbaric king Amqa.] And thus, Zekka started telling what he had gathered regarding this man named Amqa. ===== ¡ô [Hmm¡­ I never thought that the¡ºSerpent of Darkness¡»was involved in this.] Ares sighed after hearing Zekka¡¯s report. Zekka¡¯s information revealed something surprising. Even among the Steel tribe, Amqa was excessively destructive and ferocious. One can only wonder how someone like him could become the chief of the Steel tribe. According to Zekka, he gathered together people with the same inclination as himself, murdered the previous chief and replaced him. Since then he¡¯s been ruling the Steel tribe by force. Shortly afterward, he began his conquest against other tribes, ambushing them one after another. However, force alone shouldn¡¯t be able to unite the barbarians in such a short period of time. So how was it even possible? Zekka decided to look into it, and found out that there was someone standing behind Amqa. It was thanks to his plans and sometimes his sorcery that Amqa was able to achieve everything. Ares then asked Zekka some other questions before coming to a conclusion. [We have the bigger picture now. As it turns out, the barbarians weren¡¯t as monolithic as they seemed to be. There is the ¡ºKi¡»of this man named Amqa, supported by the ¡ºplanning¡»and ¡ºmagic¡»of this other mysterious man from behind the shadow. That¡¯s certainly a lot of things to digest.] Ares laughed, then said to everyone. [I will now adjourn the council for today. Everyone¡­ please be ready for battle at any moment¡¯s notice.] The atmosphere changed when everyone heard the last part. It¡¯s clear to them that Ares was meaning to tell them to prepare for war. With this, they¡¯re finally going to wage war with the northern barbarians for real. [I will hold another council come tomorrow. So be prepared and don¡¯t stay up too late.] [ [ [ [ [ [ Yessir! ] ] ] ] ] ] Everyone nodded to Ares¡¯ words. ===== ¡ô Four remained in the council room; Ares, Shion, Sigurd, and Zekka. They stayed to discuss the plan they should take against the northern barbarians. [First we need to do something about the Wind tribe. This is already a given.] Shion nodded in agreement. [There are also those people among the barbarians. Should we try to isolate them or is it alright to just crush them all off together with the barbarians?] Ares nodded. [Barbarians are barbarians in the end. We also need to crush those people completely. Moreover¡­] Ares paused before finishing his sentence. Guessing what¡¯s going on, Sigurd spoke up. [Is Ares-sama worried about that foreigner?] [¡­¡­¡­..] [When Ares-sama heard his name earlier, you reacted as if Ares-sama recognized it. Is it something to do with that?] Ares smiled at Sigurd¡¯s question. [I guess so. If it¡¯s the same Shiranui that I know of¡­ then he¡¯ll be a tough opponent. One that we can¡¯t defeat if we aren¡¯t serious.] Sigurd and Shion were speechless after hearing that. [Well, in any case, we won¡¯t know unless we tried. Shion, have you devised a solution?] [Affirmative. Then allow me to explain¡­] Ares, Sigurd, and Zekka listened intently to Shion¡¯s strategy. And thus, the fire of war that the barbarians had ignited is about to be doused. CH 129 Chapter 129 ¨C Wind Tribe A wide grassland. A fort stood in the middle of it. Troia Fort. Two silhouettes observed it atop a hill overlooking the scenery. [Hmm¡­ the inlanders haven¡¯t made any movement yet¡­ huh? Isn¡¯t it strange that no one came out from the fort to attack us¡­?] The person who muttered that was Batu, the barbarian army general as well as the acting chief for the Wind tribe. He didn¡¯t seem to be any older than twenty, which made him of similar age to Ares. His eyes were jet black just like his hair, and his face firm and stoic. The horizontal scar crossing the ridge of his nose simply added to his stoic look. His body was cladded in leather armor, and a headdress made of horse¡¯s hide, distinct to the northern barbarian tribes, decorated his head. Young. Too young even. Curiously, the northern barbarians willingly follow his command. There were two reasons for that. First was because he¡¯s a direct descendant to the great king of the wind tribe. The great legendary barbarian king Jamka Ran belonged to the Wind tribe. Therefore his bloodline was something prestigious. Batu, as Jamka Ran¡¯s direct descendant, was considered like an aristocrat among the northern barbarians. Second were his abilities and achievements. Despite his young age, Batu had participated in many battles under the command of his father, Bahar. And he had won all the battles he fought in so far. Excellent bravery, popular, great track record, and prestigious bloodline. Many thought highly of him before. ¡ºThe second coming of Jamka.¡» Everybody called him as such. That¡¯s why¡­ Batu felt bitter with his current ;situation. Having to obey Amqa¡­ is the same as throwing away the pride and honor of the wind tribe. This was probably his darkest hour. It all began when the Iron Tribe invaded the Wind Tribe¡¯s land. Under the command of his father, Bahar, Batu set out to rout the Iron Tribe forces that had been plundering on their territory¡­ but Amqa used his absence to attack. Amqa told Batu this when the latter returned: [The fate of the Wind Tribe is in my hand. Bow to me, and obey.] and [If you don¡¯t, I will slaughter the entire tribe.] Since then, the men of the Wind Tribe had always gone as the advance forces for any dangerous battle. Amqa treated them like disposable pawns. Batu only managed to survive up until now by pooling up all his wisdom each time. However, nothing changed no matter how many battles they had won. The men were simply driven to the next dangerous battle, while those who¡¯re kept as hostages had to live their lives like slaves. Amqa was certainly an excellent warrior. But even he wasn¡¯t sure about defeating Batu in a direct battle. It was exactly because of that he felt the need to make Batu obey him no matter what. ===== ¡ô A foreigner who stood next to Batu responded. [It¡¯s better to not move recklessly. Our cavalry is not good for sieges. The best would be to wait and meet them on the open grassland when they come out.] Batu turned his head toward the man who stood next to him, Shu Shiranui. This man had a taller than average stature. His eyes and hair were similarly jet black like Batu, but he tied his long hair on the back. He also sported impressively sharp eyes. He wore red armor with unfamiliar design and wielded a spear with a cross-shaped tip, which was rarely seen in this continent. In his waist hung a ¡ºkatana¡», a type of one-edged sword peculiar to the far east continent. They met shortly after Batu was forced to submit to Amqa. Batu found Shu lying unconscious while the former was riding around to survey the battlefield. Batu shared Shu some foods, because apparently the latter was running out of supply. Since then, Shu had been helping Batu to repay this favor of saving his life. [I should only be serving someone from ¡ºMurakumo¡»clan. However, a debt of gratitude must not be forgotten. I shall become your temporary ¡ºally¡»from this day onward.] At first, Batu was annoyed because Shu forced his way in¡­ but after working side-by-side several times, he couldn¡¯t help but notice. This ally of his possessed valor that surpasses normal humans. Before Batu knew it, Shu¡¯s valor had gained him the recognition from the other northern barbarians, turning him into an indispensable member of Batu¡¯s army. Not only strong, but he¡¯s also wise. Batu sometimes would seek Shu¡¯s counsel over matters. [It¡¯s past the time they usually come out to retaliate. But let¡¯s wait until we can engage them in the grassland. You see, their soldiers are preparing for battle. A proof that they¡¯ll make a move given the time.] After that, Batu and Shu could only squint their eyes as they observed the situation once more. ===== According to Shu, the soldiers had finally moved out from Fort Troia. [This¡­ deploying to two directions?] Both Batu and Shu found this peculiar. What¡¯s the benefit from dividing their military forces now? [They might be up to something. We better be careful.] [That¡¯s only natural. Then, how should we do this?] Batu had always consulted Shu when it came to strategy and tactics. Shu thought a bit before replying. [Complete annihilation.] He said. [From here, we can see that the larger forces and the dragon riders are setting out to the north. Their numbers are greater than ours, and dragons are troublesome to deal with. On the other hand, dealing with the smaller number that is heading toward us should be easier.] [Then it¡¯s decided. Let¡¯s begin with those guys who come for us.] Batu climbed on his horse. [Shu. Announce this to the troops. From this moment onward, we will enter a full scale battle with the inlanders. We shall defeat them and make Amqa carved our might into his mind!] [Will do.] Shu also climbed on his horse and galloped down the hill where their army was waiting. Batu looked back to the grassland¡­ and mused to himself. [¡­..who am I kidding? Even if we win this, our situation won¡¯t change at all¡­] Amqa¡¯s true goal was to eliminate all the capable warriors of the wind tribe. After that goal is achieved and only then he could legitimately seek to ascend to the seat of ¡ºRan (Chieftain)¡» The position of Ran (Chieftain) originally belonged to the Wind Tribe. Most other tribes recognized that. Even if Amqa wanted to claim the position for himself, the other tribes wouldn¡¯t agree to it as it¡¯s already their tradition. Therefore, for Amqa, the Wind Tribe is the only obstacle in his plan. If each and every member of the Wind Tribe somehow disappeared, then nobody will dare to oppose his claim. But he couldn¡¯t just slaughter the Wind Tribe, since it would only incite revolt. There¡¯s also no doubt that the wind tribe will not give up without giving one hell of a fight. If that were to happen, all his plans will break in pieces. [Therefore, they¡¯ll continue to use us.] Batu muttered with a clenched jaw. By taking the women and children of the wind tribe, the men were forced to obey. While he was still in his reverie, a group of cavalrymen galloped from the below. Shu was at the forefront. [Preparations are completed. Shall we?] Batu nodded at the foreign warrior¡¯s word. He quietly urged his horse to start running. Behind him, the entire cavalry unit followed. They headed to the grasslands to meet the Grants forces. At the moment, nobody amongst them knew¡­ that this battle would become the turn of fate for both Batu and Shu. CH 130 Chapter 130 ¨C Conquering the North part 1 ~First Match~ [So it¡¯s exactly as Shion predicted.] Ares turned his head to the military staff who was riding diagonal to him. Shion replied from atop of his horse. [Yes. Well, not like they have any other choice to begin with¡­] The day after Zekka returned with the report, Ares immediately ordered the entire forces of Fort Troia to prepare. The troops were to be divided into three and they must act as quickly as possible. The first group would be led by Sigurd and consisted of the second army. Mostly filled with cavalry, they¡¯re to march to the north. Of course, the dragon riders were also with this group. The second group, led by Lauren, would stay to defend Troia fort. This group consisted of the 1st army¡­ the ¡ºBlue Legion¡»of Ares¡¯ ¡ºBroken Legions¡». [I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll at least try to attack the fort. However, their cavalry are not suited for sieges. Solidify the defenses and don¡¯t hesitate to counter attack with long range magic.] That was Shion¡¯s message to the defending forces. And lastly was the group that Ares led personally. A combination of the 1st army ¡ºRed Legion¡»and parts of the 3rd army. [The 3rd army is a mix of cavalry and infantry¡­ I will be bringing the cavalry with me since our opponent is also cavalry. The infantry will come out last to decide the game.] Receiving Ares¡¯ order, the army quickly arranged themselves. The cavalry soon took their position behind Ares. Ares¡¯ plan was to entrap Batu¡¯s barbarian army. This way, the war should stop immediately. ===== ¡ô About two weeks had passed since Ares dispatched the army. Batu couldn¡¯t hide his frustration anymore. [Damn it! What is their real goal?!] When Batu attacked, the Grants army which consisted of cavalry would flee away. But when he decided to attack the fort, the cavalry would attack them from the rear. However, the enemy would flee with horrifying speed before Batu could counterattack. This pattern had been repeating itself for a while now. [Batu, calm down.] Shu spoke to calm the younger Batu. [They¡¯re going to scrape us little by little at this rate. We need to somehow pull their defending force out.] [But if we do that, their cavalry will just attack us from the rear again. Either way, we are in trouble¡­] Batu considered their situation from atop of his horse. It¡¯s as if they¡¯re dancing on someone¡¯s palm. He had never experienced something like this before. And it made his impatience grow. There¡¯s little amount of provisions left. Yet, they couldn¡¯t plunder to replenish their supply since all nearby villages had been burned down. There was nothing left to rob. [Batu¡­ I have an idea¡­] Shu told Batu his plan to recover the situation. Batu nodded in agreement. [Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t know how long we can last at this rate¡­] Batu murmured with a determined look on his face. ===== ¡ô [Information has come in from Zekka. It seems that Sigurd is already done with his part.] Ares laughed as he told Shion [With this, the first stage is completed. Time to end this.] [It¡¯s about time for them to reach their limit. With that, it¡¯s easy to predict their next move.] Shion also chuckled. [I actually wanted to stretch things out for another one or two days. It can¡¯t be helped. Well, in any case we managed to buy some time for Sigurd to complete his part of the plan. Let¡¯s go in earnest.] [Sigurd also said that he¡¯ll be riding Zephyr on his journey back¡­ do you think he¡¯ll get here in time?] [He will. But before that¡­ we need to weather the barbarians¡¯ last stand first.] [They say a cornered cat will bite back. Let¡¯s be careful.] Ares nodded at Shion, and proceeded to command the army. [Announce this to all troops. We will now commence the ¡ºSecond Operation¡»to defeat the barbarians. Everyone is to act according to the plan.] [Understood!] The messenger quickly went to inform the entire army. [Alright¡­ it¡¯s going to get busy here.] Ares muttered to himself as he looked around. ===== ¡ô Now, how many times has it been already? Batu attacked the fort and as usual, arrows and magic rained down to welcome them. [Now¡­ they should be coming soon¡­] [We need to endure for now. They¡¯ll appear in due time.] Shu nodded in agreement. This time, Shu didn¡¯t attack the fort like he usually did. Instead he was preparing for the enemy reinforcement, which should be coming after this. According to Shu¡¯s understanding, the enemy should call for reinforcements to attack Batu¡¯s army from behind whenever the fort is attacked. Then, by the time they could turn around to retaliate, the reinforcements would¡¯ve already fled. And so, Shu devised a plan to destroy the ambushing reinforcement by pretending to attack the fort, while actually preparing to retaliate as soon as the enemy attacked their rear. [Our cavalry won¡¯t miss them if we are ready. I myself will take the lead and take their general¡¯s head. That will determine everything.] Batu nodded at Shu¡¯s words. He was on the lookout for that opportunity. [Here it is. They¡¯re coming!] Batu tightened his fist and shouted [They¡¯re here! Shu!] [Understood!] Shu held up his cross spear, determining the moment to charge. The opportunity he was looking for was when the enemy cavalry turned around to flee¡­ but so far they didn¡¯t show any sign to do so. Both Batu and Shu were perplexed by this unusual behaviour. Then they finally noticed. [Don¡¯t tell me, they are¡­] [Apparently, they are really going for the kill this time¡­] Batu gritted his teeth upon hearing Shu¡¯s. [Dammit! And with great timing too! Has my luck finally run out?!] But Shu stayed calm as he responded to Batu. [As long as we¡¯re still alive, the result is not set in stone yet.] After saying that, he told Batu. [It¡¯s just a little change in the plan. I will still do my part as planned. Batu, shall I?] Batu looked back at Shu. The latter¡¯s eyes had been stuck in one direction all this time. Perhaps he¡¯s looking directly at the enemy general. Batu decided to give Shu the go. [You are the best warrior in my troop, Shu.] Batu grabbed Shu¡¯s shoulder. [If you lose, I think I will also perish in this battle. Our fate, let¡¯s determine it here.] [That resolve, I have accepted.] Shu then shouted loudly to the allies behind him. [Now, I¡¯m going for the enemy general¡¯s head. Those who are courageous, with me!!] And he alone charged first at the enemy line. Seeing that, many barbarians soon followed behind him. Watching the situation¡­ Batu gave out his orders. [Batoru, Mukasa. Lead the remaining troops to capture the fort. You must at least prevent them from sending their troops out of the fort!!] [ [ As you wish!! ] ] Both Batoru and Mukasa were Batu¡¯s childhood friends. They had served under Batu since he was young, making them Batu¡¯s most reliable subordinates. [No matter what, we will survive this predicament. I¡¯ll leave everything to you¡­ everyone¡­] Batu muttered inwardly. ===== ¡ô [Finally got lured in, huh.] [The bait worked.] Both Ares and Shion smiled as they saw Shu charging in towards them. [He¡¯s most likely the greatest warrior in this barbarian army. I will go.] Ares then urged his horse to meet Shu¡¯s charge. Watching this, Shion also followed from behind. CH 131 Chapter 131 ¨C Conquering the North part 2 ~Foreign Warrior~ [If you want to live, move!] A single warrior plunged himself into the ranks of the Grants army and rampaged. Not only was this man wearing unfamiliar looking armor, he¡¯s also wielding a cross shaped spear that is rarely seen in the continent. And yet, he charged through soldier after soldier with ease. His spear movement was both beautiful and splendid. One could even say that it had reached the realm of art. [Such a splendid and complete spear technique.] [It¡¯s different from Sigurd and Darius¡­ even I can sense its strength.] Sigurd would wade through the battlefield so fast like that of a gale. Darius would break through the enemy rank with his overwhelming power. This man was a different kind. [Hundreds, thousands, ten thousands or even millions of times¡­ All of his movements have been perfected through rigorous training. At this point, seeing him fight is like watching a masterful dance.] He was neither too fast nor too strong. So balanced it¡¯s¡­ ¡­beautiful. [It¡¯s hard not to get fascinated. But if we¡¯re not careful, our numbers will be depleted in no time by him¡­ Guess this is it.] Having said that, Ares urged his horse towards the foreign warrior. [I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to have the commander fighting alone at the front¡­ but stopping that monster will take a lot of our soldiers. No one else here can fight him other than Milord.] Shion finally sighed. [Therefore¡­ Milord, stay safe.] Shion murmured¡­ Deciding to see this through under the belief that his lord would win the duel. ===== ¡ô Shu kept advancing forward while dispatching enemies in his path. His target was the enemy commander¡¯s head. [Once their commander fell, the rest would collapse. They will no longer be an opponent for us by then.] That¡¯s when his eyes darted to the center. Zokuri. He felt a chill running through his spine. [Yo. Well done, well done.] Looking ahead, there was a young man approaching him while smiling. This young man was probably no older than Batu. But Shu¡¯s instinct told himself (This feeling, the sign of a ruler¡­!) [Hey there, you¡¯re looking for me, aren¡¯t you?] [¡­¡­.the commander of this army?] [Nn©`, actually the commander of the entire Grants instead of only this army, I guess?] Shu was lost for words after hearing Ares¡¯ reply. But that should be the case. The man before him just openly announced that he¡¯s the commander of the army that Shu had been looking for. [Are you¡­a fool?] [Why¡­so abrupt?] [If the commander dies, the army will collapse. And yet here you are, declaring yourself as one.] [¡­¡­.what makes you so sure that I¡¯ll die?] Saying that, Ares unleashed his magic power. [Alright then, foreign warrior. Show me your mettle.] [Hou¡­interesting. I am Shu, hailing from Yashima, a Shiranui sworn to only serve the heir of the Murakumo clan, Murasaki Yuu! Come, I¡¯ll crush you!] And just like that, the battle that was beyond both Ares and Shu¡¯s expectations began. ===== ¡ô Ares observed Shu from atop of his horse. (He is extremely calm¡­ is this what they call ¡ºlike the reflection on still water¡»state?) Sweat started to form on Ares¡¯ palm that was holding Raynard. This man in front of him was definitely ¡ºstrong¡». On the other hand, Shu, (This is surprising. This man¡­ he is probably the strongest I have ever fought so far.) But Shu kept that to himself. Despite facing a seemingly smaller man, in his eyes Ares looked like a giant. (But that is exactly what I wanted. One of the reasons I have travelled far to this continent is to meet strong people like him) Both horses slowly approached each other. Their distance grew smaller and smaller. Until finally both entered the spear range. [Haa!!] Two shadows clashed. It was Shu who took the initiative. The spear was unleashed at a speed unseen to normal eyes. Ares calmly used his strength to parry the blow while also attempting to disrupt Shu¡¯s flow. But Shu also endured and swiftly launched a second blow, in which Ares also calmly deflected it. Their spears clashed 20 more times after that. Both had their breathing become slightly harsh in the aftermath. Ares moved away after he blocked Shu¡¯s last attack. [No opening no matter how I tried¡­ truly a strong spearman you are.] [That is my line. I have travelled around the continent, but never have I met someone like you. It has been a while since my blood boiled like this.] After saying that, Shu rushed in once more. And Ares watched on. [Hah!] Strengthened with magic power, Ares attacked with a horrifying speed. [Mu!] Shu calmly blocked it. But this time, he was caught off guard by the power behind that attack. [Guh!?] Shu¡¯s posture crumbled. The horse swayed greatly, unable to hold on against such an attack. It was what caused Shu to lose his balance. Shu therefore quickly disengaged and dismounted from his horse. After calming the horse down, he turned back to Ares. In response to that, Ares also climbed down from his mount. Seeing this, Shu could only smile. [The horse unfortunately cannot keep up. But I thank you for your understanding.] Shu shut his eyes momentarily, adjusting himself. And the next moment when he opened his eyes again [Hah!] Shu¡¯s whole body was enveloped in silver light. [Magic Sword Style¡­ huh?] Ares muttered as he calmly observed. [No¡­how was that fellow referred to it back then again¡­ it was ¡ºWargod¡¯s State of Mind¡», wasn¡¯t it?] Ares quietly spoke to himself, spear poised. [Enemy army commander. Truly well done. Few have pushed me to fight seriously. So¡­] Shu slowly unsheathed the sword hanging in his waist. When it began to shine silver as well, it became clear that it¡¯s a sword crafted in a way so that it could be infused with either magic strengthening or fighting spirit. [None have witnessed this sword and live to tell the tale. Come!] That said, Shu dashed in with a speed so much faster than previously. Ares also didn¡¯t stay still, He thrust Raynard to the ground as he grabbed hold of the sword shaped pendant hanging around his neck. [Holy Sword Excalibur!] A pale white blade appeared in Ares¡¯ hand to meet Shu¡¯s sword head on. However, Shu wasn¡¯t going to stop there. He proceeded to launch a stream of offense, forcing Ares to be more defensive. [Dammit! There¡¯s no opening at all!] Ares jumped back to disengage, but Shu quickly caught up to him, The exchange lasted for 50 bouts. Both of the combatants were breathing harshly. Right at the 50th bout Shu¡¯s flow was suddenly disturbed, allowing Ares to disengage at once. If one looked at Ares, they would notice that his body was littered with cuts here and there. [Impressive¡­ Then how about this!] Right then Ares¡¯ body, just like Shu, was enveloped in silver light. [No way¡­ You can also use the ¡ºWargod¡¯s State of Mind¡»!?] [I call this ¡ºMagic Sword Style¡». Alright then, let¡¯s get serious.] The two clashed again. The two swords collided with each other, sending sparks and even raised the dirt with the impact. Up until now, Shu was in advantage¡­ but now the two seemed to be equal. Exchanging defence and offence with neither gaining advantage. At that point, both sides of the armies had stopped fighting, watching the duel intently. Only the harsh breathing of the two combatants and the sounds of their swords clashing could be heard echoing through the battlefield. After 7, no, 80 exchanges, the two finally disengaged from battle. From the harsh breaths and the rise and fall of their shoulders, it¡¯s easy to see that both had been fatigued. [I honestly never thought that there is a man capable of matching me for this long. My decision to travel to this continent was correct after all.] Shu laughed in satisfaction. [I¡¯m also pleasantly surprised. You¡¯re nothing like Sigurd nor Darius¡­ I have never met anyone else like you before.] Ares also laughed in return. [But, this duel will end here. This next attack, it is still unfinished¡­ but should be more than enough to finish you] Shu returned his sword to its sheath and took position. Eerie silence surrounded him. Seeing that, Ares smirked, finding the situation interesting. He could see that an overwhelming amount of magic power and fighting spirit were gathering inside Shu¡¯s sword. [Murakumo-style Special Arts ¡ºRyuu no Hokou*¡»] (TL Note: *Dragon¡¯s Roar) Right after that, Shu let loose of his sword with such a speed that it¡¯s unseen. At the same time, Ares could see a huge dragon-shaped aura barreling ferociously towards him. [Wha!] Ares managed to deflect it¡­ but he was still pushed and knocked back some distance away by the sheer force. [Milord!] Shion, who was watching the battle, cried worriedly. And Ares didn¡¯t immediately get back up once his body landed on the ground. Only Shu who was still standing among the two combatants¡­ But even he was on the verge of collapsing. [Murakumo-style Special Arts¡­that attack just now¡­took every bit of my energy¡­] Seeing Ares didn¡¯t stand back up, Grants soldiers were left silent. Meanwhile the barbarians started cheering. Batu clasped his hands, praising Shu. [Impressive, Shu! The enemy general has fallen. Inform the army to¡­] [Who has fallen?] A voice coming from some distance away. Batu, Shion and the soldiers were stunned on the spot. But more than them, Shu was even more shocked. From where the voice came, Ares rose back up slowly with a smile. That prompted the Grants soldiers to let out a deafening cheer. [Impossible¡­how can you still get up after taking that¡­] Shu was so startled to the point that he almost jumbled his words. [There is no way I could block something like that completely. Damn dragon king.] Ares chuckled. [Never thought I¡¯d see that technique here. ¡ºDragon¡¯s Roar¡»turns one¡¯s life force into a dragon-shaped aura, then hurls it towards the opponent. However¡­ as soon as the dragon gains its shape, it also gains an individual will. Unless this will can be controlled¡­the technique will not reach completion.] Ares unsummoned Excalibur, leaving only the handle of Seven Heavenly Sword in his hand. [Alright¡­let me show you the complete ¡ºDragon¡¯s Roar¡».] [¡­..what, are you talking about??] Ignoring Shu¡¯s incredulousness, Ares quietly concentrated his soul to the Seven Heavenly Sword. [This is an ancient sword. A sword of spectre that has bathed itself in blood through countless slaughter throughout the numerous battlefields.] Then he raised his hand once more. [Spectral Sword Murasame!] A sword with a violet blade, one that gave off dreadful air, emerged in Ares¡¯ hand. CH 132 Translator: Raizu Chapter 132 ¨C Conquering the North part 3 ~Spectral Sword Murasame~ Shu¡¯s face contorted heavily upon seeing the sword in Ares¡¯ hand. [That form¡­ A katana?] Ares swung the new sword around to get a good feel out of it for a bit, then turned to Shu. [Well well. The troublesome fellow came out. Though I think you should be just fine.] [What are you saying?] [Nn, about this fellow. Alright, let¡¯s get on it again. But this time¡­] Ares grinned. [It¡¯ll be a bit different.] ===== ¡ô Ares¡¯ attacks were more violent this time. Sharp slash after sharp slash threatened Shu. [Kuh! You are much faster than before!?] Even so, Shu still managed to block each of Ares¡¯ slashes. Until a moment of hesitation caused the attack to reach his shoulder, causing it to bleed profusely. At that moment. [Muuuu!] Shu was forced on one knee. At the same time, the cloak of silver light that enveloped Shu¡¯s body started to grow dim. [Damn you¡­ what did you do?] Shu muttered with haggard breath as he gazed at Ares. But instead of replying to that question, Ares simply said. [This sword¡¯s name is ¡ºMurasame¡»] [Murasame¡­ THE Murasame you said!?] (TL note: Shu used katakana to say the first Murasame(¥à¥é¥µ¥á) in this sentence, but then used kanji (´åÓê) on the second) Shu exclaimed in response to Ares¡¯ explanation. [No way¡­ that sword¡­] [Right. I¡¯m sure you know about it¡­. The special characteristic of this sword is that it¡¯s a ¡ºsoul eater¡». It steals a fraction of the victim¡¯s soul whenever it causes a wound¡­ A terrifying weapon.] Looking at Ares, one would notice that he didn¡¯t look as tired as he was before. And the many cuts on his body had somehow disappeared. [In your case, your body was enveloped in magic power and fighting spirit. So instead of your soul, the sword absorbed that in exchange.] What a terrible weapon, Ares thought inwardly. The sword is capable of stealing some life force from the opponent away even with the slightest of cuts, then turning it into his own. Keeping himself energized and healing his wounds, while enfeebling the opponent overtime. [Of course, it¡¯s not without any drawbacks. If it doesn¡¯t draw any blood after a certain period¡­ it is said that it¡¯ll feast on its wielder¡¯s life force instead.] Ares then laughed. [But that will take quite a while since it drew blood already just now¡­ not that the battle will last to that point once I show you this following technique.] Right afterward, Ares positioned Murasama as if it was sheathed around his waist. Seeing this, Shu¡¯s breathing only grew rougher. [What are you trying to do?] [This technique can only be executed with a katana¡­ I¡¯ll direct it to the sky¡­ but it¡¯s still a powerful technique, so defend yourself as best as you can.] An enormous amount of both magic power and fighting spirit converged inside Murasame as Ares said so. The stance he took¡­ was similar to Shu¡¯s when he¡¯s about to launch his final technique. [No, no way!?] [Murakumo-style Special Arts ¡ºDragon¡¯s Roar¡»] At that moment, just like Shu did, a dragon-shaped aura burst forth from Ares¡¯ sword. The dragon opened its large maw in the attempt to attack Shu. [Guaaaaa!] Before hitting Shu directly, the dragon actually climbed up to the sky before slowly dissipating. Every soldiers¡¯ eyes were following the majestic dragon trail, only turning back to the battlefield after it dissipated. They were startled to find that the ground had been gouged out along the path that the dragon had traversed, and at the end of that path they saw Shu lying on his back. During the same time the dragon dissipated, the sword in Ares¡¯ hand also disappeared. He then slowly sat back and tried to catch a breath. [As expected, he¡¯s a tough opponent.] When everyone heard what Ares said, they soon realized that he had won the duel. [No way¡­ Shu actually¡­ lost¡­] Batu didn¡¯t expect that Shu would lose so he was perplexed for a while¡­..until he realized what situation he was in. [This won¡¯t do. We¡¯ll collapse if this goes on, they¡¯ll annihilate us completely!] Batu quickly attempted to retreat. But first, he needed to order his troop to escape as well. After all, without them, what would become of the women and children of their tribe? But before he could sound the signal to retreat, at that moment: [Hold it right there, Barbarian chief!] A voice loudly called out from the sky. Turning to the source of the voice¡­ The barbarian couldn¡¯t but shout in shock. Up there was the legendary sacred beast, the Ancient Dragon! Batu looked at his own troops. Shu¡¯s defeat and now the appearance of the ancient dragon had caused their morale to reach rock bottom. Many of them had clearly lost hope. [And now a dragon appeared¡­it¡¯s one thing after another. I guess this is it for us.] Batu laughed to himself. [But I¡¯m not going to give up just like that. Let me show you our last stand.] At the very last moment, instead of the signal to retreat, Batu decided to ring the signal to attack. But before he could, [Wait! Batu!] A familiar voice could be heard from the sky. [Heroes of the Wind Tribe. Stop fighting! Listen to my voice!] Batu and the rest of the barbarians looked up to the sky once more. Only then it became clear to them, the knight in black wasn¡¯t the only one riding atop the ancient dragon. The Wind tribe chieftain Bahar was also there. ===== ¡ô [Everyone¡­it has been hard on all of you¡­ I apologize.] Bahar said as he descended from the back of the ancient dragon. Batu immediately rushed to him at a loss for words. [Father¡­ your leg¡­] [Ah this¡­ Those bastards got me.] Bahar laughed. [I tried to escape. You kids have been worried about the captured Wind tribe, are you not? That is why¡­] [It¡­ must have hurt¡­] Batu¡¯s vassal Batoru fell on his knees after seeing the chief¡¯s condition. Mukasa on the other hand was weeping in tears. [But at least I am still alive and now is here to meet you. Let us consider it a fortune.] [But why is Father here with the people of Grants? Something doesn¡¯t feel right.] Batu spoke up his mind. The other barbarians also nodded, obviously suspicious about the current affair. [Ah, about that¡­] Having said that Bahar glanced at Sigurd. [They helped free us up. Me¡­ and also the other hostage tribe members.] ===== ¡ô What really happened? Bahar explained. [It was a few days ago. A detachment of Grants army launched a surprise attack. They targeted the area where our tribespeople were imprisoned.] It was a moonless night. Dozens of flying dragons attacked with an ancient dragon on the lead. [Amqa¡¯s men fell into confusion and fled. But of course, the Grants forces were anticipating this as well.] The surprise attack was mounted by not only one, but many flying dragons. Amqa¡¯s men would have trouble dealing with one flying dragon, not to mention multiple amounts. Thinking so, there was no other way for the defending barbarians other than escaping. But then¡­ Those who escaped were crushed by the cavalry that had hidden themselves among the hills. [Then¡­everyone is¡­] [Yes, freed.] [My wife Klan too¡­?] [If all this happened a week late, I am afraid Amqa would have lost his patience. By then, she would be forced to become his sex slave¡­¡­fortunately, nobody has touched her. She is safe.] Upon hearing this news, Batu finally collapsed in tears of relief. Along with him, all other Wind tribesmen either shouted in joy or broke down into tears. Bahar looked up to the sky, laughing in satisfaction¡­ Then he turned to Ares. [Are you the current master of Grants?] [Yeah, that¡¯s me.] After that simple reply, Bahar quietly bowed. Many people, including Batu, were startled by this scene. The Wind Tribe was known for their pride. It¡¯s because¡­.they never bowed to others, especially their chief. [What can we do to repay the debt for saving me and my tribe? The Wind Tribe shall never forget this great favor.] Hearing that, Ares simply smiled, and replied with one word. [Friendship.] Bahar raised his head in disbelief. He thought that the young ruler would demand their surrender. [I will not force you to become my subordinate or anything like that. I much prefer that we could build a friendly relationship and prosper together.] After hearing that, Bahar laughed. [Not being greedy, are you not¡­..? But that is fine too¡­] Bahar then turned to Batu for a while, before speaking to Ares again. [O¡¯ Chief of Grants. I am no longer in position to serve a tribe chief no more. The decision shall fall on the current generation chief, Batu¡¯s hands. But we need some time¡­ would you give us a few days to think this through?] Ares simply smiled and nodded as a reply. And that was how the Battle of Troia Fort was concluded. CH 133 Translator: Raizu Chapter 133 ¨C Conquering the North part 4 ~Murakumo and Shiranui~ There were many barbarians outside Fort Troia now¡­ Because that¡¯s where the forces of the Wind tribe were stationed. Safe to say that the Wind tribe is at the crossroads of fate here. [I¡¯m against this! I¡¯m sorry to say this, but there is no way we would submit to the inlanders.] One of Batu¡¯s subordinates, Mukasa barked out loud. Mukasa was Batu¡¯s troop leader, known for his fearlessness. His skill at equestrian and fierceness during battle had earned him the nickname of [Greedy Wolf]. Another one of Batu¡¯s subordinates, Batoru, didn¡¯t say anything in response. In contrast to Mukasa, Batoru was more adept in commanding his troops to strike the enemy¡¯s weak point silently. Therefore, the northern barbarians called him [Serene Goshawk]. All due to his penchant of attacking silently and not letting his prey escape so easily. The two had followed Batu since young ages, fighting together through numerous battlefields. Their friendship was mutual, to the point that they could be frank with each other. Batoru finally spoke. [But the fact remained that they rescued the women and children of our tribe. We will lose our pride as the Wind tribe if we don¡¯t at least reward them.] [But! They are the inlanders! There is no way I¡¯ll get along with those weak inlanders!] Hearing Mukasa¡¯s complaint, Batu also spoke up. [¡­..but we lost to those so-called weak inlanders.] [¡­.Batu-sama, we didn¡¯t. It was Shu who lost¡­] [Still, he¡¯s the strongest man in our troop. I couldn¡¯t even match up to him. And yet, that very man was defeated.] Mukasa silently nodded to Batu¡¯s words. [Even if we kept fighting, we would still be annihilated in the end. We have my father¡¯s timely arrival to thank for us being alive now.] [ [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.] ] Afterward Batu looked around. [By the way, where is Shu?] [Now that you mention it¡­ I haven¡¯t seen him myself.] [I haven¡¯t seen him since yesterday¡­] Both Batoru and Mukasa shook their heads. Batu came to recall the time he last saw Shu the other day. How disappointed Shu was after he lost that single fight. [How is it possible that man could use Murakumo style¡­ I need to find out why.] Batu found it unusual to see Shu having that kind of determined look on his face. [Hopefully he doesn¡¯t do something strange¡­] Thinking back¡­ Batu realized that he probably knew very little about this foreigner. ===== ¡ô Ares, Sigurd, and Shion were observing the Wind tribe stationed below. Many eyes looked back at them, but they proceeded to continue what they did. Ares simply smiled at this. [¡­¡­it¡¯s the same as when I visited the dwarves and then the Aryans¡­ I¡¯ve long gotten used to this kind of gaze¡­] [Then please do this by yourself next time. I¡¯m not used to it.] It was Sigurd who responded to Shion¡¯s complaint. [You¡­ I didn¡¯t know that you are this surprisingly delicate for a man¡­?] [Surprisingly delicate?] [¡­¡­if Shion is delicate, then the entire human race are jellies.] Shion was about to reply back to Ares¡¯ quip. But Ares was quicker in changing the topic. [They are calmer than I expected. Most likely it¡¯s all thanks to Batu.] Sigurd quickly corrected Ares. [No. I think it¡¯s because they have seen Ares-sama¡¯s valor. Warriors tend to follow the stronger fighter after all.] At that point, Sigurd caught a movement at the corner of his eyes and turned to that direction. [But, that guy I fought wasn¡¯t really all about strength though.] Ares also turned to the same direction. [Well, if you have something to talk about, why don¡¯t you come over and talk about it?] Hearing Ares¡¯ offer, the man emerged from his hiding spot. [So you found out.] [About that¡­ You didn¡¯t even try to hide your presence at all, did you?] When Ares said so¡­ The man in question, Shu, laughed in return. [So, what do you need of me?] Shu¡¯s face turned serious before he began talking about why he was there. ===== ¡ô [I hailed from a powerful clan of Yashima, the Shiranui, which serves the Murakumo clan.] After a proper introduction, Shu started to explain about himself. [The Murakumo is the most prestigious warrior clan in Yashima. And the Shiranui serves directly under the head of this clan.] Shu spoke with a nostalgic tone as he looked to the distance. The Murakumo clan was known for their overwhelming strength in Yashima. Especially those who are a direct bloodline to the original founder ¡ºMurakumo¡»whose valor equaled thousands of men. However, following the passage of time, their power thinned out. And the reason for that was: [They never had a male heir.] Shu explained. [With no male heir, those who share Murakumo direct bloodline dwindled. For that reason they¡¯ve been led by women for generations¡­ Sakura Murakumo-sama being the current clan head. However, the neighboring countries that we previously thought as our allies turned out to be parts of the anti-Murakumo faction¡­ They attacked us en-masse.] [It¡¯s a fairly common story actually. And¡­ the result is just as expected, isn¡¯t it?] [Yes¡­ Each one of the Murakumo clan¡¯s vassals were strong in their own right. Sakura-sama herself was a formidable fighter. All of us fought bitterly alongside Sakura-sama¡­but in the end, we lost to the opponent¡¯s sheer numbers¡­] Shu spoke with regret in his voice. [The remaining vassals then regrouped to consult their next step. Some of the lower ranked vassal clans demanded Sakura-sama to surrender. They believed that the opposition would set them free if we surrendered not only our military forces, but also the Murakumo bloodline. However, Murakumo bloodline carries both the symbol of sovereignty and power. It must not be misused. Therefore we couldn¡¯t hand it over so easily. For as long as the bloodline remains¡­ the Murakumo can rise again. That¡¯s why I persuaded Sakura-sama, who wished to fight the battle till the last drop of her blood, to join me escape, where all of us will personally protect and keep her hidden.] Ares frowned upon hearing this. [¡­¡­is that really the best outcome?] [What do you mean?] [No, I just think that, it¡¯s probably not what both the princess and the people¡­ would actually want.] [Our people wanted the Murakumo to rise again. That¡¯s why I chose to hide Sakura-sama! Princess also believes that one day the Murakumo will revive!] Shu got overly excited in the end¡­. But he quickly regained his calm. [Pardon me. I got a little excited there.] [It¡¯s okay. As an outsider, I don¡¯t have the right to say anything anyway. And then?] [Afterward, at Sakura-sama¡¯s behest, I travelled to this continent. We will be found eventually if we keep staying in Yashima. I do not know myself how long the other vassals can keep Sakura-sama hidden. So we decided to abandon the land and revive the Murakumo elsewhere. My goal in travelling to this continent was to find a safe place for Sakura-sama.] At that point, Shu turned to Ares. [And I have done just that. All that is left is to find an answer to one question.] [I think I know where this is going.] Ares replied with a laugh. Ignoring that, Shu spoke up the first question that crossed his mind. [Tell me, why can you use the secret Murakumo style that only a member of the Murakumo clan could use?] ===== ¡ô The vassal clans of the Murakumo clan trained their members in Murakumo style martial arts from a young age. ¡ºMurakumo Style.¡» The style was known as the strongest martial art in Yashima. The Murakumo style was an ancient martial art meant to enable one person to fight against many, founded by the first of Murakumo, and perfected by the Murakumo clan¡¯s fourth head. Even among the valorous Murakumo, the fourth generation head was a one of a kind genius. Alone, he¡¯s a match for thousands, and it¡¯s not even an exaggeration. Not only was he valorous, but he also had a brilliant mind capable of systemizing the Murakumo style and made it available for many others to learn. Those who served under the Murakumo were required to train in this martial art style from their early years, as only the strongest were allowed to become the direct vassal of the Murakumo clan head. However¡­ Murakumo style was only made available for the Murakumo clan and its vassals, and otherwise remained a secret to the outsiders. And both Ares and Shu were capable of wielding this supposedly secret style. Shu was imitating his predecessor¡¯s technique to the best he could¡­therefore it is mostly incomplete. But this man standing before him¡­ [You were able to execute a perfect ¡ºRyu no Hokou¡». How is that possible?] Hearing Shu¡¯s question, Ares noticed that Shion and Sigurd were also giving him a look. The two seemed to be equally curious about the answer. Ares chuckled in return, then faced Shu once more before he explained. [I have memories of three great people dwelling inside me.] Shu was skeptical about this, thus he stared at Sigurd for confirmation. But Sigurd and Shion nodded affirmatively in response. [One was a wiseman, Gilbert Goraye, who was also known as the King of Alchemists. The second was a great king, Leon Arcadia.] Ares observed Shu¡¯s reaction before continuing. [And lastly¡­a sword saint under the alias Shinn Oldeus.] [Shinn¡­?] When that name was uttered, Shu¡¯s expression immediately changed. [Shinn Oldeus¡­ He was a hero who took down countless demonkins, including the demon king himself. But he only took on the name Oldeus soon after that.] That was a first for Sigurd and Shion. Shinn Oldeus was a well known hero in the continent, but what Ares told them now was something that nobody else might know. Ares then continued. [He¡­ changed his name¡­ so that he never forgot the name of his best friend that he was forced to kill by his own hands.] Ares then looked to the sky with a distant gaze. Shu became apprehensive. [Do not tell me¡­his original name was¡­] [Yes, as you might¡¯ve already guessed.] Ares then continued with a smile. [Shinn Oldeus original name was¡­ Shinn Murakumo. Surely you recognized this name, yes? After all, he was the fourth head of Murakumo clan.] CH 134 Translator: Raizu Chapter 134 ¨C Conquering the North part 5 ~Blood Brother~ Hearing Ares¡¯ revelation, Shu immediately stepped back and even corrected his posture. [Please pardon me! This vassal did not know that yoursir is related to the 4th head¡­] Ares chuckled after seeing the sudden change, but proceeded to assure Shu. [Nah, I only inherited his memories. Doesn¡¯t mean that I also inherited the Murakumo bloodline¡­ no need to act so respectful to me?] [No, that is not the case. Certainly, Murakumo ¡ºbloodline¡»is important, but it is nothing compared to the person himself. Moreover, the Shiranui clan owed a lot to the 4th head¡­] Shu further lowered his head as he said that. Feeling iffied by this, Ares decided to change the topic. [You are¡­ Raiha¡¯s descendant, aren¡¯t you?] [Yes. Raiha Shiranui was the forefather of our Shiranui clan. He was the 4th Head¡¯s first disciple, before being recognized as one of the 4th¡¯s vassals.] Apparently recalling something, Shu suddenly raised his head. [Regarding the 4th Head¡­is it alright for me to ask something?] [What is it?] [According to the Shiranui¡¯s clan records, when the 4th Head headed out to this continent, it is said that ancestor Raiha was supposed to accompany him. Why did the 4th Head end up departing alone?] Upon hearing that question, Ares scrunched his face. [Why do you want to know that?] [It is said that ancestor Raiha spent the following year grieving in the mountain for being unable to serve the 4th Head. Afterward he dedicated the rest of his life to serving the 5th Head¡­but¡­ it is also said that he became a lot grumpier after leaving the mountain¡­] Shu asked with a wondering look on his face. Ares frowned in return. [Ancestor Raiha left a will for the clan before he passed. If any of our clan members is to visit the continent, should we find the 4th Head¡¯s descendant, then we are to confirm his or her intention. You sir, might not be the 4th¡¯s descendant, but you are as good as the 4th himself in person.] In contrast to the excited Shu, Ares¡¯ face was getting more and more contorted as the conversation went on. Shion felt the need to ask why. [Milord¡­ Can you tell us the reason?] Sigurd also looked on with a concerned face. After taking a deep sigh, Ares finally spoke. [¡­¡­apparently he forgot.] [Ha?] [Well¡­ Shinn, you see, he was actually a scatterbrain. He was so worked up, feeling like he should act as soon as possible, that when he decided to leave for the continent, he forgot the promise that he should¡¯ve departed with Raiha on the next day. He left with his luggage a day before the appointed time¡­ and only realized when the boat he boarded already set sail. By then it¡¯s already too late to return¡­] When Ares looked at Shu, the latter was too shocked to even respond for a while. [He forgot¡­? No way¡­ that is¡­ My ancestor was left behind for that kind of reason, and to think that his regret and will has been handed down for centuries within the clan¡­] [Ah, but Shinn still regrets it himself till this day¡­ Are you listening? Oii¡­] Seeing the situation, Sigurd and Shion could only murmur in pity. [Somehow¡­ I feel sorry for the entire Shiranui clan¡­] [Perhaps we will also receive similar treatment in the future¡­] Shu was depressed. Ares tried to console him. Meanwhile the two other men continued to murmur to themselves. ===== ¡ô A few days later. Ares entered the tent at the center of the Wind tribe camp to respond to Batu¡¯s call. [I¡¯m sorry to bother you, Chief of Grants.] [Nah¡­ no need to be too worried about that] Batu was sitting in front of a low table at the center of the tent in a cross-legged position, where Ares joined him. [This would be the first time we meet face to face in peace.] Batu let out a hearty laugh after saying so. It was a bit hard to imagine how they¡¯re now sitting here together after fighting each other on the battlefield just a few days ago. Ares smiled back. [Alright then¡­let me hear your reply.] As soon as the greeting finished, Ares immediately got to the point. Both men¡¯s eyes turned sharp. Depending on Batu¡¯s reply, Ares knew that he had to be prepared to kill this man sitting before him. Batu remained silent for a while before finally speaking. [The Wind tribe will certainly not forget this favor. However¡­ We are still hesitating about joining hands with the inlanders.] The northern barbarians¡­.that¡¯s how the people living outside the steppe call these horse riders. In return, the barbarians used the term ¡ºinlander¡»to refer to the Arcadians to spite them back. The conflict had been ongoing for centuries, so it¡¯s understandable that it¡¯s hard for them to make this decision. But debt of favor must be returned, otherwise it will hurt the pride of the Wind tribe. On the other hand, joining the inlanders will also hurt their pride. [Therefore I have one suggestion] Batu looked Ares in the eyes. Ares also returned the gaze, waiting patiently. [Be my brother, or to be exact, be my blood brother.] ===== ¡ô Here was what Batu suggested. The Wind tribe will certainly return the favor. However, they still hesitated in joining Ares. therefore¡­ All they had to do was to make Ares be part of the Wind tribe. Becoming Batu¡¯s blood brother means Ares had joined the Wind tribe. With Ares being part of the Wind tribe, the other tribe wouldn¡¯t mind working together with him, as his vassals and territories would also be considered as that of the Wind tribe. Ares laughed grandly after hearing Batu¡¯s offer. [Ahaha! Impressive. That will indeed solve all the problems at once!] [That way, I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll be able to convince everyone. But will it be fine? Both of us know how the Arcadians hate the barbarians. And by being my blood brother¡­] [Then allow me to say this.] Ares then proclaimed with a clear voice. [Be it race difference or because you are a barbarian¡­ Me and my people will not use that as a reason to discriminate against others. More than that¡­your suggestion will put an end to the centuries-long conflict between the Arcadians and the ¡ºNorthern Riders¡». That is the most important part.] Batu silently digested Ares¡¯ proclamation¡­ then laughed out loud. [Hahahah! It¡¯s just as I said, right, Mukasa?] [Yes¡­ it is just as you said. With this, we have no reason to oppose.] Batu nodded in satisfaction to Mukasa¡¯s reply. Then after laughing once more, he turned back to Ares. [Pardon me. It¡¯s just that most of us here doubted that any normal Inlander would accept such a proposal. Only a weirdo will accept it¡­ or perhaps, only a hero would.] [Well, you have a point there. I can be considered a weirdo in a lot of ways, don¡¯t you think?] [No¡­ you are more of a ¡ºHero¡»instead. One this world has never seen before¡­ even.] Batu shook Ares¡¯ hand. [I¡¯ve confirmed, since you are a few years older than myself, then from now on,you shall be my older blood brother.] Batu then laughed merrily. [You are most definitely a ¡ºKing among kings¡», brother. Therefore, as your brother, I should at least try to become the king of the steppes.] Mukasa, Batoru, and many other Batu¡¯s subordinates present took note of that. After all, that was the first time they heard Batu proclaimed that he would become the [King of the Steppes]. [Defeat Amqa and claim the ¡ºRan¡»title. Then I will conquer the entire grasslands.] [Understood. Then as your blood brother, I should help you. Let¡¯s defeat Amqa together.] [Will that be alright?] [Isn¡¯t that what you intended in the first place?] Batu laughed in return. [So you realized?] [Of course. However¡­ It¡¯s still a good proposal. You get the grasslands and I get to ensure the safety of the northern part of my land.] [It¡¯s not only safety that you¡¯ll gain. Brother will also obtain the heart of the riders.] Batu continued on. [At brother¡¯s behest, we¡¯ll ride to the battlefield. The Wind tribe will never forget the favor you have given us.] [Thanks¡­ But first, we need to defeat Amqa.] Batu grinned. [Obviously. Together, there¡¯s no adversary we can¡¯t beat.] Standing up, Batu then shouted to the subordinates present at the meeting. [Alright, as you all can see, today we got ourselves a new brother. Bring out the booze and celebrate!] [Ah©`¡­¡­.I don¡¯t want to get drunk, so goat milk will do for me¡­] ===== A few hours later, food and liquor were transported ceaselessly to the tent. The northern riders were truly celebrating the occasion. And with Ares¡¯ approval, the soldiers and people of Fort Troia also joined in the festivities. Soldiers and the townsmen of Fort Troia had brought their families along. With the addition of the recently freed women and children of the Wind tribe, the celebration became even grander. But at the moment, the attention of both the Arcadians and the northern riders were all focused on the view of Ares standing next to Batu. Ares was wearing the tribal outfit of the Wind tribe. Meanwhile Batu was wearing the style of clothing mostly seen worn by Arcadian Aristocrats. This was a suggestion from Ares. [How about we exchange outfits? That way we should be able to appeal to each other¡¯s vassals at least visually.] And after looking at each other¡¯s appearance with their exchanged outfits¡­. Neither Ares nor Batu could hold their laughter. Following the Wind tribe¡¯s traditional way, both men drip a droplet of their blood on the cup filled with goat milk. The ceremony to tie the blood brother relationship concluded when the two drank the from the cup. And with that, the two had officially become blood brothers. When the ceremony was over, the banquet continued. The Arcadians and the northern riders mingled, sang, and danced together side by side. The centuries of conflict between the two no longer mattered. Race or standing didn¡¯t matter. At this moment, there were only people smiling together with their two kings. It was said that the feast continued on until dawn. And with that feast¡­.also came the end of centuries old conflict. ===== ¡ô ¡ºHero Sovereign¡» Ares and ¡ºKing of Winds¡», otherwise known as the King of the Steppes, Batou Ran. After this event, both continued to work together, laying the foundations for prosperity. Batu would then proceed to expand to the east, building a vast empire which exceeded that of Jamka Ran¡¯s¡­ It was said that the bond of brotherhood between the two kings remained strong till the end. Later on, Batu¡¯s successor would marry one of Ares¡¯ daughters, finally turning the two families into true relatives¡­. But that is another story. CH 135 Translator: Raizu Chapter 135 ¨C Conquering the North part 6 ~Counterattack~ [The Fire tribe has defected to the enemy camp!] [Reporting! The Sand tribe has also defected to the enemy!] News of defection continued to arrive in the Barbaric King Amqa¡¯s lap one after another. Naturally, Amqa was irritated by this. [Reporting! The Hill tribe has surrendered!] [Gaaaaaaah!] Amqa finally couldn¡¯t hold it anymore, throwing the cup on his hand at the messenger. [Hiyaaaa!] The messenger was caught off guard and could only react with a scream. [Fuck it all! What is actually going on?! Haaa!?] Amqa turned to the black-cladded man standing next to him angrily. But the man in question didn¡¯t want any of it. [What do you mean by that¡­ Obviously, isn¡¯t it because you didn¡¯t get rid of the Wind tribe on your first chance?] [What did you say!?] [Because you only listen to your dumb head and your dick. Can¡¯t you tell that all this happened because you didn¡¯t listen to me?] The man in black let out a huge sight afterward. [¡­..kuh! That¡¯s!] The man in black did indeed tell Amqa to immediately kill this man named Batu. [That man¡¯s eyes¡­ People with that kind of eyes tend to always get in our way. And look, it¡¯s just as I thought.] ¡¸¡­..¡¹ There were two reasons why Amqa chose to not execute Batu immediately. The first being that if he killed Batu, then he won¡¯t be able to legitimately claim the ¡ºRan¡»title. Secondly, he wanted to make Batu¡¯s wife, Klan, known for being one of the most beautiful women in the northern grassland, to submit to him. Amqa thought that he could get rid of Batu anytime he wanted as long as there was a hostage. However¡­the inlanders¡¯ surprise attack took away this bargaining chip from him. [You must¡¯ve told me to kill him so that we would end up destroying each other apart, haven¡¯t you, Bogdan!?] Amqa said as he glared at the man in black¡­ Bogdan. Bogdan suddenly appeared before Amqa one day. It was thanks to Bogdan¡¯s counsel¡­that a savage like Amqa was able to come a step closer to claiming the title of Ran. But everything he had worked on so far was crumbling to the ground as they speak. Amqa and Bogdan glared at each other, until the latter finally relented first. [Whatever. Anyhow¡­I need to make do.] His finger pointed to a certain spot on the map. [Judging from our position, the decisive battle can only be held on this hill. We need to take action at once.] Bogdan then took out a small box from his pocket. [That is?] [I didn¡¯t want to use it in this kind of timing¡­ But, no matter what happens, the ¡ºWar God¡»must be eliminated¡­] [Oi¡­Bogdan¡­?] Bogdan ominously laughed. Meanwhile Amqa was left oblivious to what just happened. ===== ¡ô Ares and Batu began the operation to defeat Amqa. The plan that the military staff member Shion had concocted was as follows. [Let¡¯s try to sway as many tribes as possible to defect from the Iron tribe. There should be many which unwillingly submitted just like the Wind tribe.] The first army led by Ares, the second army led by Sigurd, the third army under Roland¡¯s command, and lastly Batu with the Wind tribe riders took to the field. Shu also participated as a lieutenant. Batoru and Mukasa naturally were there as well. The four armies marched through the grassland. Ares chose to strike the area where the Fire tribe was taken hostage first. They swooped in to attack the guards in the darkness of night. They couldn¡¯t afford to allow the hostages to be hurt, therefore they had to rely on stealth and get rid of the guards one by one in their confusion. [They are men who had committed violence against the hostage. Kill them all without mercy. But¡­ if there is any hostage who is willing to vouch for any of them, then we¡¯ll spare this person¡­.although I doubt the possibility.] And thus Ares¡¯ forces freed the hostages, while at the same time conveying the news to the related tribes, convincing them to defect. And slowly but surely, more tribes started to switch sides. A few weeks later, Ares¡¯ forces were reinforced by a large number of northern riders of various different tribes. [Amqa¡¯s forces, along with the rest of the hostages, have converged at the Gayag Hill. The number, approximately tens of thousand.] Zekka came forth with the intel when Ares was discussing the battle strategy with the leaders of the allied army. [My my, so they finally realized the stupidity in dispersing the hostages¡­] Dispersing the hostages actually gives little benefit, as this means your forces would be spread out and the enemy would be able to free them one by one. Apparently Amqa finally realized this. Shion nodded in agreement. [Apparently they¡¯re planning to challenge us into a decisive battle. We have to be careful of when to strike.] [This is how I like it. If we rout them here, the grassland will shift to us all at once!] Mukasa, who was standing beside Batu, responded to the discussion in a loud voice. But Batu himself was calmer. [However¡­they have the remaining hostages with them this time. Most likely they¡¯ll use the hostages as meat shields. If we aren¡¯t careful¡­we¡¯ll end up hurting the hostages, and the tribes related to these hostages will bear a lasting grudge to us.] [Not to mention that the trust from the other defecting tribe would be affected as well, which will lead to a further delay to Batu-sama¡¯s inauguration as a Ran¡­] Batoru also added. [Big bro¡­.. Do you have any idea?] In response to Batu¡¯s question, Ares turned to Shion. And Shion smiled in return [Good grief¡­ Milord should think this through yourself next time¡­] He complained. [Well, what¡¯s the point of having a vassal who could think faster than me then?] Unable to refute, Shion could only sigh before finally starting to relay his strategy. ===== ¡ô [Bogdan! We should be alright this time, shouldn¡¯t we!?] Amqa barked at Bogdan. The guy didn¡¯t even bother to use his own brain. Truly an incompetent ruler. Bogdan inwardly thought. Amqa stupidity gave him difficulties to operate properly after all. The first time Bogdan met Amqa was when the latter was in the middle of his savagery. The ambition, strength, and ferocity in Amqa was what Bogdan needed. [With my wisdom, you can even become the king of the steppes. Do you want to join me?] Fascinated by the mention of ¡ºKing of the Steppes¡», Amqa instantly agreed. Afterward, Amqa would move according to the direction that Bogdan gave, and he soon rose to become the ruler of the majority of the grassland. He even earned the nickname ¡ºBarbaric King¡». Personally Bogdan felt that it really fit Amqa. For Bogdan, Amqa was the key to obtaining his wish. Which is also the wish of the ¡ºSnake of Darkness¡». ¡ºChaos¡» Once Amqa fully conquered the grassland, Bogdan planned to urge him to turn towards Grants, and many other places. Raiding, plundering, and slaughtering. He would instill the northern riders with fear, massacring any who dare to oppose him. Amqa did exactly as Bogdan wanted. [Don¡¯t worry. With the hostages on the frontline, they won¡¯t dare to attack head on. And then¡­ once they attack from behind, that¡¯s when our victory is set in stone.] [And that guy?] [They¡¯ll help us.] After that short remark, Amqa finally understood what Bogdan was planning. He let out a ferocious smile. [So that guy has decided to move this time, huh!?] [It¡¯s supposed to be that way.] [Great! Well done, Bogdan.] Amqa stood up and laughed. [Yosh! Then let¡¯s inform the army. Put the hostages at the front to become a ¡ºmeat shield¡»for us. Station those who are most likely to defect, like the Spear tribe, on the second row. Our Iron tribe will wait at the very back!] In a good mood, he also added. [I don¡¯t give a damn about those inlanders¡­but Batu and the Wind tribe, also those defecting tribes, they must be annihilated. I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯ll suffer before killing them.] Amqa left the tent with a laugh. Meanwhile, Bogdan murmured quietly. [By any chance, if this measure didn¡¯t work¡­I¡¯ll at least let you satisfy your savagery. To the very, very end¡­] An eerie smile crept up on Bogdan¡¯s face as he said so. ===== ¡ô The ¡ºSpear tribe¡»was led by a man named Bort. He was also an old friend of Batu, having the commonality of becoming a tribe leader at a young age. The Spear tribe was said to have the greatest offensive power amongst the northern riders. Their equestrian skill allows them to be more mobile than other tribes. When Amqa attacked them, they were quick to recover and fought back calmly. Until¡­ That guy showed up. Bort, atop his horse, went around on his own. His eyes caught the sight of several iron tribe soldiers enjoying themselves with booze and snacks. Bort bit his lip and turned away. [If it weren¡¯t for that strange looking guy back then, I won¡¯t be here amongst this wretched¡­] When Bort¡¯s Spear tribe cavalry engaged Amqa¡¯s forces, they were attacked by other forces from the flank. Bort still remembered the face of the attackers clearly. A bull headed warrior leading a squad of magic beasts. His troop collapsed after being attacked from the flank. His father, the tribe patriarch, along with many of the tribe cavalry died, swallowed the stampede of the magic beasts. As a result, the entire tribe was captured and turned to slaves. Bort and what remained of his troops became Amqa vanguard, running around the eastern grassland at Amqa¡¯s behest. [That Batu, is he okay¡­??] According to the rumour he heard, Amqa also managed to defeat the Wind tribe and made Batu his henchman. While Bord was wondering about the fate of his old friend, something hit him in the head. [Who¡¯s that!?] He should be alone right now. When he looked around, he only saw a crumpled paper on the ground. This must be what hit him in the head earlier. With suspicion, Bord picked up the crumpled paper and carefully unfurled it. As it turned out, it was a letter. Batu and Bord could actually read and write, which was a rarity among the northern riders. Bord casually started reading the letter, then his eyes stopped on a sentence. [¡ºTo my old friend, Bord¡»¡­..isn¡¯t this Batu¡¯s handwritings?!] He looked around, then carefully read the letter silently this time. A mysterious glint appeared in his eyes. Both sides had finally come face to face in Gayag hill. Unaware of each other¡¯s strategy, the battle between the two was about to begin. CH 136 Translator: Raizu Chapter 136 ¨C Sidestory ~Another Battlefield~ part 1 Let¡¯s shift the story to another place for a bit¡­ ===== Inside the Grants government office, George was handling various documents at a horrifying speed. Meanwhile, around him were many office workers collapsing on their tables due to exhaustion. [Please¡­please reduce the workload¡­] [Home¡­I wanna go home¡­] Responding to such wailings, George said, [What are you people talking about? Our Lord is currently fighting with his life on the line at the north. Shouldn¡¯t you all feel ashamed for giving up that easily?] Then he placed another stack of papers on their desks. [Now, we¡¯ll truly finish after these stacks, alright? There is no time for idling away. I could really use the extra help at the moment.] (Ah¡­..I¡¯m going to die, am I?) The officials looked on with empty eyes. It was when George returned to his desk that someone barged into the office. [George-sama, reporting! Apparently, there are three messengers dispatched from the capital. Therefore, Cornelia-sama would like to ask for George-sama¡¯s opinion on this.] [Ah¡­they came again, don¡¯t they? I guess there is no other choice but to see them personally, huh¡­] George muttered as he rose from his chair. [Alright, everyone. I¡¯ll be heading out to meet Cornelia-sama. Perhaps, I will not come back for the next few days¡­ no, maybe a few months if things went awry¡­] (Ah, finally we can rest¡­.) A flicker of hope was ignited in the officials¡¯ eyes. [Until I return, I want all the documents to be sorted out, ones that are already in this office, the upcoming ones, and inside this room. Work hard.] When the officials slowly turned to the room that George mentioned at the end¡­and looking at the disaster inside¡­the little hope they had was immediately snuffed out. There were even more documents piling up inside that room. (Die¡­we are going to die after all!) The despairing officials collapsed back onto their desks; each one of them thought of the same thing. ===== ¡ô [The messengers from the capital are coming.] Cornelia briefly informed George. [They should reach Redgear in a few days.] When Ares is absent, Cornelia would take over the rein as the acting lord of the entire Schwarzer Frontier Territory. Ares was bold in letting her do so, many certainly thought that way. Even so, the truth is Cornelia only has the final authority; the one in charge of most if not all political matters is still George. She only needs to give her sign of approval for an order to go through. Everything else is the duty of the chief officers of the Frontier Territory. Despite the surprise, people still welcomed the decision. However¡­over time, George began to understand why Ares entrusted such an important position to Cornelia. [Her coming from the Royal Imperial clan certainly helps to maintain face, but more than that¡­she¡¯s genuinely a balanced and highly capable politician.] Was what Ares said. Every time George went to consult her regarding political matters, the depth of her insight and the speed of which she made decisions often surprised George. Even though her duty was only to sign the document, Cornelia always took the time to read the document and confirmed the contents. She would also sometimes ask some questions regarding the matter or even pointed out mistakes within the document. She already became an indispensable part of the current political administration in the frontier territory. [She can actually tackle the works faster than Milord does¡­ At this rate, he¡¯ll see it fit to run around freely¡­] George mumbled to himself. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed as he came to understand why Ares entrusted Cornelia to handle the political affairs in his stead. ===== Returning to the current time, George replied to Cornelia. [Well, it¡¯s easy to guess what they want from us.] He then lifted his two fingers. [The first is most likely the order to dispatch troops to Thracia. Well, it¡¯s only a matter of time after all.] From about a year ago, Arcadia and Thracia had been involved in several skirmishes on their border. It seemed that Emperor Sephiros had had enough, thus he decided to rally his vassals to war. [Originally, Royal Father¡¯s aim was the east¡­ Take over Grant to remove the nearest possible adversary, then march to the east via Redgear¡­ Perhaps he was angry that it was the Thracians who took a pot shot at the Empire from behind.] [Thracia certainly understood that the power balance will be disrupted should the empire manage to conquer the east. They¡¯d try to stop the Empire at all cost.] George chuckled after saying so. [But, it¡¯s probably not so simple. It might also be a method to gauge which vassals who will attempt to take advantage of this upcoming battle. There is also information we received saying that His Majesty wasn¡¯t actually keen on battling Thracia. Perhaps, someone managed to convince him, which is why he rallied the vassals to gather a large number of soldiers.] [¡­¡­so that is how it is after all¡­] Cornelia sighed. [And about the second matter¡­] [Yes. As usual, to find out what actually transpires in here.] One little thing that had always been obvious to the aristocrats of the Arcadia Empire regarding Grants was that¡­ they had no idea at all about its situation. Most of their messengers would be halted at Redgear. Some did manage to enter Grants¡­.but none managed to return. And even if they went to inquire about the missing messenger, Grants was known to be inhabited by a lot of monsters¡­ It¡¯s easy to chalk it off as a result of bad security. Any spies sent would end up dead as well. But this time around, apparently they sent someone who was said to be pretty close to Cornelia before. There may be various reasons on why this person was selected. [For the time being, I should head to Redgear and greet them. Could you also come along, George-dono?] [As you wish.] George replied as he lowered his head. [If only¡ºthat¡»had been completed, we will be able to travel to Redgear in no time at all¡­] [¡ºThat¡»is still in an experimental phase. We will have to ride the dragon this time.] That said, Cornelia rose from her seat. [I-I wish to fly in the sky. Might as well have some fun while we are at it.] Cornelia let out a naughty smile much like that of a child as she said that to George. ===== ¡ô [Cornelia-sama still hasn¡¯t changed at all¡­] The long dialogue continued on and on. Perhaps it¡¯s how the Empire¡¯s aristocrats discuss things¡­ Theta who was standing next to Cornelia thought bitterly. Maria was standing on the other side, but she¡¯s in no better condition herself if judging from her expression¡­ Both women felt the same. It was two days ago when Cornelia-sama suddenly called for the both of them. [I need people that I can trust. Can you please come with me?] Thus, Theta and Maria decided to follow Cornelia, acting as her attendants. With Theta tagging along, the journey wouldn¡¯t feel harsh, while Maria can act as an escort. Not to mention that both are also Ares¡¯ wives. It would serve to let the world know that the wives were doing well. If there is a problem, it would be the aristocrats trying to find fault in everything. Sharon also wanted to go along, but there were still mountains of work waiting. So unfortunately she¡¯d have to pass on this trip. [¡­¡­and, of course we¡¯d like to request some troops from Grants. This is also an order from His Majesty to the ¡ºLord of Frontier¡»] When Theta was back to reality, the messenger had already gotten to the main topic. Looking carefully, she noticed that there was no longer a calm smile in Cornelia¡¯s face, now replaced by a slightly grim expression. There were three messengers. In the middle was a man with respectful attitude, probably the leading person of these messengers. His lavish clothes, studded with many jewels, couldn¡¯t really hide his fat body. His lack of hair as well as his big eyes and mouth¡­reminded Theta of frogs. On the right side was a nervous looking, lean bodied, brown haired man, whose eyes had been wandering all around uneasily. And then¡­ [You also came? Sven¡­] [Yes. Cornelia-sama still looks the same¡­] Cornelia didn¡¯t respond to the googly eyed baron¡¯s demand and instead spoke to the man on the left side, a man called Sven. When she started speaking, Theta noticed that Cornelia¡¯s expression turned slightly softer. Sven was a good looking young man. But he had this unhealthy, albeit flawless, looking pale skin, and thin body that would make anyone think that a slightly heavy wind would carry him away from the ground. [¡­..cough. Pardon me, Cornelia-sama, but this time it is me who acts as the lead messenger. Please refrain from making private remarks.] The huge man in the middle gave Sven an intimidating look. The latter trembled and quickly curled on his seat. [Then, Cornelia-sama, please give us your reply.] Having rushed like that, Cornelia¡¯s expression turned grim once more. [We cannot dispatch troops.] [How could it be?! Don¡¯t you see that this is an Imperial edict?] [Edict? Then have you people confirmed this letter yourselves?] Saying so, Cornelia handed back the letter to the googly eyed baron. The Baron read the letter¡­ and visibly trembled. [¡­¡­this is!? I have no knowledge about this¡­] [Yes, this letter has neither the Imperial seal nor His Majesty¡¯s signature. This is not even an Imperial letter, not to mention an Imperial Edict.] Without giving them any chance to reply, Cornelia continued on. [This letter you brought was instead signed by¡­.both the Imperial Prime Minister and Archduke Rozenheim. In that case, this is no different than just a request for aid from the prime minister. In other words, as the ¡ºLord of Frontier¡», we are allowed to decline the request since it¡¯s not relevant to our duties.] [But¡­this was entrusted to me by the prime minister himself¡­ Isn¡¯t the order from the prime minister is equal to that of His Majesty¡¯s order¡­] Before the googly-eyed baroncould finish, Cornelia already cut him off with a sharp voice. [This time, since His Excellency is perhaps entrusted to take overall command, his order should be deemed absolute. However, my husband, Ares Schwarzer is currently on an expedition to conquer the barbarian at the north. Many of our generals are currently with him. That is because it is the duty of the ¡ºLord of the Frontier¡»commanded by His Majesty himself. Therefore, even if it was an order from His Excellency, we cannot respond to it since we are in the middle of exacting the command assigned to us by His Majesty Emperor himself.] The baron finally shut up. But there was an obvious disappointment in his face. [And it¡¯s impossible to send out the remaining soldiers because we need them to maintain the security of Grants¡­ After all, everyone knows that Grants is the¡ºBarbarians¡¯ Playground¡», it will be difficult to maintain security without our remaining troops here¡­] It was George who spoke up to explain the situation just now. But when he heard George speaking, the googly eyed baron suddenly rose from his seat. [Shut up! You mere vassal. How dare you to speak up!] Maybe he just wanted to vent his frustration because he couldn¡¯t refute George¡¯s explanation. But that prompted Cornelia to respond with a chilly voice. [Ara? George here has the full power over the political affairs in Grants. His words carry so much importance since it¡¯s comparable to Ares¡¯ own words.] The googly eyed baron¡¯s mood darkened even more. [B-but¡­] [Enough.] Cornelia was quick to cut off the googly eyed baron again. [Please tell His Excellency the prime minister this: ¡°Pardon us, but at present we cannot send any soldiers from the frontier. Instead, please tell His Excellency that we will send supplies.¡± Ah, Esteemed Father has also sent a messenger, and I will have to see him soon.] Cornelia smiled as she said that last part. But the googly eyed baron¡¯s face turned blue upon hearing her mentioning the Emperor. [Therefore, please excuse me since I have something else to do.] [Please wait a moment, I still have one last thing to ask¡­ Regarding the situation in Grants¡­] [Do we all not know it already? It is an underdeveloped land where it is difficult to maintain public safety.] Cornelia rose from her seat as she said so. In a hurry, the googly eyed baron asked another question to stall for time. [However, many messengers never returned so we never truly knew the actual situation! Firstly please allow one to¡­] [Did we not always allow them to have a look?] Having said that, Cornelia finally turned around. [But that¡¯s¡­!] [In that case, would you like to go to Heinz personally?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­..] [I¡¯m not against it though? However, we cannot guarantee your safety. Please bear that in mind.] The googly eyed baron¡¯s face went pale again. [Regarding the missing messengers¡­ That is just how bad the security is. If you want to take a look this time around, then by all means¡­but should anything happen to you on your way back, it will be your own responsibility. Are you prepared for that?] Cornelia finally left the room. Taking that as a cue, it was George¡¯s turn to speak with the messengers. [Alright then¡­let¡¯s talk about the supplies.] Now the pale-faced baron had to negotiate with, of all people, George¡­ CH 137 Translator: Raizu Side Story ~Another Battlefield~ part 2 [Damn it all! That little girl!] That voice that reverberated throughout the room belonged to the googly-eyed baron, Baron Vin Bowman. Hearing the bark, the lean-bodied baron¡­Baron Botard quivered, and meanwhile Sven sighed. Baron Bowman looked to be in his 40 or 50s, but he¡¯s actually still in his twenties. He could no longer suppress his frustration. Baron Bowman belonged to the faction led by Scion. Currently, many political factions are fighting for power. His faction happened to be the largest at the moment. After the first prince Carlos was eliminated from the race to the throne, the capital was engulfed in a fierce factional competition. Currently, Scion¡¯s faction holds the greatest influence. They even managed to reel the prime minister in, further expanding their power. The ¡ºThunder Emperor¡»Sephiros Arcadia, after conquering Grants, had mysteriously remained silent as he watched his vassals¡¯ movements. Therefore, the vassals avoided giving unnecessary stimulus to the emperor, opting to fight between each other to defend their position and influence instead. And Scion, whose momentum was the greatest at the moment, felt that Ares Schwarzer posed the biggest threat for him. Ares was the only aristocrat who willingly left the capital without coveting influence on the central power. He married a princess of the royal imperial clan and is also well connected to various great aristocrats. Not only is he the heir to the Archduke, but he himself also possesses a vast territory which is the frontier area. In terms of territory size, the Schwarzer clan clearly owned the largest territory amongst the empire¡¯s aristocrats. And it¡¯s quite terrifying that there¡¯s basically no information at all regarding the frontier area. That¡¯s why Scion attempted to make Ares send out troops, to shave off some of the latter¡¯s power. And also¡­.to explore east of Redgear, towards the mysterious Grants. Those were the messengers¡¯ most important task. Scion heard that Ares Schwarzer was currently absent, having to deal with the northern barbarians. And the current acting lord is his wife, Cornelia. He believed that a woman like Cornelia would easily bend to his will. And even if Ares returned later, the clause would still be effective. One could even call it compulsory. That way, Scion would be able to treat Ares like his chess piece. With the prime minister on his side, his faction could take the lead on this western campaign. Even though the other side is the Lord of Frontier, they¡¯ll have no choice but to obey. It¡¯s a good chance to actually do something about this someone he considered as a threat. However, Cornelia was not misled by Bowman that easily. On the contrary, their plot was turned against on them. Bowman played himself up by mentioning ¡ºEdict¡». In fact, he didn¡¯t even know about the fault within the letter until Cornelia pointed them out. Cornelia pointed out that the letter was not a royal edict since it has no royal seal nor signed by the Emperor; it was actually an order written by the prime minister. Therefore, she saw it fit to decline the order in favor of the prior emperor¡¯s command for the Lord of Frontier. [Baronet Sven Knorr!] With his life in line, Bowman decided to call his fellow messenger. [Yes!] [You¡­I heard you were Her Highness Cornelia¡¯s old friend?] [Yes¡­we were childhood friends.] Sven met Cornelia before the Imperial clan found her. He first met her when he went to the church. His friendship with Cornelia started that day. [Then¡­good. You go convince Cornelia-sama.] [Ha?] [And while you¡¯re at it, go to Grants to find out what¡¯s going on. Surely she won¡¯t let her childhood friend die, would she?] Baron Bowman let out a fishy laugh. From that laugh, Sven realized what the baron intended. The man intended to make him a scapegoat. [¡­¡­as you wish.] But Sven could only bow quietly as he had no way to refuse. ===== ¡ô [It has been a while, Sven.] Cornelia looked happy to meet her childhood friend again. Theta and Maria stood on her left and right while George was also nearby. [Cornelia-sama didn¡¯t really change that much at all.] Sven bowed as he said so. In his heart, he knew¡­ It¡¯s a lie. He thought. Cornelia is so much more beautiful now than the past. Right, more than when they first met. Cornelia was already beautiful even before it became known that she¡¯s a princess. That¡¯s why he often visited the church, sometimes just to be able to talk with her. Yes, for Sven, princess Cornelia was both someone he admired as well as his first ever love. Perhaps both Theta and Maria may have noticed Sven¡¯s true feelings after seeing his expression. They felt something peculiar in him. You know¡­woman¡¯s intuition. [Thank you, Sven. Well, I heard that you have something important to say to me, pray do tell?] Cornelia still hadn¡¯t changed her expression. Perhaps¡­ she could already tell. She was a brilliant mind after all. [About that¡­] [As someone who was previously close to Cornelia-sama, you were told to convince her and to investigate Grants, is that it?] Before Sven could say anything, George already beat him to it. And George didn¡¯t stop there. [And should you fail, they¡¯ll make you take full responsibility for it¡­am I correct?] Sven merely listened quietly. Yes, that¡¯s right. The blonde man had guessed correctly. He took a deep sigh, then smiled. [You are correct. And¡­I know that no matter what I say, nothing will change.] [I see. Then what will you do?] [Report back to Baron Bowman and return to the Royal Capital to take full responsibility.] At this rate, no matter what he did, he wouldn¡¯t achieve anything. Therefore, rather than dawdle around, he¡¯d rather get punished and be done with it already. Although he also knew that he would be made an example. That it doesn¡¯t matter to lose the lower-ranked aristocrats, as replacement can always be found elsewhere. He knew¡­ but it couldn¡¯t be helped. [So they are making you responsible for it?] [It can¡¯t be helped. That¡¯s the only reason why Baron Bowman brought me here today.] It¡¯s the painful reality of the lower rank aristocrats like the baronets. The commands from those of higher rank are absolute. [I came prepared¡­ I¡¯ve already said my goodbye to my wife and family.] Sven had a younger sister and an already aged mother, in addition to a wife he married only recently. His sister¡¯s future husband would hopefully inherit the clan name after he¡¯s gone. But what worried him the most are his wife and mother. Thinking that, Sven couldn¡¯t help but to clench his lips. [¡­¡­.what do you think, George?] [What a resolve. As Cornelia-sama said, I feel that he¡¯s a trustworthy person.] After hearing George¡¯s assessment, Cornelia nodded then turned to Sven. [Sven¡­we have a suggestion. Would you be willing to hear us out?] Cornelia¡¯s suggestion¡­was shocking to say the least. ===== ¡ô [Hmm¡­in the end, Baronet Knorr didn¡¯t come back as well¡­huh] [Yes¡­he took the responsibility to sneak into Grants¡­but apparently he ended up dead along the way.] Baron Bowman reported with a troubled face. Scion didn¡¯t bother to hide his disgruntled face either. Of the three messengers he sent, Baronet Knorr was the least known by the masses. He only included this man so that he could use the baronet as a scapegoat and erase all evidence should the negotiation go awry. But even so¡­Scion thought to himself. Once again, men sent by the aristocrats to visit Grants¡­went missing. Just like how it always does. Because of the very poor security¡­anyone would believe such an excuse. After all, Grants was known as a place rife with barbarians and magic beasts. However¡­why do many people migrate to this so-called dangerous land? The aristocrats of course sought to investigate this anomaly, but be it messenger or spy, none returned alive. Sometimes they returned as corpses, but most of the time they went missing, never to be found. Therefore, Scion still knew nothing of Ares¡¯ land up until this day. [What on earth is he hiding¡­?] ¡ºThat¡» Ares would certainly do something to this so-called accursed land. But why is he trying to hide it so desperately? In fact, despite being known as an unsafe place plagued by magic beasts¡­so far there¡¯s no report of rebellion yet. [As I thought, that man is a threat¡­ If we don¡¯t take action as soon as possible¡­] After murmuring that, Scion once again sank into his thoughts. ===== ¡ô [Looks like it worked.] [As always, the people at the capital only know that he¡¯s missing.] George replied. And standing next to him was¡­ [Your family will be arriving here soon, yes? Sven?] Sven, the latest person to disappear on the endeavour of the people at the capital to investigate Grants. What Cornelia suggested was, to make it so that the capital thought he had gone missing as well when, in reality, he would stay in Grants. What surprised Sven the most was the fact that many of those ¡°missing¡± people are currently working for Grants. Many of them were capable officials, albeit estranged from the aristocrats due to various reasons. In particular, Sven was most surprised to find out that inspector Marius Bertram, famously known and feared as the ¡ºIce Dagger¡»back at the capital, was among these people. Marius was one of the people sent to investigate Grants, and was reported to have lost his life along with his team when they were attacked by a horde of magic beasts. Certainly many of the corrupt aristocrats at the capital were overjoyed by the news. [Marius is now an indispensable personnel in this territory. It really helps when talented people like him come over here. The person himself said that it¡¯s easier to work here than in the capital.] George explained. Once he entered Grants¡­ Sven was even more surprised. It was said that Grants was the land rife with barbarians and magic beasts. But what he saw here was a ¡ºcountry¡»more advanced than the capital. The security and culture were probably even better than in the capital. But¡­ at the same time, he knew. This fact must not be known to the people at the capital. Just from seeing how various races live together in harmony and how flourishing the country is, even worshiping their gods in a single church together. If this fact became known to those greedy aristocrats, there¡¯s no doubt that they¡¯ll come in droves to seek benefits. All of these need to be kept hidden at all cost. [For the development of this place, I will be counting on you, Sven.] [Yes!] Sven thought. He knew that he wasn¡¯t all that talented. However, he obtained this chance to work in such a wonderful place. Therefore¡­he just has to work hard, as a way to convey his feelings and gratitude to Cornelia¡­ CH 138 Translator: Raizu Conquering the North part 7 ~Battle of Gayag Hill~ The battle erupted at midnight when there was no moonlight. [E-enemy attack!] [No way! Did they decide to ignore the hostages!?] [Rather, how did they get behind us! There should be a river behind us¡­!] [Shit! I don¡¯t know from where they¡¯re coming!] Amqa¡¯s formation placed the hostages at the very front, treating them as a meat shield. Right behind them were a few Iron tribe guards and several other tribes, including the Spear tribe. At the very back were the rest of the Iron tribe forces, along with the most cooperating tribes. There was a river behind the formation, so it shouldn¡¯t be possible to be attacked from behind¡­ [What¡¯s going on! How come they¡¯re attacking from behind us?] At that moment, Amqa recalled Bogdan¡¯s words. ===== [As long as we have the hostages, they won¡¯t dare to attack head on. Our army should proceed. When the time comes, we¡¯ll strike their forces from the sides.] That was Bogdan¡¯s original plan. [Those people don¡¯t like unnecessary killing.] Few days ago, Bogdan was giving advice to Amqa. [Hou, so they¡¯re that kind of men. To me, nothing more fun than killing people in battle.] Ignoring Amqa¡¯s laughter, Bogdan continued on. [That¡¯s why we collected all of our hostages together and put them at the front.] Bogdan¡¯s plan was to use the hostages to prevent the enemies from marching towards them aggressively. They only need to buy time until the magic beast squad attacks the enemy from behind. Afterward, their cavalry will march to finally break the opposition¡­. All of that certainly sounded like a perfectly laid plan. Of course, the other leaders inquired about the possibility of getting attacked from the rear. [No need to be worried. There is a river behind us. The rivers in this area are too deep for cavalry to cross. Rest assured.] Convinced by Bogdan, Amqa happily adopted the plan and set up his camp atop Gayag hill. ===== ¡ô However, thanks to the information Zekka brought, Ares and the others became aware of this plan. Bringing the most elite of his first army, along with the elites of Batu¡¯s army, sneaked around to the back of Amqa¡¯s forces and set up a surprise attack. [There are a lot of trees along this river.] Shion explained. [We can make a simple raft using these trees.] [But¡­won¡¯t we just get swept downstream¡­?] [Yes, the enemy would also think so. That¡¯s why they left the back facing the river. But that¡¯s also why we¡¯ll use that opening.] Shion grinned. [We¡¯ll make use of the dragon knights. Let the dragons tow the raft across the stream. Fortunately, it¡¯s the season when the stream isn¡¯t that harsh. Our dragons should be able to force their way against the flow. Ah, and one more thing¡­] Shion added. [After crossing the river, Sigurd should lead the dragon knights back. We¡¯ll need him and the rest of our troops to deal with the monsters attacking from behind us.] [That¡¯s a lot to ask¡­] Shion replied lightly to Sigurd¡¯s complaint. [There is no other way. It¡¯s important to decide the outcome of this battle. We must win, no matter what hand we must use.] And thus, after a few days of building rafts, Ares finally put the operation to play. ===== ¡ô [Bastards! Those cowards!] The surprise attack tore down the Iron tribe¡¯s encampment. Amqa was busy barking out orders to the vassals around him. [Oi!! Hurry up and get the guys at the front here! Kill all the hostages!] But nobody responded to his order. All of them were too busy dealing with the surprise attack. [Fuck! Where is everyone!?] Responding to that was a vassal who was supposedly standing by at the frontline instead. [Reporting!] [What now!?] [Hostages are escaping to the enemy camp. Our guards were attacked from behind by the Spear tribe!] [What did you say!?] Right, that was the measure Ares prepared to prevent the enemy from killing the hostage. He had sent a secret letter to Bord, the Spear tribe¡¯s leader. While the rear is disturbed by surprise attack, he is to help the hostages escape. The reason why the Spear tribe had to wait was because their position was sandwiched between the hostage at the front and the Iron tribe at the back. Should they act too early, the Iron tribe would move to kill them along with the hostages from behind¡­ It just won¡¯t work. But it¡¯s a different story if the back was in a state of confusion. According to Ares¡¯ plan, Bord made his move, freeing the hostages. [Many tribes also defected to the enemy camp¡­guaaa!] Amqa killed the poor messenger with a slash of his sword. Everyone around him turned pale after witnessing this. [Shit! Retreat! Retreat and regroup later!] The subordinates were perplexed at Amqa¡¯s frantic order. However, at that moment. [That won¡¯t be needed.] A voice spoke up. Realizing that Bogdan had spoken against his order, Amqa glared at his advisor. [Bogdan¡­you¡­] [Use this.] Bogdan took out a small box and showed it to Amqa. [By using this, you¡¯ll gain a power that none can surpass. Use this power to take their heads, and we¡¯ll win.] Amqa silently observed the box for a while. Then finally said. [This¡­how do I use this?] [It¡¯s very simple. I¡¯ll use a special technique to embed it onto yourself. That¡¯s it.] Amqa went silent once more. If this situation goes on, Amqa knows that his army will collapse. He will eventually die, and everything ends there. However, if he uses this, he¡¯ll gain immense power. Bogdan was asking him to hold the line while waiting for the magic beast squad to finish their task. [In addition to increased power, you¡¯ll also be able to take control of nearby magic beasts. I actually don¡¯t want to give it to you. But this is an emergency. So there you are.] However, there were some who were against Bogdan¡¯s suggestion. [Amqa-sama! Do not be fooled by this guy. At this current situation we really should¡­guahhh!] However, Bogdan was quick to approach that subordinate and swiftly beheaded the unfortunate man. [Lowly trash¡­this isn¡¯t the time for you to speak. Now, what do you say?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­alright. Let¡¯s do it your way.] Amqa finally made his choice as he turned toward Bogdan. Amqa¡¯s subordinates turned pale faced upon hearing his decision. [Can this power make me the king of the steppes?] [Not just the King of the Steppes, but you also can even become the King of All.] Those words were enough to make Amqa grin. [Interesting. To have everything in this world. The land, riches and the women¡­ do it now, Bogdan.] [Your boundless desire is truly marvelous¡­let¡¯s get started.] Having said that, Bogdan opened the small box. ===== ¡ô Ares nodded in affirmative to Saint¡¯s question. [There is no doubt. I sensed the sign of the ¡ºDemon King¡»coming from there¡­those bastards, don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re using the ¡ºartifact¡»¡­..?] Right after Ares muttered that, Batu and Shu came up to him. Both had equally pale complexions. [Fourth head! Why does the air over there feel distorted!?] [Oi oi, even I can feel it too? Chills have been running through my spine for a while now¡­ Big bro? What is going on?? [¡­¡­.in any case we still need to go on. You know what to do. I¡¯ve left my troops command to Roland. As for you two¡­] [Don¡¯t worry. I have Mukasa and Batoru to take command in my stead.] Batu was quick to reply. [If I don¡¯t defeat Amqa personally, then I won¡¯t be able to claim the title Ran for myself. It¡¯s also a critical point for me.] Hearing Batu¡¯s resolve, Ares grinned in return. [Got it. Let¡¯s go.] And thus, Ares, Batu, and Shu rode together toward the center of Amqa¡¯s formation where the evil aura was. CH 139 Translator: Raizu Conquering the North part 8 ~Bull Warrior~ Sigurd was back at the allied camp across the Gayag hill. However, their current formation was a bit odd. Each of the center and the wings were facing the opposite direction. They¡¯re actually presenting their back towards the direction of Amqa¡¯s Iron tribe¡¯s camp. In the center, facing away from the hill in a spread formation, was the Grants army led by Sigurd. Meanwhile, the cavalry on the left and right led by Mukasa and Batoru were seemingly preparing to head towards Amqa¡¯s encampment. Sigurd and Shion rode atop their horses at the center of the Grants forces. [How unusual. To think you¡¯ll take to the frontline personally.] Shion simply smiled in response to Sigurd¡¯s comment. [Honestly I don¡¯t want to work in such an environment if at all. But¡­there is no other choice. Everywhere around here is dangerous at the moment anyway.] Hearing such an exchange from the side, Arnold, Sigurd¡¯s lieutenant, finally couldn¡¯t help himself and whispered to Sigurd. [Hey¡­Sigurd¡­] [Nn?] [Will it really be okay¡­?] [What?] [No, I mean, bringing the strategist to the frontline like this?] Arnold glanced at Shion as he said so. The person in question was sitting on the saddle, gazing at the distance relaxedly. [Ah, you don¡¯t know¡­well of course, most of the people currently working at Grants don¡¯t even know as well.] [¡­¡­.about what?] Hearing Arnold¡¯s reaction, Sigurd simply grinned. [That guy isn¡¯t just a man with a big brain.] He said. ===== ¡ô Noises reverberated throughout the hill. Horseshoe clappings, soldiers screaming and yelling¡­.these various kinds of noises. [The attack has begun¡­can you please inform Mukasa and Batoru?] Shion gave an instruction to one of the [Dragon¡¯s Eye] agents Zekka had posted nearby. The [Dragon¡¯s Eye] agent quickly bowed before disappearing like the wind. After a while, the cavalry on both wings began to march out. They¡¯re heading to the flank of Amqa¡¯s army to attack from the sides. [Good grief¡­the people Milord has gathered really are excellent¡­] Shion chuckled to himself, then turned to Sigurd. [Alright then, isn¡¯t it about time?] On their line of sight, many magic beasts were approaching with a tall cloud of dust following them. [You know what to do, right?] [Yeah, kill the enemy carrying the ¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifact¡».] Shion nodded in satisfaction at Sigurd¡¯s reply. [Until then, I will be conducting the battle from here¡­.Sigurd only needs to focus on his task.] [Understood¡­ I will finish it in no time.] Sigurd then held up his spear and urged his horse forward. [By the way¡­I have left Ancient Dragon Zephyr nearby¡­ Don¡¯t wander too far away from him if possible.] [Ahaha, no worries. I¡¯m not the type to force myself to work hard anyway.] Giving Shion one last glance, Sigurd urged his flame horse Brad forward to lead the army. After confirming that Sigurd had really started moving¡­Shion manipulated the wind with magic to deliver his voice to the entire army. His laid back voice made its way to the ear of every soldier. [Aa©`, attention to all soldiers. The enemy is currently in confusion and you all should be able to see that the cavalry has marched out, but¡­what you should now know is that our Lord Ares is fighting at the heart of the enemy camp as we speak.] He took a breather before continuing. [Now, it¡¯s our turn. An army of monsters is approaching from behind. We must never let those beasts reach our Lord. Fight with your life¡­.? No, I will not say that. This should be a cinch if you make use of the usual anti-magic beast formation. Be confident. When the time comes, General Sigurd will clean up everything while the rest of us can relax.] Sigurd smiled at that last remark. Many soldiers also laughed. As long as they do their best, the great general will handle everything else. Never had any of them heard such a ¡°rallying speech¡± before. [There is no shame in escaping. Life is the most precious thing after all. If you think that thing¡¯s gone bad, feel free to run away¡­surely our Lord will also say the same thing¡­eh? All this talk and the magic beasts are already just up ahead¡­.alright then, everyone, good luck!] Shion then quietly pointed the iron war fan in his hand forward. At the same time, the roar of the ancient dragon Zephyr filled the air. [That was somewhat¡­too relaxed, wasn¡¯t it?] But Sigurd was quick to correct Arnold for his comment. [Not at all. Just take a look at the soldiers.] Following Sigurd¡¯s suggestion, Arnold turned his head around to look. And he was surprised. There were no longer smiles and laughs in the soldiers¡¯ faces. All of them had firm looks. [He is a strange fellow indeed. But that¡¯s probably why the soldiers like him.] Sigurd grinned as he said so. [That¡¯s just how it is. He would always stand on the frontline, saying that the soldiers are doing their best, so he shouldn¡¯t be the only one safe in the backline.] It¡¯s just as Sigurd said. When Shion actually participates in a battle, the man would be there at the frontline. He wasn¡¯t proficient with the sword, and neither was he with magic. His martial arts were subpar, and he could only use elementary levels of magic. And yet he always stands in the frontline. [Would the soldiers be willing to listen to someone who never risked their own life in the battlefield?] Shion once said. [Generals and soldiers alike should risk their life together in battle. That¡¯s why the soldiers willingly follow our command¡­ Don¡¯t you think so too?] Listening to Sigurd¡¯s story, Arnold went silent for a while before muttering, [If only the generals at the capital have a similar belief.] [Well, even Milord has the same belief. That¡¯s why we are strong¡­I guess? Everyone here has the same belief after all.] Sigurd chuckled. [Though I honestly don¡¯t want him to die. That¡¯s why I left Zephyr with him. Now I can fight with an ease of mind. Alright then, enough chit chat. We have work to do.] Sigurd set his sight at the center of the magic beast horde. [Over there is where the one behind this horde stands. I shall take his head.] ===== ¡ô Sigurd charged through the magic beast horde atop his mount, the flame horse Brad. Following behind him were the elites of the army. Wherever they went, magic beast corpses were strewn along their path. [Through here. The pendant is pointing to that direction.] Sigurd rode to battle without a sliver of doubt. The pendant in his hand continued to show him the direction he needed to take. [GisshaaaaaaAAA!] [GuhaaaaAAA!] Whenever Sigurd moved his spear, many magic beasts would be blown away. His steed Brad would trample over any that he somehow missed as it galloped. Then suddenly, Sigurd, who had been moving unceasingly from the beginning, finally stopped. [Oii! Sigurd¡­! If you ride too fast, the rest won¡¯t be able to follow, eh¡­..!?] Lieutenant Arnold arrived at Sigurd¡¯s side a bit later with a ragged breath. Noticing that his leader was focused on something, he turned to see toward the same direction Sigurd was staring at. And in Arnold¡¯s sight¡­was a warrior. He was sitting atop the shell of a giant turtle-like magic beast. [Oi¡­that is¡­] Before Arnold could finish his sentence, the warrior before them already spoke up. [So thou art the people that hast been charging through my beasts from a while ago.] Arnold was surprised by the fact that the warrior in front of them could talk, considering his appearance and all. ¡®He¡¯ had a muscular body and beast-like features. The upper body was left naked while the lower body was covered by what seemed to be beast hide. The greatsword in his back would certainly draw attention. But above all else¡­ Arnold murmured what crossed his mind just now. [His head is a black bull? Is he that so-called true beastkin?] True beastkin is what the beastkins of the current age called their ancestors. It¡¯s said that they possessed much greater physical prowess than the regular beastkins of today. But the warrior before them quickly corrected Arnold. [Ha! How unpleasant to be clumped together with those lowly beastkin. This me has transcended all species. Do not think this me is of the same level to thee lowly creatures.] The bull headed man turned his sight to Sigurd once more. [This me shall ask you just one thing. Art thy lord is that ¡ºdog¡», the so called ¡ºWar God¡»?] Sigurd didn¡¯t answer that question, instead he silently applied magic strengthening. His body instantly cladded in blue glow. [Not even answering to this me¡­? What an unpleasant man. No matter. If thou art here, then thou must be the servant of that ¡ºWar God¡». Thou shalt die in here.] At that moment, an intense killing intent and magic power overflowed through the entire area. Nearby magic beasts dispersed to make room out of fear, but the soldiers behind Sigurd stood their ground. Watching their leader. Yes, they noticed. Their leader is enraged. The opponent had insulted their beloved Lord. [No need to tell me your name¡­I will just say one last thing. Don¡¯t even think that you¡¯ll ever leave this place alive!] The bull headed warrior replied with a similar amount of hate. [Kukukuku, seems like a good dog, thou art¡­ This me should be the one saying that.] The moment the bull headed warrior said so, Both men collided with such a terrifying force. Thus, in the midst of the magic beast horde, a battle beyond human¡¯s imagination commences. ===== ¡ô Each time Sigurd¡¯s spear and the bull warrior¡¯s greatsword clashed, wind pressure and magical waves would overflow with them as the epicenter. [GaaaaAAAA!!] [Guh!?] With a loud yell, the bull warrior shook his greatsword, this time managing to push Sigurd back. But he still managed to land on his two feet, raising a cloud of dust in the process. [Not yet!] Sigurd fixed his posture as he said that, but at that moment¡­ [Too slow!] The bull warrior was already right in front of him. [What!?] Sigurd let out a surprised shout. The bull warrior kept putting pressure on Sigurd. Gradually pushing the spearman into a defensive position. [Oioi, if even Sigurd is being pushed back¡­.that means neither Milord nor Darius can fight it¡­] Arnold couldn¡¯t believe that such a possibility was happening right before his eyes. [What¡¯s wrong,¡ºdog¡»? Is that all?] The bull warrior kept swinging his greatsword at Sigurd with a crooked smile on his face. [Guh! Guuh!] Sigurd sometimes blocked, sometimes evaded and other times, he would redirect the attacks coming at him. But it¡¯s clear that he could only stay on the defensive. [Fuhn, just a ¡ºdog¡»after all. I suppose thy lord shouldn¡¯t be a big deal] The bull warrior sneered. [My my, ¡®tis not even interesting. At this rate, this me should just go and challenge that so-called ¡ºWar God¡». Alright then, ¡®tis time to finish this farce. This me still has something else to¡­?] The bull warrior never managed to finish his sentence. He didn¡¯t notice the change in Sigurd¡¯s eyes as he spoke. [Ha!] Sigurd¡¯s whole body, previously glowing in blue, now began to shine white. His roar was followed by a spear swing. The bull warrior still managed to dodge, but he was stupefied by what he saw. [What¡­? What is that¡­] The bull warrior muttered in confusion. [Oi oi, isn¡¯t that the same as what Lord Ares used¡­] Arnold was also amazed. Sigurd, enveloped in a white glow, didn¡¯t respond to those comments and questions, and instead moved his limbs a little as if checking for something. After he felt certain, he once again faced the bull warrior. Murmuring seemingly to himself. [This is the first time I use the Magic Sword style in actual battle¡­.. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing the result.] He then shouted to the bull warrior. [For insulting my Lord, you shall pay it with your life!] Right after saying so, Sigurd¡¯s figure disappeared from sight. He¡¯s attacking the bull warrior with a speed unseen to the eye. [W-what!?] Not only was the bull warrior still confused, he couldn¡¯t react at all even if he wanted to. But he still noticed that Sigurd had passed through him. [What on earth¡­] At that moment, his greatsword fell to the ground. No¡­ It was his arm that actually fell. [GuaaaaaAAA!!!] Finally realizing what had actually transpired, the bull warrior cried in pain. But Sigurd, with eyes as cold as ice, didn¡¯t care and moved to attack again. On the other hand, the bull warrior no longer had any weapon to defend himself. Sigurd and the bull warrior clashed for what appeared to be less than a second, before the former skidded to a stop some distance behind the latter. [Im¡­po¡­ssible¡­] Blue blood overflowed from the bull warrior¡¯s mouth. [Amazing¡­my eyes couldn¡¯t follow at all¡­] Arnold could only mutter so. Sigurd had punched a hole through the bull warrior¡¯s chest with his spear¡­right, the spot where the ¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artefact¡»was embedded. [Ba¡­ba¡­bastard¡­] [Ah, I have one last thing to tell you.] Turning around and approached the bull warrior, Sigurd smugly said, [The minion is such a weakling after all. I suppose your master shouldn¡¯t be a big deal either.] [YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRD!] The bull warrior roared furiously. Right then, Sigurd flashed his spear sideways. A blink of an eye later, the bull warrior¡¯s head was already severed from his body, exploding in blue blood and gore. [Good grief¡­this is more tiring than I expected.] Murmuring such to himself, Sigurd then turned to Arnold with a smile on his face. ===== ¡ô A short moment after Sigurd defeated the bull warrior, the horde of magic beasts dispersed on its own. [No need to give chase. Leave them alone.] Sigurd commanded the army. [Now, all that left is Ares-sama¡¯s part¡­godspeed, Ares-sama] Without having any doubt that his master would bring victory home, Sigurd looked back to the hill in the distance. CH 140 Translator: Raizu Chapter 140 ¨C Conquering the North part 9 ¨C ~Amqa~ Ares sped up, cutting his way down a bloody road to the main enemy camp at the center. [I have a bad feeling. Hopefully I make it in time¡­] Ares muttered to himself. Meanwhile, his hands were still busy swinging Renart, killing any soldiers that came in his way. [4th Head! The feeling is getting stronger and stronger. This is¡­] Shu informed Ares as he swept the enemy in front of him with his cross-shaped spear. [Oioi, isn¡¯t it weird? There are a lot of soldiers but all of them are fleeing from the center instead¡­] Batu caught one of the soldiers that were escaping from the central camp by the neck. [Let go! Release me! I still don¡¯t wanna die!] [Shut up!] Batu slapped the delirious soldier¡¯s cheek to wake him up, then asked. [Oi, what¡¯s with that place? What¡¯s going on? Is everything alright?] [¡­..Amqa-sama has sold his soul to the devil¡­] The soldier¡¯s face turned miserable. [That was¡­certainly a devil¡¯s work. I¡¯d rather be killed by the enemy soldiers than being killed by that¡­thing.] The soldier then began squealing frantically once more. [Dammit! What is going on here!?] Batu muttered to himself as he loosened his grip on the soldier, who promptly scurried away after he fell to the ground on his butt. [In any case we should forge ahead¡­ Amqa is over there¡­ But maybe I should prepare for the worst¡­] Ares mumbled that last part with a very low voice so that Shu and Batu didn¡¯t hear him. Tightening his grip on Renard, he pushed his way to the center. Looking behind him, he saw Shu and Batu nodded back as they followed. ===== ¡ô The first things that entered Ares¡¯ sight were the large number of torn corpses and a man standing in the middle of it. Man¡­was that even the right word? The appearance was certainly no longer that of a man. Its height was over 2 meters tall with bulging muscles all over its body. But the most shocking feature was its head. [No way, is that¡­Amqa? That thing doesn¡¯t even resemble Amqa¡­at all. Looks more like a monster to me.] Batu was surprised upon seeing the creature. [I knew it¡­ It¡¯s too late¡­ He used the ¡ºDemon King Artifact¡»] Yes, the creature was Amqa. However, the head was no longer that of a human. Instead, it was an elongated skull with a pair of twisting horns growing from its temple. [Ahh, this feels so good¡­I¡¯ve been feeling wary this whole time, but now I feel so calm the worries from earlier felt like a lie¡­] The skull murmured, then laughed. Its boney jaw crackled as it kept talking. [With this, I will never lose to anyone anymore. I¡¯ve become the strongest in the world.] The skull-headed creature¡­Amqa trampled through the many strewn corpses. It looked around at its tragic victims, but soon turned its focus to the three men who just arrived. [And then¡­.the sacrificial lambs to celebrate my ascension actually brought themselves to me. Be my stepping stones and crumble to dust!] Amqa brandished its sword. The sword itself emitted a dark aura as though it¡¯s a sentient being. [Alright then, lambs. Come at me. Though I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll lose to anyone right now.] Having said so, Amqa launched itself at the three at a terrifying speed. ===== ¡ô [Kuh! I won¡¯t let you!] Jumping off from his horse as he shouted that, Shu was the first to receive Amqa¡¯s attack. Upon landing on the ground he forego his cross spear, reaching out to the katana on his waist. [Haaaaaa!] Along with his roar, Shu¡¯s body emanated with a white glow. He instinctively knew. The creature before him must not be trifled with so he went full throttle from the very beginning. Shu blocked Amqa¡¯s sword with his katana. Clank! The noise of metal colliding reverberated through the battlefield. At that point¡­ [What!?] Shu was knocked back a good distance away. [Shu!] Batu hurriedly ran toward Shu, helping the latter get up as his body was lodged into the ground. [Guhaa!] [Oi! Get a hold of yourself!] [¡­..I am fine, Batu. More importantly, you should focus on the enemy before us. I cannot protect you this time.] Shu replied as he got back up to his feet on his own. When Ares confirmed the situation, he also thrust Renard to the ground and dismounted from Saint. [I know. This guy, I think there is more than one ¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifact¡» embedded in its body¡­ I can feel that its magic power is stronger from the other one.] Ares¡¯ eyes darted at Amqa¡¯s forehead then to his shoulders. Brown colored objects were embedded on those spots. Undoubtedly, those are the ¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifacts¡». Reaching out to the Seven Heavenly Sword hanging around his chest, Ares gently called out the sword¡¯s name. [Divine Sword Oldeus!] A sword with a shimmering blue blade appeared on Ares¡¯ hand upon being called. [If only Sigurd and Darius are also here¡­.but, beggars can¡¯t be choosers¡­ I have to find a way to kill that thing with only the three of us here¡­] If Sigurd and Darius were there in addition to Shu and Batu, Ares wouldn¡¯t be as troubled to fight Amqa but since the former two were on a different mission, he had no other choice but to make do with what he has. Ares twirled Oldeus in jest. But it was actually the invisible slash launched to attack Amqa. But¡­ [Gaaaaaaaa!] Amqa¡¯s body swelled even further following that roar. And surprisingly, it tanked the attack while receiving nary a scratch. [Wha!?] Ares was obviously amazed. [How naive! Little bastard!! ¡­.Mu!?] But at that moment, an arrow bearing tremendous pressure shot toward Amqa. [Fly!] It was an arrow that Batu let loose. And it¡¯s not just one arrow, but multiple of them, each swirling with wind magic. He¡¯s shooting from a bow called the ¡ºSupreme King Bow¡», once wielded by the King Jamka Ran and had been passed down for generations within the Wind tribe. The arrows released from this bow were known to be capable of piercing through metal. However¡­ [Impudent!] But the arrows bounced off Amqa¡¯s skin too. [No way¡­] Seeing the result, Batu was stunned. [Now it¡¯s my turn! Gaaaaaa!] That roar sounded inhuman. Along with that, Amqa started moving once more, swinging the sword in its hand horizontally. Following that swing, the ground was gouged out. Almost as if it was an invisible slash just like what Ares did. [Tsk!] Ares launched his own invisible slash to offset that attack. In response to this, Shu, who was in the opposite direction, launched himself towards Amqa, katana slashing at the creature. But Amqa didn¡¯t react with his sword and instead threw a bare handed fist with its free left hand. Shu, managing to avoid the fist, attempted to land a powerful blow. Amqa managed to block that attack with its sword, but the force behind Shu¡¯s slash was enough to cause its feet to sink into the ground. [Tsk!] At the same time, Ares closed in once Amqa turned away from him. With Amqa in the middle of raising its sword to block Shu, Ares aimed for the opening on its flank. But as if having predicted that, Amqa managed to disengage from Shu and jumped away to avoid Ares¡¯ attack in time. [He¡¯s so swift despite his size!!] Landing back on the ground almost gracefully, Amqa retaliated with yet another invisible slash at Ares. [Damn!] [Ha!] Again, Ares¡¯ party worked together to counteract and distract Amqa. This time, Batu also shot an arrow from a seemingly blind spot. But again, Amqa deflected the arrow as though he had predicted the sneak attack. [Dammit! It¡¯s a monster!] Batu cursed as his arrow was denied once again. Both Ares and Shu silently agreed, but brandished their swords nonetheless. [No opening at all¡­] Shu muttered. No matter how they attacked, Amqa had seemingly always predicted it. [We can¡¯t afford to waste time¡­ this is supposed to be a surprise attack. If the enemy finds that our numbers are actually very little¡­they¡¯ll surround us from all sides¡­] Batu nodded in agreement to Ares¡¯ assessment. The key in a surprise attack is to strike at the enemy¡¯s head as quickly as possible. Unable to achieve that is the same as failure of the entire operation. [That¡¯s not all¡­over time, the horde of magic beasts that Sigurd is blocking will eventually rush over here¡­attracted by the ¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifact¡»] That would be the worst case scenario in Ares¡¯ mind. If that happens, they would be grossly outnumbered. Ares took a glance at Shu who¡¯s now right beside him. The man was looking at Amqa with a little impatience. Seeing this, Ares gently reached out to his shoulder. At the same time, waves of magic power were transmitted to Shu. Images suddenly flashed in Shu¡¯s mind. Surprised, he turned to Ares. [4th Head!? That was¡­] [Did you see images in your head?] [Yes. But¡­that was¡­] [Yes, that was Murakumo-style Special Art ¡ºDragon¡¯s Roar¡». Well, at the moment I can only impart images. Exercising it is still the most important. But in your case, the basics are already there, so¡­with this, you should be able to figure out how to use the ¡ºDragon¡¯s Roar¡»properly.] Using Wind magic, Ares covertly transmitted his plan to Shu and Batu. [Our targets are the ¡ºDemon King¡¯s Artifacts¡». Shu and I will handle the ones on the shoulders each. At the same time, Batu should aim for the one on the forehead.] Shu and Batu listened to the plan without saying anything. [This is probably our last chance. Let¡¯s make it count.] The two then nodded in silent approval. Ares recalled Oldeus and replaced it with Murasame. The spirits inhabiting the magnificent katana danced furiously around the blade. [Shu, do as the images you saw. This time you¡¯ll certainly able to control the ¡ºDragon¡»] [Yes!] Shu chuckled shortly after. [What¡¯s wrong?] [Nothing¡­if the people back at home learn how I received guidance from the 4th Head himself¡­they, especially the Shiranui clan head, will certainly go into an uproar.] Ares also chuckled hearing Shu¡¯s comment. The two then quietly took position with katanas readied at the hip. Closing their eyes as they emitted eerie auras, both strengthened their body with magic power and fighting spirit to the utmost. [What are you planning now?] Amqa watched the scene in suspicion, trying to gauge the situation. Meanwhile, magic power and fighting spirit also coalesced into Ares¡¯ and Shu¡¯s katanas. At the same time, Batu began to nock an arrow on the ¡ºSupreme King Bow¡» . Opening his eyes, Ares shouted. [Batu, aim at that spot I mentioned. Don¡¯t miss!] [Leave it to me!] Hearing the answer, Ares had a small smile on his face. He then turned to Shu, who also opened his eyes in response. [Ready to go?] [Yes! I never thought that the secret to properly use the special art is like this. Not only magic power and fighting spirit, but one must also infuse part of their life force¡­] Shu then nodded to Ares, who also nodded in return¡­. Ares then shouted powerfully. [Yosh!! Shu, whenever you¡¯re ready. Let¡¯s go!] [Yes!] [ [ Murakumo-ryu Ougi, Ryuu no Hok¨­!! ] ] The attacks were released with the shout. Twin dragons burst forth from Shu¡¯s and Ares¡¯ katana swings, blasting their way towards Amqa. [What!? Those are!?] The two golden dragons insistently chased after Amqa regardless of how it tried to evade. They finally managed to catch up, rising from the ground toward its shoulders. [Guaaaaa!] As the twin dragons phased through their target¡­the two demon king¡¯s artifacts embedded inside Amqa¡¯s shoulders began to creak. [Guhaaa! No way!?] [Now! Batu!] [On it!] Batu took aim. [This arrow shall decide the destiny of the steppe¡­ O¡¯ Meadow God, grants me power¡­] Batu then released his arrow. The arrow flew true with a whistling noise, hitting a bullseye on the Demon King¡¯s artifact embedded on Amqa¡¯s forehead. [Yosh! I got it!] [Impossiiiiiiiiibbbleeeeeeee!! My body, my body is crumbliiiiiiiiing!!?] At that moment¡­Amqa¡¯s body spasmed in pain as it started to crumble slowly. [Bogdan, this wasn¡¯t how you told me! I should¡¯ve been the strongest in the world. Losing to these three pieces of garbage here is¡­] Apparently it¡¯s a very painful process. Amqa fell to its knees, flailing its arms as if trying to get a hold of something. [Bogdan! Answer me, Bogdan! Do something, anything! Help meeeeeeeeeee!] Amqa¡¯s body collapsed along with that last cry. Meanwhile, Ares, Batu and Shu also fell on their butts. Silence lingered for a while. [Did we¡­do it?] [¡­..it seems so.] Finally Ares loosened his serious expression. [This time it¡¯s more difficult¡­] Ares mumbled then took a deep sigh. He turned to Batu next. [Batu, I will use wind magic so that the entire Gayag hill could hear it. Announce that you¡¯ve defeated Amqa. The battle isn¡¯t over yet.] Batu also had a relieved look on his face, but received Ares¡¯ hand and jumped back up to standing position. [You¡¯re right¡­the battle isn¡¯t over yet. I have to put an end to it¡­] That said, Batu walked away towards a spot that could be seen from the entire hill. He then shouted. [The enemy general Amqa has fallen! I, Batu, along with my blood brother Ares and my friend Shu, have vanquished the Barbaric King Amqa!] The wind carried Batu¡¯s voice to echo through the entire hill. [The battle is over!! Everyone, lower your spears. Drop your weapons. Everyone, surrender to this Batu!] The Iron Tribe under Amqa crumbled. Meanwhile, the Wind Tribe cheered in victory. With Batu¡¯s proclamation, the battle against Amqa had finally come to an end. CH 141 Translator: Raizu Chapter 141 ¨C Conquering the North part 10 ~King of Steppe~ Inside a tent which style was often used by the northern people, the leaders of the tribes had gathered together. Sitting at the head of the group was Batu, the chief of the Wind tribe. On his sides were Batoru and Mukasa, watching over the gathering with a strict look. Ares was also present, sitting diagonally behind Batu. He found this meeting to be quite interesting as he looked around. The other tribe chiefs, while wondering about the content of this meeting, were staring at each other as they waited for the gathering to truly begin. Those who followed Batu to resist Amqa. Those who obeyed Batu and fought for him. Those who reluctantly obeyed Amqa but revolted later on. And¡­those who had defeated Amqa. Each of these leaders warily watched each other as they waited with anxiety on their faces. Right. It was clear to them that Batu, as the final victor of the war, would be in charge of deciding what would become of the northern riders next. Batu was the first to speak. [Now¡­ I will now decide the treatment for each tribe involved in this war, including the Iron Tribe. The Iron Tribe representative that took over the position after Amqa died visibly trembled as his face turned pale. So did the other tribal leaders that had teamed up with Amqa. Batu resumed his speech after a short pause. [Simply put, everything will be decided by the Wind Tribe. Am I correct?] All of the leaders nodded. It was the law of the grassland to let the victor decide everything for the loser. Whether to keep them alive, to rob them dry or to eliminate them. Batu continued on. [All the women and children will be under Wind tribe¡¯s custody. After the children grow up, they will be allowed to choose between reviving the Iron Tribe, or staying as part of the Wind Tribe. Same goes for the women. They can wait until the Iron Tribe is reformed, or wed a Wind Tribe man and blend into the Wind Tribe as is. They¡¯ll be free to choose.] The tribal chiefs were in uproar after hearing that. After all¡­ that decision was very lenient, especially if compared to what was considered as a norm to the people of the steppe. Normally, the women and children will either be enslaved or executed alongside the men. Batu¡¯s decision was a generosity rarely seen in the history of the grassland. But Batu still continued. [But I cannot be as lenient to the men. They will have to work as slaves for three years. During that period, if one of them does something wrong, then the person in question will be charged with the death penalty. After three years, I will give them the same option as the women and children: either to assimilate into the Wind tribe or return to rebuild the Iron Tribe.] [P-please wait a moment!] The chief of the Sand tribe stood up. The tribe was one of those who joined the Wind Tribe quite early on. [I have never heard of anything like this in our history. Sparing the women and children is one thing, but sparing the men as well is¡­ Please reconsider.] [I won¡¯t.] [Wha¡­ what is¡­] [I AM the victor of this war. There will be no objection to this decision.] Everyone else was silenced then. After confirming the situation, Batu stood up, and began speaking again. [I have one more announcement for everyone today. I, right here and now, hope that the people of the grassland can finally stand as one. Yes¡­ just like the time of Jamka Ran.] Batu continued to speak as he walked. The tribe chiefs audibly took a deep breath. As he observed from behind, Ares knew that Batu¡¯s words had put a heavy pressure on all the chiefs present. [Clashes between various tribes¡­..and this war, it all happened because there is a gap between us. Originally, there was only one kingdom in this steppe. But then we separated into tribes and fought each other¡­ So let¡¯s take this war as an opportunity to come together as one once again. For all the tribes to unite together, that¡¯s what I want.] Batu then turned to the Sand Tribe chief. [And for that sole reason, I will not tolerate conflict between tribes. But if you insist on keeping warring with each other¡­ then be my guest and prepare for me.] Upon hearing this threat, the pale faced Sand tribe chief quickly dropped to his knees in prostration. [Pardon my insolence.] Batu returned to his seat after nodding his head. At the same time, Bort, the chief of the Spear Tribe as well as the other chiefs who still held sizable power, rose to their feet. Bort then spoke up. [My tribe was saved by Batu¡­therefore we will obey Batu.] The other chiefs nodded in agreement to Bort¡¯s proclamation. For these tribes, Batu was their lifesaver. Bort then continued. [What the Wind tribe chief Batu has spoken does make sense. From now on, let us center ourselves around him and aim for prosperity together.] At Bort¡¯s suggestion, more tribal chiefs rose up to show their agreement. They were at first just listening and watching the situation, but now they stood up one after another, excitement in their faces. When the last of the tribal chiefs present finally stood up as well, Bort turned to Batu. [Batu¡­no, our Ran. Are you willing to lead us as the ¡ºKing of Steppe¡»from hereafter?] Batu regarded the question silently at first, then replied. [Not yet¡­ I haven¡¯t personally unified the grassland¡­ it¡¯s too soon for me¡­.] [No, it¡¯s certainly not too soon!] Bort raised his voice [Everyone here has determined ourselves to obey Batu. Because¡­ we want a strong king to lead us. Therefore¡­ for all of us here as well, please name yourself¡ºBatu Ran¡».] With Bort as a start, the other chiefs also voiced their agreement. The tent was soon filled with excitement and cheering, creating an odd atmosphere. Watching this, Batu raised his right hand. The liveliness immediately died down as if it was a lie. He then rose from his seat and declared. [I understand, and I shall respond to your feelings. From here onward, I shall call myself Ran (Chieftain), and I will lead you all as the King of the Steppe!] Hearing the affirmation, the tribe chiefs went into an excited outburst once more. Some of them started shouting while others sang with the other chiefs. It was, after all, the inauguration of the first Ran since the last one, Jamka Ran, passed away. It¡¯s a historical event for the people of the grassland. It¡¯s only natural that everyone couldn¡¯t hide their excitement. On that day, huge celebration parties were held by each tribe. This day would be celebrated by northern riders with a smile on their faces for years to come. ===== ¡ô [Ahh. I¡¯m tired.] Ares muttered as he entered his personal tent. Sigurd and Shion who were waiting inside relaxedly quickly rose to their feet. [Nah, you two, please be at ease.] Shion broke into a smile after hearing that. [Thank you for the hard work, Milord.] [Yeah, it¡¯s tiring. But everything went as Shion said.] [Bort-dono was hard to convince. But he really made everything smoother.] Everything that happened at the meeting¡­.was all according to Shion¡¯s plan. Shion was the one who orchestrated the meeting, having Bort act out the script he had prepared to smoothen Batu¡¯s way to become Ran. And everyone else was convinced¡­ Just according to his plan. [With this, the northern riders will not attack us anymore. I guess we can scratch that out from our list now?] [But, will it be fine? Does this not mean that another strong country has appeared in the north?] Sigurd asked Shion. His worry was certainly understandable. For this meant that one more powerful country had appeared in the Arcadia continent. [Perhaps that¡¯s really the case for Arcadia. But¡­ will that also apply to our Lord?] Shion gave a meaningful grin as he said so. [Our Lord and Batu-dono are blood brothers. And the Wind Tribe will never forget a great favor. In fact, we have made a strong country an ¡ºally¡».] Shion relaxed himself and continued [With more friends around, people will try to find a way to get along. In that regard¡­we have to put ourselves in the same ¡ºposition¡»as they are¡­right, Milord?] Ares could only laugh at the implications behind Shion¡¯s words. As he laughed, Ares could hear the sound of festivities outside. Apparently, the grassland people had also invited his men to join the party. [Well, for now it¡¯s better to not look too far into the future. Just do our best at anything we come across. Regarding the future of the steppe, we can start thinking about it when things have started to ¡ºcalm down¡».] The two nodded in agreement to Ares¡¯ words. And just like that, the battle involving the entire grassland had finally closed its curtains quietly with Ares¡¯ success. ===== ¡ô After claiming the title of Ran, Batu put his charisma into use, gathering all of his forces and marched east. His goal was to truly unify the entirety of the grassland. Afterward, Batu conquered the entire grassland at a terrifying speed, ultimately establishing a country of northern riders named ¡ºBahar¡». The country was named after his father¡¯s. Bahar would later storm the east then to the south, becoming a new superpower of the continent¡­ but their forces never once attempted to invade Arcadia. Batu¡¯s most active retainers during the grassland unification were Batoru and Mukasa. Bort would later become his retainer as well, serving as deputy chief. Other than them, there was also the Flame Tribe chief, Timur, making up the 4 most trusted of Batu¡¯s retainers. Later on, they would be known in history books as the ¡ºFour Wolves¡», the most famous retainers of the ¡ºKing of Winds¡»¡­.. CH 142 Translator: Raizu Chapter 142 ¨C Conquering the North part 11 ~ Shu Shiranui Atop the small hill, Batu was overlooking the entire army alongside one man. [Do you really have to go?] [Yes¡­forgive me, for this matter is even more important than my own life.] The man standing there with Batu¡­ Shu, laughed amiably. [Honestly¡­it hurts me to lose you right now¡­ your valor and wisdom was irreplaceable.] After taking the title of Batou Ran, Shu who barely visited him suddenly came. The foreigner was here to tell Batu of his intentions. He wished to leave the Wind Tribe. [For me¡­finding the safe place for the Princess is my first and foremost purpose in travelling to this continent¡­] Having said that, Shu turned his gaze eastward. [But even more so¡­I never thought that I would meet a ¡ºMurakumo¡»in this distant land. This might¡¯ve been destined. I need to follow ¡ºhim¡».] [This ¡ºhim¡»¡­is my blood brother, isn¡¯t it?] [Yes, that is correct. Apart from my mission, this is also one of my wishes. To be able to serve under Murakumo¡¯s fourth head¡­ was one simple wish that has been passed down for generations in Shiranui clan by my ancestor Raiha Shiranui¡­and the opportunity has arrived.] Shu then put his hand on Batu¡¯s shoulder. [So thank you for having me.] He said. As he looked at Shu¡¯s hand on his shoulder, Batu thought. If not for this man, he would¡¯ve probably ended up as a corpse somewhere in the wilderness. Shu was someone indispensable for Batu. Losing someone with his valor would leave a huge gap in Batu¡¯s effort to conquer the grassland. However¡­ [I feel jealous of my brother¡­ to have someone like you to be willing to serve him.] Batu kept looking at Shu¡¯s hand on his shoulder. Shu was just a guest. And he joined Batu as a friend, not as his retainer. Therefore¡­ Batu realized that he had no right to stop Shu. Then he thought. The foreigner may not be his retainer. But he should still reward Shu for saving his life and all the help the man had offered. Batu finally smiled, and grasped Shu¡¯s hand. [I wish you and your clan good luck, Shu.] [Batu¡­] [Thank you for everything so far. And¡­please watch over my brother for me.] Batu tightened his grasp. Shu smiled refreshingly and also did the same to Batu¡¯s shoulder. As if their minds connected through this gesture. The two men did not let go until the sun set and bathed them and the grassland in orange light¡­ Almost as if the world also marked their separation and departure. ===== ¡ô [Honestly, this is surprising¡­ here I was wondering why I couldn¡¯t find neither you nor Batu.] Ares said in jest, as he looked at Shu, who was kneeling before him. [Yes¡­ I have sent a messenger bird to inform my other compatriots that are still in hiding¡­] Shu then raised his head. His face was filled with determination. While Ares was overseeing the procession of his army¡¯s preparation to return back to Grants, Shu suddenly appeared, asking Ares to spare some time because he had something important to say. [¡­.I have a request, Fourth Head.] Shu stared at Ares straight in the eye. [Would Sir be willing to¡­.somehow, give shelter to my compatriots and a certain ¡ºMurakumo¡» who are currently still hiding in Yashima?] [Will those people agree to this as well?] [All of them, once they know that I have met the Fourth head in person, they will surely travel here willingly.] [Well¡­I¡¯m not the person himself though¡­] Ares¡¯ face turned astringent. [What about your Ladyship?] [Sakura-sama too, will certainly be happy to hear this.] [Wouldn¡¯t the journey be too harsh for her?] [Even though Sakura-sama is a woman, she¡¯s still the head of Murakumo-clan. There should be no problem.] Hearing that everything seemed to have taken care of, Ares sighed a little, then asked again. [How about Batu? Wouldn¡¯t he still require your help for his conquest?] [I have bid him a proper farewell. He even told me¡­ to ¡ºwatch over his brother for him¡».] [Good grief. He likes to do things without hesitation, doesn¡¯t he?] Ares muttered with a small smile on his face. But he was quick to adjust his posture as he regarded Shu back. Shu also straightened his back, waiting for the decision. [I haven¡¯t done much in this continent though¡­and it might trouble Shu and the other Murakumo clan members. Will that be fine?] Once Shu heard those words, he took his katana, kneeled and presented it forward with both hands to Ares. [This Shu Shiranui, pledge my undying loyalty to the Fourth Head equal to that I have offered to my Ladyship Sakura-sama.] He said. ===== ¡ô Thus on that very day, the foreign warrior joined Ares Schwarzer¡¯s camp. He would later be recorded in history book as the ¡ºHeavenly Courage General¡» Shu Shiranui. Further polishing his courage in combat, he, along with Sigurd and Darius, would proceed to become Ares¡¯ most trusted ¡ºSix Heavenly Generals¡». As the raiding troops¡¯ captain, Shu was known for how sophisticated he looked as he charged through the enemy troops with his cross-shaped spear. A few years after he joined Ares, warriors of Yashima started to gather under his leadership, forming the ¡ºMurakumo Army¡», later known as one of Arestia¡¯s most elite forces. ===== CH 143 Translator: Raizu Chapter 143 ¨C Conquering the North Part 12 ~The Beginning of the End~ [Okay¡­ I think it¡¯s about time for us to head out.] [Yeah¡­ thank you for the hospitality.] After the post-war negotiations were over, Ares and Batu were preparing to go their separate ways. Ares would return to his territory, this time to focus his attention to the situation of the eastern countries. Meanwhile, Batu needs to lead the march of his army to unify the grassland. They were in the middle of an open plains with each of their forces behind them. The soldiers lined up neatly, their focus solely directed to their leaders. People of the mainland and the people of the grassland; The two used to be embroiled in conflict. But things were different now. During the few days they were staying in this area together, the two armies interacted with each other, drank liquor until they¡¯re drunk, smiling and laughing. The wall that had existed between the two for a long time had finally been breached. [If big bro is in need of our power, then feel free to say it. We¡¯ll definitely ride out to help.] [Those words alone makes me feel reassured already.] Listening to Batu¡¯s kind offer, Ares smiled in return. [But now, time is precious. Put more importance to your own conquest. If¡­if one day both of our goals have finally been achieved, let¡¯s meet here again to have a drink.] [Sure¡­I believe that day will certainly come.] Batu also grinned. He then stretched his hand out. Ares shook that hand strongly. [The Wind tribe¡­ no, the people of grassland will never forget the benefits they received.] [It¡¯ll be tough from now on¡­but I¡¯m sure that you can achieve your aspirations.] And with that, Ares¡¯ army and Batu¡¯s cavalry marched their separate ways. Ares headed southwest, returning to his territory. Batu led his army west. ===== It was written in a certain history book as follows. This year, two suns will rise and illuminate the entire continent¡­ This was the year when they truly started their conquest. Ares and Batu. Heroes who would become widely known as the ¡ºHero Sovereign¡»and the ¡ºKing of Winds¡»respectively in later generations. The meeting of these two individuals was the turning point for the continent¡­ both for the people of the mainland and the people of grassland. ===== ¡ô [My, my¡­ what a great disappointment. I was hoping that they would entertain me a bit more¡­] After the two armies left the plains, two silhouettes, one small and one large, emerged from among the remnants of the battlefield in Gayag hill. Both were dressed in black with a peculiar air floating around them. [Fuhn, that was such a waste of ¡ºDemon King Artefact¡»alright.] The bigger silhouette sounded annoyed, reprimanding the smaller silhouette. The smaller silhouette didn¡¯t seem to care too much as he laughed. [Don¡¯t be like that. We still have a huge amount of supply for ¡ºthat¡». Moreover¡­] That said, the smaller silhouette took out a black crystal ball. [Our ¡ºLord of Chaos¡»is reviving soon¡­ We need to prepare for that.] As soon as he finished talking, the crystal ball started to emit a mysterious glow. What appeared before them was Amqa who had been transformed by the demon king artefact, supposedly disintegrated without a trace on the battle the other day. [Because we need a lot of soldiers for our Lord¡¯s ¡ºarmy¡».] [Fuhn¡­necromancy. Using the power of grudge to return the dead to the realm of the living. Your magic is still as vile as ever, Bogdan.] The larger silhouette sounded disdainful. On the other hand, the smaller silhouette¡­ Bogdan, snorted. [What? I¡¯d use anything for our Lord¡¯s triumph. Even if it¡¯s something that is against the providence of Gods.] Bogdan said as he turned his sight toward the southwest. [But the ¡ºWar God¡»is still a thorn on our side after all. We need to curb him off before he gains even more power.] [Should we let the ¡ºGrassland Monkey¡»off?] [We can take care of him later. But before that¡­ We need to rid ourselves of our greatest obstacle and send him back to the ¡ºEternal Corridor¡»] Bogdan muttered a word or two to the resurrected Amqa. Afterward Amqa started to move slowly, following the two from behind. The larger silhouette murmured, ignoring what just happened. [The ¡ºStars of Fate¡»are gathering around him¡­ also, the ¡ºSealed One¡»and the ¡ºDivine Child¡»are with him. If we don¡¯t act as quickly as possible, how will we stop him before it¡¯s too late?] The larger silhouette grabbed Bogdan¡¯s shoulder. [Perhaps I should deal with this matter myself¡­] [No need.] Bogdan shook away the hand on his shoulder. [I¡¯ll see how you can laugh after losing your head. You said it already. That man is surrounded by the ¡ºStars of Fate¡». Even you might fall before him. Rather than trying to cut his power down in vain, we should sow even more chaos to speed up our Lord¡¯s revival.] Bogdan then laughed. [There seems to be an interesting ¡ºhappening¡»in the east. Our compatriots have already infiltrated there. Anyways, let¡¯s get in touch with Gara. He has long infiltrated the Empire, and it¡¯s time to sow chaos there.] Thus the three figures disappeared silently. Time continued to move forward, slowly but surely moving to a point that nobody could predict. The chaotic time was gradually approaching the Arcadia continent. CH 144 Chapter 144 ¨C Frontier Territory Grants ~Development and New Invention~ This is Heinz¡¯s government office. In Schwarzer Frontier Territory, instead of the lord¡¯s mansion, all kinds of matters regarding good governance are conducted in this place. Sitting in the center was the acting territory lord, Cornelia. Meanwhile the secretary of the state George and other domestic affairs officers were busy with the various kinds of political affairs. [The population is growing rapidly.] Cornelia murmured after inspecting the table showing the recent months¡¯ population growth. As the rumour circulated further, more and more people showed interest in moving in. They might not know what awaits them here, but Heinz was still a good chance for them to earn a better life¡­ The frontier territory thus did their best effort to answer that high hopes. From hiring adventurers to escort and guide the newcomers, to dispatching the White Legion that just returned from their assignment of the Aryan subjugation to ensure security. After all, Grants is still rife with magic beasts. Of course, there¡¯s also spies among the many people migrating. Heinz¡¯s development cannot be made public yet, so these spies need to be eliminated. The Dragon¡¯s Eye is in charge of finding and dealing with those spies. When the soft method of recruiting failed, they would get rid of the spy. Even if they somehow escaped the Dragon¡¯s Eye, deviating from the highway means that they¡¯d have to deal with monsters on their own. That usually ends with their deaths. And that¡¯s how the frontier¡¯s method in accepting migrants. [The monitoring has spread to other areas as well, and the number of migrants has been stable recently¡­ but it seems that the harmful effect of rapid population growth is emerging.] With the migrants increasing in number, the lord of the territory they lived in started to take action to prevent people from moving out. As a result, the rate of migration had settled down somewhat¡­ but the fact remained that a lot of people wished to move to the frontier territory. George scanned the materials in his hands. What he¡¯s looking at was the report on the number of arrests per month submitted by the security forces. Another one was a table summarizing the expenses associated with the population growth. More people also means more trouble. Recently, trouble has been occuring not only in Heinz, but also in Leblanc, suburban villages and other places. Land and housing are par for the course. But since the people came from various places, cultural differences are bound to occur¡­ [For the time being, we need to concentrate on maintaining public security. Other than that, some people are engaged in illegal business recently. I intend to root them out.] [After all, if the market and security do not stabilize, the economy will not grow well.] Responding to George was Tobias, the secretary of commerce. [Our Lord will soon return from the north. At that point, we can appoint some soldiers to the security forces. I suppose they¡¯ll immediately be able to be fielded as they are fierce fighters.] Tobias suddenly recalled something and asked. [By the way, according to the information given by the official Marius as well as the people in the market, there are some who dabble in illegal trade?] [As of now, security officers have been dispatched to the villages and some of the perpetrators have been arrested.] Sitting next to George, deputy state secretary Ramires was the one who replied. [Unfortunately, among the merchants¡­there are some who sell at an exorbitant price or buying at a much lower price when they¡¯re dealing with less educated customers, some lend money with a high interest rate¡­ and some attempt to evade taxes. Apparently most of them were migrants from the Royal Capital.] Sitting across the table, the secretary of commerce, Tobias sighed deeply. [Well, after Marius-dono read the report submitted by the officials and the merchants, the problem was quickly dealt so the damage hasn¡¯t been that great.] [It¡¯s indeed reassuring to have Marius-dono around. As long as he¡¯s the security inspector, the officials and the market will proceed properly.] George praised with a chuckle. Because he got into the bad side of many aristocrats for being too strict and just as an inspector, Marius was dispatched to Grants in a plot to get rid of him. He ended up liking Heinz, deserted from his position in the Royal Capital, and swore his loyalty to Ares. Currently, he¡¯s working as a security inspector, keeping the officials and merchants in check, covering all sides. He¡¯s now an irreplaceable officer for the current frontier territory. [What about those frauds: the officers and merchants that have been arrested?] George replied to Elan¡¯s question with a cold voice. [Send them to Nora and have them work in the mine. I¡¯ll also tell Nora to send them to the darkest and most dangerous part of the mine. We must show them the severity of their crime. Cornelia-sama, would that be fine?] [¡­if all of you agree with that then so be it¡­ however, please set up a deadline of sorts at least. Give them time to reflect and repent¡­] George bowed in response to Cornelia¡¯s words. [Understood. Then, they will only have to work on the mine for several months or years depending on their crime. After the deadline is reached, we¡¯ll decide what to do with them based on their work ethic.] After hearing that, Cornelia showed a relieved look then followed up with the next topic. [Then¡­ regarding former slaves and orphans¡­] [We will continue our effort in that matter. Our Lord strongly wishes for it. We will continue on even if this will cause a boom in the population.] Even when he¡¯s still staying on Schwarzer territory, Ares had been buying slaves from the big cities around the continent. But he¡¯s picky when he does so. What he paid a lot of attention to was the reason as to why the person became a slave. He ignored those who enslaved themselves because of crimes they did, those who did so because of gambling or those who did it to buy drugs. He only bought those who were kidnapped against their will or those who were forced to sell themselves due to poverty. [I may not be able to help all of them yet¡­ but I think that I should still save as much as I can whenever possible.] That was what Ares believed. [It may seem¡­ hypocritical. Future generations might see this as me doing this for self-gratification. But¡­ I still want to do it anyway.] Ares would purchase slaves under the guise to secure labor forces for the harsh and underdeveloped land that is the frontier. Ares would not free them immediately. He knew that there¡¯s no way that they¡¯d be able to make a living for themselves right away. [Freedom is something you earned yourself. Work hard for a year to buy yourself back. Earn your own freedom.] While ensuring the slaves basic human rights, Ares imposed upon them a year of labor in order to buy themselves back. It was to instill self-esteem, willingness to work and, above all, the value of living. Ares also gathered orphans. Many war orphans scattered around Arcadia continent. Normally churches would take care of these children¡­but many were sold to become slaves to reduce food costs. He would actively seek out these surplus orphans. On this matter, he had the assistance of the people from underworld, mainly Balzac. [Perhaps one day they¡¯ll become the future pillar for the Schwarzer clan?] Ares laughed in jest. And so, many orphans from around the continent were brought to the facility in Grants. Each of them were brought up properly. [There are still a lot of jobs and houses we can spare for these slaves. We can afford to continue this effort.] After saying so, George flipped through the materials. [Alright¡­.on to the next topic.] The discussion continued on¡­ ===== ¡ô The political council continued for a while that day. The last proposal for today was probably the most important for Schwarzer territory¡­ This one was a report from the ministry of industry¡¯s Francesca. [The trial version of the ¡ºMagic Train¡»we are developing is nearly completed~. Once the track between Heinz and Leblanc is completed, I believe it¡¯s possible to do a test run~] Many domestic officials cheered after hearing the report. [So it¡¯s finally happening!?] [Is it true that such a large iron box can move?] [If it can really transport a lot of both materials and personnel at once¡­also at an overwhelming speed¡­ then won¡¯t that probably be the greatest revolution of this era!?] As various questions kept flying around, George had to call for silence before asking Francesca. [Are there any safety issues?] [None so far~. As long as the magic power input is stable, there¡¯s no risk of explosion or anything else~] The current concept of magic train came up when Ares invited Fran for a discussion. For Ares, the idea of magic train had long since been on his mind. Thanks to Gilbert¡¯s knowledge, he actually already wrote a concrete plan for it. But the huge consumption rate of magic stone forced him to put the plan on hold. However, after discovering that a large amount of magic stones can be obtained through the help of the dragon vein, the plan was being reviewed again. And fortunately, a genius in manufacturing machinery and tools, Francesca joined them. After another planning with George and Shion, the train was finally developed as one of the projects with highest importance in the frontier. [For the time being we need to complete the railroad first. When is the soonest we can expect it to be completed?] [If Shadow can increase the number of the skeletons¡­I believe we¡¯ll finish it in about three months~] [So that¡¯s about it¡­ Our Lord is also returning soon. Please proceed onward with the construction.] [Certainly~] And just like that, Heinz continued to develop further. After the magic train was completed, it would bring forth a major revolution in the transportation industry not only in the frontier, but also the entire continent¡­ But that is another story. CH 145 Translator: Raizu Chapter 145 ¨C Chief Inspector Marius Bertram¡¯s Story My name is Marius Bertram. Marius for short. Originally born as the second son to Count Bertram. After graduating from the Imperial Academy, I worked as an imperial inspector. The number of illegal bribery, corruption and black market transactions between the aristocrats and the merchants that I had exposed were too many to tell. No matter how clever they tried to hide their deeds in the document, I had put many of these criminals in jail. Many criticized my unswerving method, verbally cursing me and became hostile to me. Some even resorted to heavy-handed means to stop me. But I marched on. Those selfish merchants and corrupt aristocrats who¡¯re afraid of me even gave me a nickname¡­ the [Ice Dagger]. They called me Ice Dagger due to how cold and precise my work was. Around this period a lot of people started hating me, alienating me. It was also around this time that the aristocrats, officials and merchants who hated me started to join hands, opening the sluice gate of harassment to me. Although the harassment sometimes interfered with my life, I still continued to work. At some point, probably after I arrested a certain aristocrat, the hate changed into murderous intent. They started to openly aim for my life. Later on, I heard that they also started targeting my family, the Bertram clan. These aristocrats had become desperate. In fact¡­their acts started to suffocate me. ===== ¡ô [Investigating Grants?] [Umu. It¡¯s an order. You can¡¯t refuse it.] I received that order when I was still thinking about how to get myself out from all the harassments. [Go alone to ¡ºGrants¡»and investigate the situation. We need your report on the frontier territory.] [Hold on a second. I believe due to the low security level, reports regarding the situation in the frontier territory are supposedly handled by Redgear?] [Fumu. Then are you not curious about the truth? I think you are the best person to do this.] My superior grinned then laughed. [Therefore, your mission is to go to Redgear and secretly enter Grants to investigate the situation.] That was the beginning. The Grants frontier was infamous for being shrouded in thick iron veil of unknown. Firstly, it was a special area with a certain degree of autonomy thanks to being a frontier territory. Secondly, it was known to be an area where magic beasts and barbarians run amok. Many were sent to investigate the situation, but none of them returned. Not even the spy sent by the royal clan and higher ranked aristocrats were exempt from the same fate. Therefore, the only way to gain information about Grants was from its surrounding areas: Redgear, Fran, and Brittany. All of these areas saw an extreme growth in development during the recent years. This must¡¯ve had something to do with the Schwarzer frontier territory was what they said. That¡¯s why, they¡¯re itching to know¡­the true face of Grants. There is one more reason why they specifically chose me. They wanted to get rid of me. And since it¡¯s an order, I will have little to no way of refusing. It will also keep their hands clean. [That is your mission. Go.] My superior didn¡¯t give me any chance to say anything. So I could only nod. ===== ¡ô Entering Redgear from the direction of the Royal Capital, I rode a horse through the only road to Grants. There I found something weird. [Strange¡­ how come there¡¯s no bandit nor magic beast attacking?] While travelling along the highway, I did see some magic beasts passing by in the distance. There were also some human bones scattered away from the highway. However¡­ [It¡¯s as if they¡¯ve been instructed to stay away from the people travelling on the highway¡­?] The magic beasts only took a glance at me before leaving as if uninterested. It was such a strange feeling. The doubt lingered through the whole journey, but in the end I finally succeeded in entering Heinz, the capital city of Grants frontier territory. ===== ¡ô I unintentionally exclaimed upon seeing the magnificent gate before me. [What is this¡­ This city is¡­] [Don¡¯t you wanna know?] [¡­!?] Right after my unintentional exclamation, someone from behind me actually responded. And I was stunned upon finding out who that someone was. [It¡¯s been a while. Hey, Marius.] [You¡­ Sir George Walter.] The man was one of my seniors back at the imperial academy, said to be the greatest talent in the history of the academy. And¡­. [So it¡¯s Marius-kun. You¡¯re that one guy who ate together with George once before, right?] [Sir Shion Tristan too!?] If Sir George was the greatest talent, Sir Shion was the greatest genius to ever studied in the academy. After studying under the great military master, Kasim, I heard Sir Shion wandered around the continent, showing off his military strategy wherever he went. But he never showed his face again at the academy. [Why¡­why are the both of you here?] [Well, we can talk about that slowly. But first, you need to do something first¡­ don¡¯t you?] With that, they walked me through the magnificent gate. ===== ¡ô I was barraged by one surprise after another to even say anything. The one place only known as the cursed land now had surpassed the Royal Capital¡­ Demi-humans and even demonkin all lived together with humans in peace. After sightseeing around the city, I finally stopped by at the Schwarzer Frontier government office. [Hi there, you must be Marius. I often heard Shion and the others mentioning your name. Nice to meet you.] The man who stood before me and shaking my hand in a friendly manner right now was fairly young; A calm looking man in his twenties. At glance he¡¯s just like another young man one can see on the street. However¡­ (This man is¡­!?) Huge. When I stood before him, his presence was overwhelmingly huge. This feelings, (Is¡­is this how it feels like to stand before a Hero?) Seeing me still stunned, the young man finally spoke. [Alright then¡­ I¡¯ll get to the point. Are you intending to report everything you saw here to the capital?] [¡­no, actually I will just say that everything on the already existing reports are correct.] [¡­..oh? You will really do that?] [Yes. Regarding the bad security, it¡¯s true that magic beasts still wander around the highway, and there are indeed a lot of demi-humans and demonkins in here. The report wasn¡¯t wrong. My lies will make no difference. As for budget and income, there is no way I could dig that up since this territory has its own autonomy. There¡¯s nothing I can do if Your Excellency refuses.] [¡­fufu. Well, that is indeed the case.] [¡­pardon me for my rudeness.] [What is it?] [What happened to all other investigators who came here before me?] [¡­..you really want to know?] [Nobody came back after coming here. However, I noticed that safety is guaranteed as long as one stays on the highway. I just want to understand the reason behind this incongruity.] The young man went silent for a while, before suddenly smiling. [The magic beasts from the Land of Demons have been ordered not to attack humans on the highway. They will also not attack children, even when the child strays from the road.] After taking a short pause, His Excellency continued. [There are two reasons why someone got sent here. The first is to spy or investigate this land and the second is to get rid of that person. Am I correct?] I scowled at that guess. Because it¡¯s very much correct on my part. [These are what I said to the latter; ¡®What if I offer you to work here instead of you continuing your work in the capital?¡¯, and also, ¡®Will you be willing to give your everything to help develop this land?¡¯. That¡¯s how most of them ended up never returning back to the capital.] I was once again stunned. As it turned out, those people that had been reported dead are still alive and well. [And the spies¡­?] [They would leave on their own. But travelling back through the highway is a sure way to be captured by me. Meanwhile, travelling outside the highway¡­ I don¡¯t think even an S-rank adventurer could survive travelling alone on the wilderness of this area.] I see¡­ no wonder the secret has been kept perfectly safe¡­ I inwardly concluded. There¡¯s only one way from Grants to Redgear. Passing through there will make it easier to get caught. But leaving the road will make one the prey of the magic beasts. That¡¯s how none of the spies managed to return. [Now¡­ it¡¯s my turn.] The young man in front of me¡­ The Lord of Frontier said after chuckling. [This territory is still in the middle of developing. But¡­ we¡¯re currently facing a shortage of personnel. I could really use your help now. So, do you mind staying and working here?] ===== ¡ô And so, I¡¯m now working as the chief inspector of the Schwarzer Frontier territory. Of course, whatever I saw here couldn¡¯t be known to the capital. His Excellency would secretly inform my family regarding my survival then stowed them away to Grants when things had calmed down. The place is still developing. The population also kept rising. That¡¯s when trouble will start brewing. Thus I need to read each document thoroughly, not allowing even the smallest fraud. This kind of thing is very important after all. Now, not only am I proud but I also feel happy about my work. ===== ¡ô [Ice Dagger] Marius Bertram. He was feared for his icy calm personality and sharp attitude. As the security chief inspector, his job was to crack down on injustice and crime. Soon, he became an indispensable person of Arestia. For his achievements, he would later be known as one of the¡ºArestia¡¯s Seven Wise Men¡» . CH 146 Chapter 146 ¨C Archduke¡¯s Speculation Territory of Archduke Saxon, Rudberg. It¡¯s the base of the Saxon clan, the cornerstone that protected Holy Arcadia empire¡¯s western region. The residence of the Archduke Saxon was situated in the center of the territory. The current clan head, Georg, was currently in house detainment as a punishment for his actions and failure during the previous war. He¡¯s currently reading a letter from Scion of the Rosenheim clan. Georg simply skimmed through the content¡­before tossing the letter away grumpily. [That Rosenheim brat¡­he¡¯s messing with me] His eldest son, Rudolf was sitting on the opposite side of the table. He took a look at the discarded letter and read it himself¡­.his complexion gradually changed. [Please provide food and passage for the campaign to conquer Thracia, it says. He¡¯s treating us like errants.] [Esteemed Father! There is no way I¡¯m willing to follow this! Let¡¯s pick up arms so that they can¡¯t pass Saxon territory¡­] George was quick to reprimand Rudolf. [But then we¡¯ll become traitors And that¡¯s probably what that brat is aiming for. If we let them pass, it¡¯ll give the impression that we¡¯re following him. If we don¡¯t, then they¡¯ll mark us as traitors.] Rudolf clenched his teeth and looked down. [Then¡­there is nothing we can do?] [For now we need to be patient. However¡­] Georg started thinking. With the failure of the previous war, Archduke Saxon¡¯s integrity was certainly damaged. However¡­ (His Majesty is only watching despite this kind of movement¡­ which means that, His physical condition is worsening. At this rate a civil war will erupt in the near future. At that time¡­ I will accompany His Highness Carlos to claim the throne.] Thinking so while stroking his beard¡­ Georg remained silent. ===== ¡ô Scion murmured to himself while staring at the map spread in front of him. It was the map depicting the entire Arcadia continent. The territory of each aristocrat was clearly marked on the map. Along with the new territory that the Empire obtained from the previous war¡­ and of course, the Schwarzer Frontier territory was also included there. [Can Ares Schwarzer do anything to thwart me at this point?] Scion murmured to himself as he turned his sight toward the frontier area. A man who was standing nearby spoke up. [All we have are these speculations that don¡¯t make any sense. Moreover, none of the people who we sent to investigate ever returns. Just what¡¯s going on there¡­] The man was Marquis Isaac Featherstone. Still in his mid twenties, the man possesses an abundant amount of brown hair that he let loose behind his back. His body was tall but thin, and yet he has a pair of sharp eyes reminiscent of a bird of prey. He was already recognized as people of great talent in his youth. Despite only recently joining Scion¡¯s faction, he had already become one of the faction¡¯s indispensable advisers, alongside Gala, who prefers to work from the shadows. [All logistics stop at Redgear. We know nothing else beyond that.] Geographically speaking, Grants really stuck out like a sore thumb. There¡¯s only one road leading there and should anyone travel through any other path they¡¯ll get swarmed by magic beasts. Scion had certainly ordered several spies to infiltrate from other paths, but all of them had become the magic beasts¡¯ food. The iron curtain of Grants remained impenetrable. Information about Grants was basically near impossible to get. But everyone was almost certain that items that circulate in Redgear originated from Grants. The ¡ºPlatinum Meat¡»and the ¡ºDistilled Spirit¡»that recently became popular among the aristocrats along with many other goods are from Grants for sure. Other than that, not even the Royal Capital knew what really happened inside Grants. What¡¯s more, even if one can enter Redgear, nothing much can be gleaned about that place. Only merchants working for Ares are privy on those info. If products kept coming, confidential information would also leak somehow¡­ but there¡¯s none so far. [Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about that guy. For the time being, we can only make a base in Redgear and continue to send people in. Keep an eye on Schwarzer territory.] Scion then turned his attention to the lower part of the map¡­ a wide stretch of land in the south. [¡­what¡¯s equally worrying is Archduke Lombardia.] [Rest assured. Archduke Lombardia has sent a reply that he¡¯ll send some soldiers.] Archduke Gaius Lombardia. He was also someone who didn¡¯t show any interest toward the political scuffle between aristocrats outside of his own territory. Lombardia territory was originally known as the largest and richest among the four Archduke¡¯s territories. The most famous amongst the family of Archduke Lombardia was Guissepe Lombardia, one of the four followers of Emperor Leon Arcadia. The clan strove to keep their lands safe, whilst also developing it for generations. And just like Archduke Schwarzer, the Lombardia generally kept to themselves and didn¡¯t meddle much with the political disputes in the Royal Capital. It was known that the south had developed their own unique culture over time. The current Archduke Lombardia, Gaius Lombardia was only in his late twenties as of now. His talents assured the previous archduke to entrust all of the territory¡¯s political affairs to him even if he was still in his early twenties back then. His long blonde hair that was tied at the back as well as his androgynous feature was pretty enough to equally attract male and female alike. But his impressive sharp eyes gave the impression of someone not to be trifled with. Rumours said that the south would always be peaceful under his rule, for he¡¯s equally talented in political and military arts. He¡¯s generous, thus many followed him for the benefit. He also often presented rare commodities from the south to the royal family, earning him a good reputation. Certainly, he¡¯s an encouraging existence to have as a fellow Arcadian. However, Scion had a different opinion. (They are most definitely a pack of wolves, waiting patiently in their den in the south for an opportunity to strike.) Scion had personally met Gaius on several occasions in the past. And he realized something from the glint of Gaius¡¯ gaze. (His was the gaze of an ambitious person. I have a feeling that some sort of an agreement might¡¯ve been struck between him and the Tsarnagora Kingdom in the south. There¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯s planning something.) Gaius had his own ties with the Royal clan through the First Princess Elizabeth. It¡¯s said that she was the most ambitious among Sephiros¡¯ many children. And that only served to stoke Scion¡¯s vigilance. (With Her Highness Elizabeth on his side, he¡¯ll surely join should there be a fight for succession. I need to be able to overwhelm him by then¡­) Scion himself is engaged to the Third Princess Annerose. At this rate, the battle of succession would deteriorate into a bog. Fortunately, the Second Princess Sylvia had quickly abandoned her right to inherit the throne and thus can be ignored, while the Third Prince Zerias wouldn¡¯t have any say with his currently ailing body. That left the competition to the First Prince Carlos, the Second Prince Joseph, Gaius and his wife the First Princess Elizabeth, Scion as the husband of the Third Princess Annerose and Ares as the Fourth Princess Cornelia¡¯s husband. [We need to win this battle in order to raise our position in the battle for succession¡­] Scion murmured to himself as he turned his attention back to the map. ===== ¡ô Archduke Lombardia territory¡¯s capital, Elza. In the center of this city, which can be said to be the largest city in the south, was the residence of the territory lord Gaius. [Are you saying that you won¡¯t be participating in this battle?] That was Gaius¡¯ wife, the First Princess Elizabeth, asking. [Can you tell Us why?] It was a question, but her voice sounded surprisingly low and timid. Anyone who previously knew Elizabeth would be surprised to see her acting like that. Gorgeous and arrogant. Those were her known natures. However¡­ [Are you dissatisfied?] Gaius¡¯ voice was calm. But even that was enough to cause Elizabeth to tremble. Yes, she feared the man in front of her. [No¡­ it is just that Scion will take the lead on this battle, and should he win, he will have the upper hand in the battle for succession¡­ I am not suitable to doubt your judgment¡­] Without even listening to her words, Gaius laughed quietly. [Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll definitely fail.] [¡­how can you be so sure of that?] [He has no tactician for this battle. That¡¯s why it won¡¯t be easy for him to win.] Gaius said softly as he stroked Elizabeth¡¯s cheek. Elizabeth stared at him with moist eyes. [I assure you, there¡¯s no need to be worried. Rather, isn¡¯t there something else that you need to do?] Hearing those words, Elizabeth¡¯s cheeks turned red. [What you have to do¡­.is to give birth to my child, who will later become the next Emperor.] Gaius laughed in his heart as he said so. Elizabeth feared that Scion and her sister Annerose would take the lead in the fight for succession after this battle. (Good grief, she¡¯s truly an ignorant fool.) Normally, he hated this kind of woman. However, he needs her for a legitimate successor to the throne. For that, Gaius believed that marrying such a foolish woman is worth the trouble. If she gave birth to a son, and he managed to raise this son to the throne, he could take over the empire as the Emperor¡¯s father. It was but a stepping stone for him. After a son is born¡­she¡¯d no longer have any use for him. [You don¡¯t have to worry about anything else. Return to your room for now. I¡¯ll join you later.] [Alright¡­] With a gentle voice Gaius coaxed Elizabeth to leave first. Looking at her behind as she went¡­ Gaius let out a derisive chuckle. ===== ¡ô Someone else entered the room just as Elizabeth left. [Milord, are you sure about this?] [Un.] The person that came in just now was Clovis Effenberger, one of Gaius¡¯ trusted retainers. He had bright brown hair that reached down to his back. The sharpness of his eyes was hidden behind his spectacles. His lean but tall body gave off a sense of elegance. He was originally the successor to Viscount Effenberger. But after finding out about his talent, Gaius persuaded him to abandon his position and join the Lombardia. Working for Gaius, Clovis was currently Gaius¡¯ right hand in both politics and military affairs. [We received a letter from the Rosenheim asking us to donate some soldiers.] [I know. Even Elizabeth has heard about it.] Hearing that, Clovis laughed coldly. [¡­that person is very sensitive when it comes to this matter¡­ I hope that she didn¡¯t do anything stupid¡­] [She certainly can¡¯t. Although she certainly barked a lot about it¡­ Then?] [I wrote that Tsarunagorna is moving suspiciously. Therefore we cannot send any troops.] [Fumu¡­well, that should do. Just in case, send a messenger to Tsarunagorna to inform them to continue the charade. In addition to that, ¡ºThree Ogres Five Tigers¡»should be placed in each fort.] After saying so, Gaius downed the rest of the wine in his glass. The ¡ºThree Ogres, Five Tigers¡»was the title for eight fierce and talented warriors Gaius had collected together from various places to manage his army. The group consisted of 3 superiors and 5 generals. [That fool Scion does not know what war truly is. He can do all he wants. But he¡¯s going to suffer a painful defeat in the end. There is no need to ride along with him.] Gaius seemed to realize something, as he changed the topic. [Will Ares Schwarzer join this battle?] [No, he won¡¯t. Apparently, he¡¯s focusing his resources to battle the northern barbarian at the moment.] [Ha. Using his status as ¡ºGeneral of Conquest¡»to its absolute limit.] Gaius smiled in satisfaction. [Speaking of Ares Schwarzer, what do you think of him?] [I don¡¯t have anything good to say about him.] [Hmm, are you wary of him? Or are you jealous seeing him surrounded by so many women?] [Both are true.] Hearing Clovis¡¯ answer, Gaius chuckled. He had his own plan. He wanted to put his own sister into Ares¡¯ harem, to act as his spy. [If this can be achieved, not only we can keep an eye on him from inside, we can also get rid of him anytime.] Gaius laughed in approval. [Well said. Keep working on that. We should know what that guy is up to.] [Haha!] Clovis left the room afterward. Left alone in his room, Gaius poured more wine into his empty glass. [Now then¡­it¡¯s getting interesting. I need to start to make my move as well.] As he said so, on Gaius¡¯ left eye¡­what appeared to be a shining blue insignia could be seen. CH 147 Translator: Raizu Chapter 147 ¨C Carlos and Joseph [Didn¡¯t expect to see you around here. What a surprise.] Carlos said as he stared at the man before him¡­ the man who also shares his bloodline, his brother Joseph. The first prince Carlos was currently on standby, staying in his territory, The territory was located in the west; near his backer, the Archduke Saxon¡¯s territory and naturally, very close to Thracia. Therefore he was ostensibly put on standby in his territory to act as a wall against Thracia. However, considering his background, it was a strange decision to use him to¡ºdefend¡». The¡ºTiger of Saxon¡»Georg and the¡ºMad Prince¡»Carlos were recently known as the¡ºSpear of Empire¡»due to their constant march to the other countries. Whether it¡¯s an internal conflict or a skirmish with the neighboring Thracia or Wolfgard, they never failed to participate on the frontline as generals. Thus it became obvious that this standby order was a punishment for his failure in the previous war. Also, taking over his brilliance¡­ was the current¡ºGeneral of Conquest¡»Ares Schwarzer. In fact, the man in question was given free reign when it comes to war against the barbarians. It¡¯s certainly not a beneficial situation for Carlos. And he¡¯s been spending a lot of time¡­thinking how to overturn this. [So, what do you want from me?] Carlos simply despised this brother of his. Both of them treated the lower ranked aristocrats as their henchmen and seemingly acted without any rein. But at least¡­ whatever Carlos did¡­ be it levying heavy taxes on his people, binding them with fear or treating the land he invaded with cruelty¡­ he did all that with the reasoning that it¡¯s a necessary evil. But Joseph was different. This man did everything because he enjoys it. Joseph never went to war, ruled his people tyrannically and used his status as a member of the royal clan to stay in the safety of his own territory¡­ They hadn¡¯t spoken with each other since childhood, preferring to ignore each other. They never truly got along with each other, so what did Joseph want now? Carlos stared at Joseph with an inquisitive look. Joseph, in contrast, looked back to Carlos with a grin on his face then he finally spoke. [Well, it¡¯s all water under the bridge now, so why don¡¯t we aid each other now,¡ºEsteemed Brother¡»?] [¡­you are the last person that I expected to ever call me ¡®brother¡¯. What do you have in mind?] [¡­at the moment, aren¡¯t we in a dangerous position?] Joseph¡¯s face changed to that of a concerned expression. [Elizabeth is with the Lombardia, Anne would soon marry the Rosenheim and Cornelia who we previously thought to be useless landed herself on the Schwarzers. Each of them has an Archduke as their backer. [I also have Archduke Saxon as my backer.] [But you and Saxon failed in the previous war. Didn¡¯t your position plummet afterward?] [¡­cur, what are you implying?] [I¡¯m just telling the truth here. But isn¡¯t it true that you¡¯ve been isolated from the others?] [¡­] Carlos grumbled with regret on his face. What Joseph said was correct. [So, what do you want to say?] [¡ºEsteemed Brother¡»might¡¯ve lost your command over the Imperial Army, but Archduke Saxon hasn¡¯t. On my part, I have many aristocrats as vassals. If we join hands, wouldn¡¯t we be a force to be reckoned with?] A grin returned to Joseph¡¯s face as he said so. But Carlos was thinking about something else as he listened to Joseph. If this good-for-nothing brother of his started to make a move¡­ that means the Royal father¡¯s condition is worsening. If nobody stops Scion, then it will be a lost cause for them¡­ even his brother knew this. Carlos laughed sarcastically, then replied to Joseph. [I refuse.] [Ha!? W-why!?] Joseph was obviously upset. He probably never imagined that Carlos would refuse his offer. No¡­ he was too self centered to even consider that possibility. [Even if the low-ranking aristocrats under your control band together, they¡¯ll still be useless. Nothing but extra luggage. I have my own plan. And I don¡¯t need to rely on you for it.] [However! If this situation continues on, we¡¯ll get overtaken!] [Rather than worrying about others, worry more about yourself. You don¡¯t even have the backing of a high-ranking aristocrat or an Archduke. How to survive after this¡­ you¡¯d better use that small brain of yours to think about that.] [Y-you¡­] Carlos then summoned his retainer. [Alright, my brother is heading back. Please guide him to the carriage.] Carlos stood up and turned around. [Doing something like this. Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get away scot-free!] Carlos watched as his brother left after saying those spiteful words. He murmured something with barely an audible voice. [Well, your fate will be decided in the next few years. There is no way I¡¯ll board a mud boat like that.] ===== ¡ô Joseph was very disturbed. [Damn it! That cur, Carlos! How dare he refuse my invitation!] Joseph had few allies within the Arcadia Empire. Therefore, he had been running around looking to increase the number¡­but the current situation simply wouldn¡¯t let him. [Refusing the invitation of this noble me¡­ everyone is just insufferable idiots!] However, his abusive shout only ended up echoing inside the mostly vacant carriage. At that moment¡­ [Is there anything I can do to help?] Where did that voice come from? The carriage stopped around the same time. [Oi! What¡¯s wrong!? What happened?] Joseph panickedly asked. At that point, the carriage door opened up from outside. A man in black robe climbed inside the carriage, with a snake headed man followed from behind. There was a bloody hook on the snake-headed man¡¯s hand and a bloody head dangling at the end of the hook. [HyyaaaaaaaAAAAAAAA] [Let me repeat. Is there anything I can help with?] The black robed man said. [Please! My life! Please spare my life!] [In that case, would you be willing to make a pact with me?] [I¡¯ll do anything! Just please don¡¯t kill me!] The black robed man smiled at the sight. [I shall take that as a positive confirmation for the contract.] At that moment something radiated on Joseph¡¯s chest. He immediately fainted after checking his chest. [Such a pitiful fellow. Is this guy really worth it?] Being asked like that by the snake-headed man, the black robed man simply laughed. [This fellow¡­ All I actually need is his¡ºblood¡». And, I suppose he¡¯ll give us a good show?] Afterward, the black robed man leaned down to the unconscious Joseph. [From here onward, you belonged to my Lord. Your whole body¡­ up to the tip of your hair. Until the time comes¡­.. Just enjoy your life to the fullest.] Soon afterward, as if they¡¯re dust being swept by the wind, the duo was no longer anywhere to be seen. CH 148 Translator: Raizu Chapter 148 ¨C Return to the Frontier Heinz was currently filled with festivities. All the residents stood by the roadside with smiles on their faces, waiting for the arrival of a certain group of people. The women carried a basket of flower petals while the men gazed toward the gate with mugs of cold ale in their hands. Many children had also gathered near the gate. [Ah! It¡¯s here, they¡¯re here!] One of the children suddenly shouted causing the rest to grow excited¡­ causing a loud mess. [That¡¯s our Lord at the very front!] [The Lord has returned?] [That¡¯s right! Hurry up and tell the adults!] The children scattered toward the adults immediately like spiderlings. It was at that moment a great fanfare could be heard coming from the gate. ===== ¡ô Ares had returned back to the frontier territory. Ares was at the forefront with his white battle attire, riding atop a hard to describe beautiful white horse (Kirin), creating an image of a hero often depicted on scrolls. Immediately behind him¡­ were the warlord Sigurd on the right and the military advisor Shion on the left. Right behind them was someone that seemed to be a refined warrior; a strangely dressed foreign warrior who was clearly amazed by what he saw here. The moment they entered the gate, they were greeted by a magnificent flower petal rain. [Our Lord, Ares-sama, welcome back!] [Sigurd-sama, Shion-sama! Thank you for the hard work!] Following behind the four¡­.the cheering intensified as the frontier territory¡¯s soldiers marched in. [Our brave warriors, welcome back!!] [You all have returned safely!] Whilst looking sideways to the excited crowd¡­ Ares spoke to Sigurd and Shion. [What a good view, right?] Hearing that, Shion simply smiled. [Very.] Ares thought to himself. Everything is as I imagined. People praise and look up to heroes. However, the true heroes here are the soldiers. The one worthy of praise was the soldiers who had to risk their lives in battle, not the commander. That¡¯s what Ares thought. The people here knew it as well from the countless battles Heinz had gone through in the past. [Milord, please.] [Thank you.] A little girl called out from below, Ares dismounted to receive what she had to offer. It was a clumsily made flower crown. Ares put it on his head and smiled then stroked the girl¡¯s head. [This is even more precious than the medal His Majesty granted to me. I¡¯ll cherish it.] Hearing Ares¡¯ reply, the girl smiled in return. The number of soldiers marching into the city kept increasing and so did the cheering. The bustling festivities didn¡¯t stop until the next day. ===== ¡ô [Welcome back, Ares-sama.] George spoke when Ares entered the office and sat in his chair. At the same time, all the other internal affairs officers bowed their heads at once. [Yeah, I¡¯m back. Are there any changes while I¡¯m away?] [Cornelia-sama has been a very welcome help in terms of domestic affairs so there was no problem at all. Rather¡­ there were several good achievements.] [I see. That¡¯s good to hear¡­. Wait, where is Cornelia then?] [Her Highness said that it won¡¯t be fair for the other wives if she were to meet Ares-sama ahead, so she headed back to her room. It seems Milord is up for a huge feast later.] [¡­that¡¯s so much like Cornelia alright. Well, I guess I can talk about it with her slowly later.] Ares said with a wry smile. Not only is Cornelia really good at handling domestic affairs but she also mingles well with his other wives. He could only feel grateful. [Alright then¡­ let¡¯s hear the report now, shall we?] [Are you not tired? Milord had just returned today.] Smiling in appreciation to Elan¡¯s consideration, Ares replied. [Well, nothing¡¯s wrong with it, and I¡¯m quite curious about what happened anyway¡­ so it¡¯s okay¡­ George, would you please?] [Yes. Then, first of all¡­] And thus Ares listened to the report of the domestic officers. The meeting lasted until the evening. ===== ¡ô [Then, Ares-sama. It went like this¡­] [Un, un.] [Ares nii-sama. It¡¯s actually like this.] [Ho, ho.] [Master, right here, right here¡­] [Hmm, hmm.] [Hey, you. Are you listening properly?] A little shocked by Sharon prodding him, Ares put on a calm look on his face. [It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m listening.] He replied. At dinner, Ares was reunited with his wives after quite a long period of separation. After embracing each other, they slowly got into the table to have dinner¡­.but they couldn¡¯t really eat. The wives were more interested to tell Ares about their days while he was away. Women really love to talk, do they? They don¡¯t even care about the man¡¯s opinion in this case. Ares was aware of this truth. He listened to the stories and gave appropriate responses, while piecing the stories together. (However¡­ it¡¯s surprising.) Ares thought whilst listening. (Each of them took active roles according to their specialties¡­ what¡¯s more, it¡¯s getting to the point¡­) According to George¡¯s report, his wives had been helping out in their own way for the country¡¯s advancement. Ares at least expected that some of them would help to an extent, but¡­ (I never thought that they¡¯d help this much. Some of them are even talented in dealing with domestic and military affairs) Ares pieced together what his wives had told him so far. Sharon and Liliana worked together in general, but particularly active in maintaining public order. Just the other day they helped subjugate a horde of magic beasts appearing near Heinz. During his leave, the two had gained overwhelming popularity among the guards. The three Rosenburg sisters not only helped the Blue Legion in creating the huge defensive barrier around the city, they also aided heavily in magic research. It can be said that the magic train that was finished the other day became a reality thanks to their help. Nina assisted Tobias in commercial development work. They were currently trying to normalize the economy by checking on and watching the market. Theta and Maria didn¡¯t only stop at giving proper instruction to the maids in the mansion in order to keep the mansion well maintained, but they also took active part in training new employees. The trainees would eventually take an active role in the mansion. Lilith was in charge of controlling the magic beasts around the frontier territory. Sometimes, there would be some that went into a rampage, but her influence was usually enough to keep the rest in order. Demonkins with high intelligence and magic power, such as the dark elves that were formerly under her rule, were already assimilating into the residence of Heinz, working together with other races. Ares also heard that Lilith was in charge of managing the magic stones as well. And above all that¡­ Ares turned his head sideways to glance at Cornelia. It was her¡­ Cornelia¡¯s presence. Despite Ares¡¯ absence, it was thanks to her that the city¡¯s development could still move forward. [Perhaps Her Highness is an even better ruler than Ares-sama. Cause unlike you, she doesn¡¯t try to escape every time.] Ares could only smile after hearing George said that. Yes, Cornelia had ruled Heinz perfectly on behalf of Ares. On top of that, she put the wives together and arranged them to help out on parts they¡¯re good at to keep them happy. In fact, the unity among Ares¡¯ wives was really high and each one knew how to make themselves worthy. All of them did not bound themselves to the fate of ¡ºbirthing an heir¡»like most aristocratic women. It¡¯s easy to see why they¡¯re happy. (Is it because of the influence of¡ºThat¡»power¡­ or is it her own quality¡­? Either way, as long as she¡¯s here, the territory will still run properly even if I have to go on a campaign in the future¡­) [Ares-sama?] Cornelia suddenly called out, causing Ares to quiver. [Yes!? What is it??] [Why did Ares-sama look like he is planning something bad?] [About that¡­] [You thought that the political affairs will proceed just fine if you leave everything to us, didn¡¯t you¡­?] [¡­..!? How come you can read my mind like that?] Hearing Ares¡¯ response, Cornelia let out a heavy sigh. Sharon and Nina immediately chimed in. [Are you stupid?] [Truly the worst¡­] [¡­..] Being stared at from all sides, Ares shut his mouth. Cornelia continued to speak. [Ares-sama¡­ indeed we have covered up for you during your absence. But that was not exactly what we wanted.] Having said so, Cornelia¡¯s cheek bloomed a slight red. [What we want the most right now¡­ is to spend our time with you. And¡­ we are still women after all. We do have a strong desire to bear your child.] [¡­..forgive me.] Listening to Cornelia¡¯s words, Ares drooped his head in shame. [It¡¯s my mistake. After we¡¯re done with the dinner, we can share our stories to each other properly. And I don¡¯t think there will be any conflict for a while so I¡¯ll be able to spend more time with you all.] Ares chuckled after saying that. His wives smiled in return. Seeing those smiles¡­ for the first time after returning from the north¡­ Ares felt truly at home. ===== CH 149 Chapter 149 ¨C Ares¡¯ Daily Life Ares woke up early in the morning. The sun hadn¡¯t even fully risen yet when he got up. Sharon, whom he spent a long time making love to last night, was still sleeping next to him. The first thing Ares did after waking up was to change his clothes. A regular lord would have servants to help him to change clothes, but Ares hates that kind of thing so he always does it himself. Now dressed properly, Ares headed to the garden behind the mansion. There he began his training quietly. The training session started with meditation. Closing his eyes as he sat cross-legged under the large tree next to the mansion, Ares would sharpen his heart and at times communicate with the¡ºSword Saint Shinn¡» in his mind. After that, he would start practicing. From the day the memories of the great men awakened in him, Ares had been practicing the ¡ºMurakumo style¡» he learned from the memories of ¡ºSword Saint Shinn¡». He continued to practice until the sun really rose in the east. ===== ¡ô [Ares-sama, good morning.] [Ah, good morning.] It was breakfast after the training. Ares considers that mealtime is best spent with the entire family. Therefore, he always made sure to do it together with his wives. [Hey, hey, Sharon?] [What?] [Last night with Ares, how was it?] Sharon spurted orange juice she¡¯s drinking from her mouth upon hearing Nina¡¯s question. [Uwaaa¡­] [Cough cough¡­ That is not something you should talk about first thing in the morning you know!?] [Ee©` but my turn will only be in 3 days. I¡¯m curious~] Ares sighed hearing their conversation so he tried changing the topic. [By the way, hasn¡¯t the big shop that George planned been opened in the city square?] [Yes, the three storey building that will sell all kinds of items¡­? Ara? I heard from George that Ares-sama was the person who came up with this concept?] Ares nodded in affirmation to Cornelia¡¯s question. [Un. Originally. When I told George about it, he was enthusiastic. We talked about it with Tobias and Oliver immediately¡­ But I never expected that it would turn into reality this fast¡­] Ares said as he put a piece of ham and egg into his mouth. [Infrastructure such as roads are currently being prepared, and we have sufficient workers. By the way, the number of skeletons Shadow conjured up has increased considerably, hasn¡¯t it? And they are not only faring well on construction work, but also the rental business, aren¡¯t they?] [Ah©`, I wish I can borrow some of those skeletons to help at the capital, but I¡¯m not really keen on speaking with Shadow-han myself¡­] Ares laughed after hearing that. The unfriendly Shadow now has his own skeleton renting business and even the Margot house of commerce is interested to collaborate with him¡­ Shadow¡¯s astringent face popped into Ares mind. [Well, of course Shadow would decline.] [You¡¯re right. The church will keep an eye on him day and night if he goes outside Grants¡­ It¡¯s the kind of business that can only be done in remote areas, I guess?] [But those skeletons are way too convenient¡­ they can be used as both soldiers and workers alike¡­] While everyone was enjoying their time with mundane conversation, Ares suddenly lightly slammed on the table. [Alright, why don¡¯t we visit the new shop this afternoon? We can consider it as a date of some sort.] [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [Sure! ! ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] And thus, Ares made an appointment to have a shopping date with his wives. ===== ¡ô After breakfast, Ares headed to the government office. In the Frontier Territory, the main internal affairs officers would gather once every three weeks to decide on the policy. Checking the progress report, giving instructions and signing documents, all of that are Ares¡¯ duty, in lieu of having the final say in various matters. And today as well, Ares read reports and signed documents that require his permission. Next to him, as always, was the state secretary George, who patiently explained the content to him. [The population in the eastern village has increased exponentially.] [With the threat from the Aryans gone, it¡¯s now possible to open up a new land, causing the number of migrants to swell.] [Fortunately the eastern area has settled down. We have room for population growth¡­ but even that has its limits.] Sudden population growth due to migration might be beneficial to help with the city development, but it also carries the disadvantage of creating unnecessary troubles. In the meantime, many other people showed their hope in moving into the Frontier Territory. At present, the challenge that the Frontier faces is to seek a way to utilize them. [The northern area should be safe now¡­ we can develop there. However¡­too much population growth will only cause suspicion. It¡¯ll be harder to detect spies as well¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ll have to keep the migrants in Redgear, Fran, and Trevoir for the time being then send help there.] Ares said so while writing the instruction on the paper. George made a short comment on the side. [I wish we can make this place public soon.] [¡­..but we can¡¯t just yet. Right now, the capital and the church are wary of us¡­ it¡¯s like a bubble waiting to burst. We need enough strength to stand tall even if we make the rest of the world our enemy.] Ares chuckled after saying so. [By the way¡­ Ares-sama.] [What is it?] [What should we do about these concubines candidates?] Ares had a blatantly disgusted face upon hearing that, as he picked up a bunch of documents on the edge of his desk. Those were the documents listing the identities of the concubine candidates sent from the capital. [Does Milord not wish to take anymore wives?] [We can certainly afford to ignore those coming from the lower ranked aristocrats. However¡­ some of these cannot be ignored so easily.] [The candidate from Archduke Lombardia, was it¡­?] That said, Ares revealed the document that was placed at the very bottom of the stack. Archduke Gaius Lombardia. The archduke who governs the rich southern area of the empire. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that Ares was greatly troubled by this person at the moment. Particularly the individual this person sent in. [He actually sent his sister in?] [Yes. She was known as a wild mare, but¡­] Archduke Lombardia¡¯s sister Bianca. Ares heard that she was a lot different from her brother. It was said that not even Gaius, the most powerful person in the south, could reign in this one woman. Like her brother, she has a pair of fine blue eyes and pretty blonde hair. Certainly a beautiful woman¡­ but there were too many bad rumors about her floating around. At one point, she sneaked out of the mansion and made a huge ruckus in the city, embarrassed many men in a party, breaking the spirit and pride of those intending to propose to her¡­ Even after Gaius deemed her a shame to the clan, Bianca still went around doing her own things without much care. [It¡¯s that guy we¡¯re talking about. There must be something to this.] [An Archduke clan member being offered to become a concubine is indeed rarely heard of] [One¡­ is to spy on us. While the other goal is probably¡­ to cause trouble for us.] Ares smiled after saying so. George replied soon after. [I think she¡¯ll get along well with Milord¡¯s wives, won¡¯t she??] Ares was horrified from hearing that. If he¡¯s unable to control those women anymore¡­just imagining it was enough to make him terrified. [Please spare me that. Powering them up even more will only¡­ Just don¡¯t¡­] (ED note: look at the bright side: death by lewd increased by 150%) Having said so, Ares ditched the document he had in his hands. ===== ¡ô After having a light lunch, Ares brought his wives to visit the new shop. [It¡¯s huge©`©`!] Cynthia let out an innocent praise upon seeing the building size. [This shop¡­ I have never seen something like this, not even in the capital¡­] Roxanne¡¯s bountiful breasts shook as she gasped in awe. [My granddad and dad¡¯s shop was already magnificent¡­or so I thought¡­ but this is beyond my expectation~¡­] Nina¡¯s mouth also never stopped opening. Ares chuckled seeing the reactions coming from his wives. [Un. It¡¯s indeed amazing. I already thought about the concept since I was still living in Schwarzer territory. But the plan didn¡¯t go anywhere since it¡¯s such a large scale project. But here¡­ not only do we have golems and skeletons, but the capital wouldn¡¯t glare at us even if we overdo it.] Having said that, Ares turned to look at the building. [The building can have up to 100 shops inside. It¡¯s a shop apartment, so to speak. I¡¯m thinking of calling it¡ºDepartment Store¡».] [¡ºDepartment Store¡»¡­that sounds nice. A shop with all kinds of stores inside, am I correct?] Ares smiled and nodded to Roxanne. [Darling Ares is really good at naming. My dad used to say that. How did you come up with such a name?] [¡­oh©`, that¡¯s a trade secret¡­] Ares muttered while having a mischievous look on his face. [That doesn¡¯t really matter now, let¡¯s just go in. I can¡¯t stand it anymore!] Many agreed with Miria, so Ares guided them inside the department store. ===== ¡ô Ares only returned to the mansion when the sun was about to set. [Ahh, I¡¯m tired¡­] Ares plopped on the sofa as he said so. Once inside the department store, the wives split up to the shops they¡¯re interested in. Sharon and Liliana headed to the weapon and armor shop. Roxanne, Miria, and Cynthia went to the magic tool shop. Nina was more busy inspecting the price tags of the goods sold. Theta and Maria looked for good cleaning tools. Lilith wasn¡¯t particularly interested in anything, so she walked around the food stores and enjoyed her daytime liquor. Only Cornelia stayed around Ares, content with watching the others while quietly smiling. [Are they not interested in clothing or something like that¡­?] [Each person has different taste. Not every girl puts importance on dressing up or accessorizing, am I correct?] It was Cornelia who replied to Ares¡¯ thoughts. Hearing such an answer, Ares couldn¡¯t help but wonder that even now, women are still a mystery to him. And just like that, Ares spent the day with his wives until near sunset. After a short break came the part Ares is looking forward to the most this entire day: the bath. But even then, he couldn¡¯t really comfortably spend the time alone. Because¡­ [Alright then, Ares-sama, shall I wash your back?] [Roxanne¡­ didn¡¯t I tell you before that I want to bathe alone¡­] [That won¡¯t do.] She was completely naked, showing off her huge breasts in all of its glory. She¡¯s currently using the glorious pair to smother Ares¡¯ back. Ares¡¯ other wives tend to be too embarrassed to show off their naked body in bright light. However¡­ Roxanne and Lilith had no qualms over such a thing. Therefore, these two would join him in the bath (sometimes at the same time) on a daily basis. (At least¡­ please cover up a little¡­) Ares had repeatedly begged the two to not enter the bath fully naked, but there¡¯s no sign of any them caving in to that request. He¡¯s on the verge of giving up at the moment. Then when Ares went to soak in the bathtub, Roxanne would also join and embrace him. She then gently pressed her lips unto Ares¡¯. (Every single time¡­ I feel like the water is boiling hot while she¡¯s around¡­ I don¡¯t know any more¡­) Such thoughts would always float inside Ares¡¯ mind every time. ===== ¡ô Hadora¡¯s dishes were already lined up on the table for dinner. Ares would examine it one by one before asking Hadora about each dish. [This sauce¡­ was it raspberry?] [Too bad. This sauce used lingonberry.] Everytime Ares made a mistake, Hadora would look a bit proud. It was a disappointing result for Ares. For him, meal time had been always like a one-on-one fight against Hadora. [Ares-sama seems to make a lot more mistakes since returning from battle recently. Perhaps the battlefield had dulled Ares-sama¡¯s tastebuds.] Hadora provoked. (Dammit! Hadora, just wait next time!) Hearing such provocation, Ares thought so inwardly. Meanwhile¡­ his wives sighed from seeing this. [¡­I wonder if those two can eat more calmly?] [¡­just ignore them. Let¡¯s enjoy the dinner.] And thus the heated yet chill dinner time went by. ===== ¡ô It¡¯s bedtime now. Today, Ares was accompanied by Theta. However¡­ he suddenly complained about having a stomachache. And so, Ares offered to shift Theta¡¯s turn to the next day. After making sure that his wives are nowhere near him, Ares sneaked to the kitchen and found it. [Gufu gufu gufufufu. This it. I¡¯ve been itching for this.] Ares whispered to no one. In his hands was an egg. [Kokonokodori¡¯s egg. I heard Hadora bought this. Turns out it¡¯s true.] Kokonokodori¡¯s egg was deemed as the egg with the utmost best quality. Ares had taken it out from the box. The next thing he took¡­ was a certain pot. [Thank goodness I told Hadora in advance. There¡¯s still some.] What Ares took next was the rice cooker¡­ extracting some rice from it. He broke the eggshell and let the contents pour over the rice. Then, he added some soup from the pot that was the remainder from dinner. [Gufugufufufu¡­] Ares laughed alone while mixing the rice together. Right¡­ very happily. [This¡­ this is what I¡¯ve always wanted to eat¡­] The egg mixed in turned the rice yellow. It was a beautiful sight. Ares took a spoonful. But the moment he tried to put it into his mouth, an incident happened. [What are you doing here?] Ares froze. When he turned around¡­ his wives were standing there. Looking closely, Theta was staring at him frighteningly. The other wives also looked at Ares coldly. [Ee, well©`¡­..] [Ares-sama. Lying is no good, you know?] [Yeah, but¡­] [No buts, alright?] [Yes.] Theta proceeded to take Ares¡¯ hand and dragged him back to the bedroom with almost inhuman strength. [Err, well?] [Come. Let us go back to bed.] [I-I mean¡­ My stomach is still¡­] [I believe the stomachache has been healed, yes? Then it will be alright. No worries.] Theta smiled. Ares, on the other hand, was suffering. And thus the two returned back to the bedroom. ===== ¡ô Hero Sovereign Ares. It was stated that he loved his wives equally and often consummated his love with them.. It was obvious from how they look in the morning. His wives looked vibrant and healthy while Ares, on the other hand, always looked tired. CH 150 Translator: Raizu Chapter 150 ¨C ¡ºThe Sealed One¡» After returning from the north, Ares enjoyed a peaceful daily life. The days he spent with his wives, although they could be counted as suffering sometimes, nourished his heart. It was annoying sometimes¡­ but Ares enjoyed it all the same. However, even as he spent his days with his wives in peace, Ares had grown worried over something. It was Cornelia. She was too excellent; A capable politician and extremely good at sacred arts. She¡¯s compassionate, a supporting wife and not to mention that she got along really well with his other wives and is the lynch pin that kept them sorted out¡­ she was the perfect wife. However¡­ there were times when her feats felt inexplicable. Like how his other wives flocked to and obeyed her. Why his retainers uniformly showed trust and obedience to her. And also why the people saw her as a motherly figure. As Ares pointed out, be it his wives or his retainers¡­.everyone showed one similar symptom. Why do they see her as someone worthy of obedience nearly instantly? Not only that, Ares found out that her presence alone carried an empowering nature. There was a report about subjugating a large horde of magic beasts. Ares heard that Cornelia was participating as a commander. The movement of Sharon, Liliana, Elan, and Eckhard was said to be according to her instruction¡­ their work could only be described as splendid. Cornelia should be an amateur when it comes to military movements. However, her instructions managed to bring about a victory¡­ It was strange to say the least. And¡­ one thing Ares was most worried about¡­ is that Cornelia¡¯s eye color would change on these occasions. Mentioned in Zekka¡¯s report, her eyes would turn red in color with some sort of an insignia visible in her right eye. (That same eyes managed to exorcise Gil¡¯s control over me¡­ And Gil was obviously frightened by it¡­ There must be some secrets involved here.) Ares sank into a deep thought once again. ===== ¡ô That night, Ares decided to have a talk with the memories of the three great men. [How rare of you to call upon us like this.] Gilbert was smiling. Shinn had his usual statue-like expressionless face. Leon had this severe expression as if he had been bitten by bitebug. [I have something to ask you three.] Ares tried to be frank and asked the question he wasn¡¯t able to ask before. [This has been in my mind for a while now. If you guys are just memories, how come we are able to talk like normal people like right now?] Ares never asked this before. So this time he went straight to it. Gilbert was the one who answered the question. [Why of course. We were you from the previous life, our memories hidden deep within your own. Hypothetically speaking, we are you. It was that sorry excuse of a God¡­I mean, the God of life, Adonis, who separated the memories when you were still a kid, causing us to form our own personalities that are different from yours. It was to help you.] Gilbert explained. Following that, Shinn also added, [You were too immature as a¡ºvessel¡»to inherit our memories back then. That¡¯s why such a roundabout way had to be taken. At least until you grow stronger¡­ By being able to master Gilbert¡¯s magic, learning the entire secret of my swordsmanship and equaling Leon in terms of strategy. Only then we will disappear back into you.] [Looks like that will be a long way to go¡­] Ares laughed. [Do not say something stupid. You must not be lenient to yourself. You are already over 20 years old. Age-wise, you can be considered as a full adult now.] Leon reprimanded Ares in a slightly angry tone. Ares could only shrug his shoulders in jest. [What will we get by threatening ourselves like that¡­ you haven¡¯t been able to get rid of your kingly grit, have you.? Oh well. What else do you want to know?] Having Gilbert¡¯s approval to ask further like that caused Ares to be confused at first¡­ but he soon made a decision and opened his mouth. ===== ¡ô [¡­..please tell me about the¡ºSealed One¡»] Ares¡¯ words caused the facial expressions of three to change. [Back then, I think Gil mentioned about this in the passing, didn¡¯t you? Please tell me more.] Ares gave Gilbert a look as he said that. [The insignia in Cornelia¡¯s eye¡­ I think it¡¯s some sort of a seal. But what is it for?] Gilbert looked back at Ares with a troubled face. The first person to give any response was Leon instead, who stood next to Gilbert, [Not only that woman. Actually¡­ you are also a¡ºsealed one¡»] [¡­eh?] Shinn followed soon afterward. [But on your part, it was the¡­ ¡ºSign of a Hero¡». We know that much.] [You¡¯ve been using its power unconsciously. Have you ever wondered? How come you were able to follow through with Shinn¡¯s unreasonable training from the day you awakened our memories? And also why did your magic power rise exponentially all of a sudden?] Following Gilbert¡¯s word, Ares tried to recall the past. There were indeed many things he couldn¡¯t understand back then. But the certain thing was, the day he awakened the three¡¯s memories¡­ his body experienced a huge change it almost felt like it¡¯s someone else¡¯s. [Wasn¡¯t that¡­ because of the medicine Gil made for me?] [That medicine doesn¡¯t have any immediate result. You¡¯ve been mostly relying on the power of that insignia. Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve told you about it.] [But why?] [The power of your seal is too enormous. If you consciously use that power poorly, it may end up with your death.] It was Leon who replied this time. [Each sealed one has a different ability. The¡ºSign of a Hero¡»mainly revolves around the¡ºPower of a Hero¡»¡­that is, giving its owner excellent physical and magical prowess. [Probably, it¡¯s also why people that qualify to become¡ºHeroes¡»gathered around you. Well, to be honest, we don¡¯t exactly know how the¡ºSealed One¡¯s¡» powers work.] Gilbert smiled. [From what I know¡­ so far, we have confirmed the existence of eight¡ºSealed Ones¡»¡­ among them, there are two who possess the greatest power¡­ One of them is your wife¡­who wields the¡ºSign of Ruler¡»power.] [¡ºSign of Ruler¡»?] [We don¡¯t know exactly how the power works. However, after what we¡¯ve seen thus far, we can deduce that it can subdue or incite trust and loyalty within others while also empowering those that are affected by its power. But we can¡¯t be so sure about it yet.] [In the first place, there was no record in history of someone owning the¡ºSign of Ruler¡»¡­therefore, it¡¯s mostly shrouded in mystery.] Leon added to compliment Gilbert¡¯s explanation. He closed his eyes for a while¡­ then resumed. [¡ºSign of Ruler¡»seems to be a pair to the¡ºSign of Overlord¡». They have similar power, so to speak. The ability to incite loyalty from the people under his dominion;¡ºAbsolute Obedience¡»; and the ability to empower those people¡­ ¡ºOverlord¡¯s Decree¡»] After saying so, Leon closed his eyes again. [¡ºAbsolute Obedience¡»and¡ºOverlord¡¯s Decree¡»£¿¡¹ [Yes¡­ my brother once told me so.] [Brother?] [¡ºSign of Overlord¡»once belonged to my brother, Raiel.] [Eh? Leon actually had a brother?] [It is one memory I never shared with you.] Leon unusually smiled when he said that. [Raiel Arcadia¡­.. he was truly a man worthy of the moniker¡ºOverlord¡». Everyone respected and feared him equally. The continent would have been united by him¡­.] [Then¡­ what happened?] [I killed him.] [¡­..] Ares took a deep breath upon hearing Leon¡¯s answer. This was the first time he heard any of this. Leon, the first emperor of the Great Arcadia Emperor actually had a brother, and he killed his own brother. [I do not know why, but my brother started murdering his own retainers and people in the middle of his conquest of unification. Therefore, I killed him to protect what was left of his kingdom. And I made sure to leave no trace of him in history¡­ because I do not want people to remember him as a cruel king.] [¡­what happened to Raiel that he went mad¡­?] [It was due to the power of the¡ºSign of Overlord¡». The¡ºAbsolute Obedience¡»had an especially awful effect.] [¡ºAbsolute Obedience¡»?] [The power to make anyone who he laid his eyes upon to submit. Only another Sealed One or those with especially strong spirits like me could ward it off¡­ everyone else would obey him.] Ares was left at loss for words after hearing Leon¡¯s story. The Unsealed One¡¯s power¡­ it¡¯s almost like an absolute power. It¡¯s encouraging to have as an ally, but certainly frightening to have as an enemy.] [I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll meet another one soon. But if you do meet another Unsealed One, you need to be careful. Maybe they¡¯ll end up as your greatest enemy in the future. Just keep that in mind.] [There is a possibility that you will meet another no matter how small it is. Anyways, history had confirmed the appearance of¡ºSign of Tyrant¡»that belonged to King Gilbarus Oldron of Oldron Kingdom. He was infamously known as the worst tyrant in history. There was also an Arcadia prince known to posses the ¡ºSign of Sage¡». He was later known as Sage Remicla. Then there is your¡ºSign of Hero¡»and my brother¡¯s ¡ºSign of Overlord¡»¡­ We really have no idea what else will appear in this era¡­] During that explanation, Gilbert¡¯s and Shinn¡¯s figure disappeared. Leon who stood before Ares also started to dissipate. [Alright, it seems that the morning is approaching. That¡¯ll be all for today. If you have anything else to ask, come again another day.] When Gilbert¡¯s words came to an end¡­ the world returned to darkness. ===== ¡ô It was still dark outside. But Ares was already awake. Next to him, Cornelia, who became a hot topic in his dream last night, was sleeping soundly. [Sealed Ones¡­ huh? What a troublesome thing.] Ares stroked Cornelia¡¯s hair gently as he muttered. He was also a¡ºSealed One¡». Perhaps these mighty powers would attract each other, and they would most likely clash. Fortunately, one of these Sealed Ones, Cornelia, is his wife. But the other ones might still be looking for a conflict in the future. [You may have been born with such a destiny¡­ but, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll always be by your side¡­] After muttering that, Ares planted his lips gently on Cornelia¡¯s forehead. CH 151 Translator: Raizu Chapter 151 ¨C Darius¡¯ Return About two months had passed since Ares returned to the Frontier Territory. Peace had slowly returned to the Frontier. [R-reporting!] And one day, Ares was listening to George when a gate guard barged into the room to report an emergency. [An unidentified army is heading toward Heinz from the east. The number is about 300!] However, Ares didn¡¯t seem to care at all even after hearing such an urgent report and neither did George. The guard became a little uneasy due to their reaction. Ares had to reassure him because of that. [Yeah, about that army¡­ they won¡¯t do any harm to us so just leave them alone. And open the east gate while you¡¯re at it.] [B-but¡­] [Oh, I forgot to explain, didn¡¯t I? That army is our ally. The two of us have already been informed about their arrival in advance by the¡ºDragon¡¯s Eye¡».] That said, Ares smiled as he slowly got up from his chair. [Darius has finally returned. I need to greet him properly.] ===== ¡ô The news of Darius, one of the Frontier¡¯s warlords, quickly spread throughout Heinz. Everyone had gathered to the east gate to see him. Darius was originally a prince of Grants, and he had protected the people of Grants from hordes of magic beasts and barbarians alike for a long time now. For the people¡­ especially those who originally lived in this land, Darius was as popular as Ares. A lot of people had gathered to witness the hero¡¯s return. Of course, Darius noticed this large group of people. He stopped in front of the front gate, looking around suspiciously. [Oi oi¡­ what is this? What¡¯s with this many people gathering just for a welcome¡­] Darius smiled bitterly because he could sense the presence of a lot of people waiting beyond the gate. [Isn¡¯t it because of your popularity?] As if replying to Darius¡¯ confusion, several men appeared from within the gate, one calling out to him. Hearing that voice, Darius unintentionally smiled. Yes, that voice belonged to the ruler of the Frontier Territory Ares. Ares looked on with a smile on his face, with Sigurd and Shu standing on his right and left respectively. Seeing Ares, Darius immediately dismounted from his horse, responding to the greeting like a true retainer should be. [Milord, I have returned. Pardon me for being late.] [Oya, no need to be so proper about it. You don¡¯t have to do something that isn¡¯t like you.] [Many eyes are on me. I can¡¯t afford to do that.] Darius bitterly laughed in response to his lord¡¯s words, then glanced at Shu. [Ah, is this the person whose presence I sensed earlier? What a surprise. To think that there is still such a strong man around here.] [Nn? Ah, his name is Shu. We became friends about a few months ago.] Shu quietly bowed in lieu to Ares¡¯ introduction. [Looking forward to work together with you.] Darius only grinned in response. From afar, he could already sense just what kind of person this man is: a ¡ºmonster¡» just like himself. Looking back, behind him, his wife Zenovia was also staring at Shu sharply, probably sensing the very same thing: that the three men standing before them are powerful warriors. [Please raise your head. That aside¡­ once things have calmed down, we need to make an appointment.] Darius said as he offered Shu a handshake. [Yes, by all means.] Shu accepted the handshake with a smile, then spoke to Ares. [This is surprising. There is actually another strong warrior serving under the clan head aside from Sigurd-dono¡­ I really cannot afford to be a slouch.] [Calling him strong may not be exactly true¡­ he¡¯s just a total weirdo.] [¡­Milord clearly has no right to call me that¡­] And thus, Ares and his three retainers entered the gate in a harmonious manner. ===== ¡ô Heinz¡¯ hospitality was at full blast once again. Darius was really popular among the folks, receiving warm pats from all over the places. [The people¡¯s culture really has gone for the better¡­ but I guess this part will never disappear.] Ares chuckled while looking at the scene. The people of Heinz were warriors first and foremost. And strong warriors at that. The 300 strong Aryan warriors that Darius brought along, as well as his wife Zenovia, received the hospitality well. It seemed that they¡¯re enjoying themselves. Leaving the Aryans on their own for a while, Ares, along with Darius and Zenobia went back to the mansion. Upon arriving at the mansion, several familiar figures greeted them. After a short self-introduction, they decided to discuss a certain subject. Yes, about the future. [It seems that we¡¯ll need to reorganize the army in the near future.] It was Shion who started the discussion. He then pointed out the reason. The Frontier¡¯s military power consisted of a lot more diverse characteristics now. Ares¡¯¡ºLegion¡»,¡ºDragon Knights¡»under Sigurd¡¯s command and also the ¡ºAryans¡»commanded by Darius. Soon, the¡ºSamurais¡»of Yashima would also come to join Shu. It¡¯s such a diverse corps that no other territory or even country possesses. [In addition to that, there is also Shadow¡¯s skeleton army¡­ they¡¯re also a force to be reckoned with. How to assimilate them all together into the Frontier territory¡¯s army¡­ It¡¯s very important.] And then there¡¯s the Frontier army themselves. The army was mainly composed of former soldiers of Grants, one of the most powerful mixed-race armies to ever exist in the continent. With demonkins, mercenaries and adventurers added into its ranks, it only grew more powerful. Ares and the others strengthened the army even further by teaching them strategy and how to collectively work together, instilling a sense of unity. It made the current Frontier army to be one of the best armies in the continent. Diverse and powerful units with an overall powerful army¡­ Shion was currently working on how to mix the two together. [In any case, I think everyone needs to know the whole story first¡­] Everyone nodded at Shion. Ares explained afterward. [The¡ºDragon¡¯s Eye¡»reported that the war in the west is entering the countdown stage. And¡­ there seems to be a change in situation on the east as well¡­ The world will probably see a lot of changes in a matter of six months. We can¡¯t afford to miss this. Therefore, everyone¡­ please lend me your strength.] Everyone present nodded their head strongly. CH 152 Chapter 152 ¨C A certain slave¡¯s story My name is Lotte. I was sold as a slave in the Royal Capital. I was made a slave by the bandits. One day, bandits raided the village where we lived in, kidnapped me and a few friends in the process. Those who resisted were killed one after another as an example. With each kill, our will to resist continued to wane. The bandits not only robbed the gold, but they also captured the rest of the villagers that didn¡¯t fight back. Yes¡­ all of us were sold as slaves. We couldn¡¯t do anything but cry. And without question, we were sold to the slave traders soon after. But my fate¡­ well, I guess one can say that it¡¯s the turning point of my life. ====== ¡ô There are various reasons why someone could become a slave. Kidnapped by bandits, like us, for instance. Some were unfortunate people captured during wars. Some were trapped by loan sharks, unable to pay their debt. Each one tends to have different reasons. I often heard stories¡­ That slave traders not only aimed for women only, but they also sometimes willingly took an entire family. Men can do hard labor while children and old people can still do menial tasks. Some even said that strong warriors and adventurers are not exempt from enslavement. The only way for a slave to release themselves from enslavement is to buy themselves back from their owner. But that¡¯s near impossible. Slaves also receive wages. That¡¯s the established rule within this country. But the amount of wages is decided by the master, so it¡¯s like trying to water the entire desert with a trickle of water. The slave masters will not let go of the slaves they¡¯ve bought so easily. In the end, slaves had barely any human rights. Nothing more than the master¡¯s ¡ºproperty¡»so to speak. ===== ¡ô We were taken to the Royal Capital, where we had to wait for a buyer. I would never forget this period of time. In the darkness, I saw a little kid weeping inside her mother¡¯s embrace. They must¡¯ve been brought here by another seller. When I thought so¡­ I felt like I couldn¡¯t hold back my feelings anymore. I knew full well that my future seemed grim. No, I thought that I knew where my path would lead to, but I only got to know it because it was¡ºmade clear¡»¡­ One day, a few days after being brought to the capital, the slave trader came to our room with a wide smile on his face. [Oi, your buyer has been decided.] That one line made my mood become darker. Ah, it¡¯s been decided¡­ he said. But of course, I didn¡¯t know yet¡­ that this very person would be the one to bring us out from the darkness. ===== ¡ô To my surprise, I wasn¡¯t the only one being bought. The same buyer had also bought everyone from my village that were enslaved in addition to those who fell into slavery due to poverty. Yes, he actually bought all of us¡­. He also bought some former adventurers, but more importantly to me, he made sure to also buy the slaves¡¯ family members, if any. [No, I should be the one thanking you here. Thank you for your continued patronage¡­] I could see the slave trader bowing his head politely. When I got out of the room, I got a glimpse of the person who bought me. He was accompanied by several warrior-like men and women. What bothered me was that these people wore matching white cloth on their arms. Are they our masters-to-be? Or maybe¡­ it¡¯s not something I should see¡­? [However¡­ is it really alright like this? If it¡¯s sex slaves, I have a better female slave for that role. There are also stronger former adventurers in our store, you know?] I could hear the slave trader speaking. [That woman, she likes to do whatever she wants, be it scamming people or orchestrating robbery. I¡¯m not interested in that kind of person. I still want to keep my head attached after all. About the adventurers, I¡¯ve done a background check on them because I¡¯m not going to buy someone who I cannot trust.] One of the warrior-like people spoke in response. [Ahh¡­ is that why you chose to buy a whole village with their entire families¡­? You guys are still as mysterious as ever. Well, not that I¡¯m complaining since to me, you are a good buyer.] Having said that, the slave trader proceeded with the procedures. [Ah, by the way, do you have any idea about the bandits who sold them to you¡­?] [Nn? Sure I do. Well, please keep it a secret that I told you, okay? For my safety¡­] That was the last thing I heard from them. Soon afterward, we were brought into a carriage and spent quite a while inside. ===== ¡ô To my surprise, we weren¡¯t the only slaves being bought by this group of people. There were several more carriages outside¡­ and most of them looked full. Just how rich are they to be able to buy this many¡­? I estimated that the total number was enough to populate a big village. The carriages travelled for a while before stopping on a meadow. Here, everyone was told to unboard the carriage. This was where we realized just how many slaves were gathered there. Then, one of the warrior-like people¡­stepped forward and spoke to us. [Ah©`¡­.everyone, please listen¡­. Ah, dammit. I¡¯m not good at speaking to the crowd like this¡­] [It can¡¯t be helped. Flik, our usual spokesperson, is out to deal with the kidnapper bandits. And it¡¯s been decided by lottery, so you have no right to complain.] A long haired woman spoke from the side. [Gaah, I know it already. Well©`, we are from the Schwarzer Frontier Territory. All of us will now head to the Frontier area.] Schwarzer Frontier Territory! That same frontier territory that belonged to the Schwarzer¡¯s hero? Currently, he¡¯s the most well known aristocrat in the Arcadia Empire, having become a hot topic since his rise to fame. But the Frontier territory¡­ formerly known as Grants Principality, was known as an underdeveloped land full of barbarians. [Ah, no worries. We guarantee your safety on this trip. It¡¯ll be alright.] Having said that, the warrior-like man smiled in reassurance. Ah, a kid just cried after seeing him smile¡­. [¡­Oi, why is he crying after I smiled¡­?] [Because he¡¯s scared of you, of course? Good grief. Baran is really useless in times like this.] [Shaddap¡­ Karina. Arrgh¡­ I feel like I wanna cry as well¡­] Ignoring the depressed looking man, the long haired woman stood up and approached the kid, stroking his head. [Anyways, your safety is guaranteed. Believe in us. If there is a problem, feel free to tell us. Like¡­ that woman over there, why does your face look so pale¡­?] The woman pointed at the family sitting in front of me¡­ at the mother to be exact. The entire family instantly had their face turned blue and they promptly bowed their heads. [I¡­it¡¯s alright! My wife can also work! Please, spare my wife!] [I don¡¯t wanna be separated from mom! Please!] [Pwease!] Even the little ones desperately bowed. They looked pathetic¡­ but there¡¯s nothing we can do here. I heard that unusable slaves, usually because they¡¯re sick, are often thrown away. Not only are they unusable, they could also infect the other healthy slaves. The owner would want to reduce the damage since the slaves aren¡¯t exactly cheap. [Ha? Did I say something wrong?] The long haired woman looked embarrassed after seeing how the family reacted. [I mean¡­ I just wanted to give you this potion. You can¡¯t travel long distances with a sickly condition, right?] The woman said as she took out a bottle from her pocket. Potion!? Such an expensive item!? Back in the village, I only ever saw concoction of herbs being used as medicine. Something as expensive as a potion is nowhere to be seen. Both the sick wife and her husband were stunned silly. [Come on now, don¡¯t hesitate. Ah, anyone else who is sick, please don¡¯t hesitate to speak up. The journey will be quite long, you know?] [Ah¡­ thank you very much!] [Thank you very much!] The couple bowed their heads while shedding tears and so did their children. I¡­ no, most likely all of us felt the same after seeing this¡­ a small glimmer of hope was ignited within our hearts. ===== ¡ô The trip took 2 months, but we finally reached the Schwarzer Frontier territory. The journey was mostly comfortable. We were given enough to eat and there were no monster attacks at all along the way. Once we entered Grants, the actual frontier territory, we were gathered once more. This time another man was standing before us. Unlike the previous one, this one didn¡¯t seem to be a warrior. [Everyone, thank you for all the effort. And welcome to Grants. My name is Sven Knorr. I¡¯m working as an official in Grants.] All of us bowed after hearing him introducing himself. [Ah, please don¡¯t act so submissive to me. I would like to ask something to everyone here¡­] What the official, Sven-san said was next nothing like we expected. [We are¡­to make a village here?] [That¡¯s right.] What he proposed to us, was for all of us to work together and make a village. [For those who have a family, we will provide you all with the land and minimum tools required to build the village, as well as temporary housing and food before the village is completed. All you need to do is build the village¡­ Ah, the security is very good. There are no monsters or bandits around here. So rest assured.] Mister Official laughed afterward. [But you do have to obey the law. Since this is a frontier area, we do have our own law here. Also, you are exempt from tax for 2 years. Instead, you¡¯ll be using that period to work here in order to buy yourself out. You should be able to buy your freedom in two years if you work properly. Of course, after that, you¡¯ll have to start paying tax.] How come there is such a sweet offer? All of us were too surprised to respond. [If you are a former Adventurer, then please watch over the village. Even if there¡¯s no monster around here, wild animals will still come out. Please follow the instruction of the Village Chief once you all choose one. Also, an Inspector will come to visit from time to time. If any of you have any questions, feel free to ask.] And finally, the mister Official looked at us. [As for those who have no family left, please come with us to the city. We will help you find a job there. Looking forward to that.] And that¡¯s how we started our new life in Grants. ===== ¡ô I¡¯m now working in the mansion of Lord of Frontier Ares-sama. Along with me were few fellows that were brought along as slaves back then. Some of us also worked in other places, such as a Merchant¡¯s house, an Official¡¯s or a General¡¯s mansions. They were treated well in any of those places. The Lord of the Frontier¡¯s mansion was very cozy. Aside from Cornelia-sama, the Lord also had several more wives. But they¡¯re all kind and caring. Two of the Lord¡¯s wives were in charge of leading us, Theta-sama and Maria-sama. Both are kind and hardworking. Helmut-san, the mansion¡¯s head butler, was always very detailed. He¡¯s a little bit scary at times, but he¡¯s also a kind man. I almost fainted when I first saw the mansion guard Zetos¡­ but I already got used to his appearance by now. He¡¯s quite friendly, despite his appearance, and I often spent my free time talking to him. And then¡­ there is our Lord, Ares-sama. When I met Ares-sama for the first time, he said: [Save your wages, use it to buy yourself up. Obtain your freedom by yourself¡­ don¡¯t rely on other people.] I¡¯m almost ready to grab hold to my freedom. But¡­ I want to stay here¡ºby my own will¡»even if I¡¯ve regained my freedom. Because for me, this mansion where I¡¯m working at right now is where I belonged¡­ CH 153 Translator: Raizu Chapter 153 ¨C Lord of Frontier¡¯s Holiday That day, Ares was staring outside from his office window. The sky outside was clear blue with no clouds. A great day to take a nap or go outside to enjoy the atmosphere. [On a day like this¡­ Why do I still have to work here¡­?] His muttering was left unheard by everyone¡­ only those with supernatural hearing like Helmut and Zetos could hear him. But then again, those two never respond to this kind of complaint. Ares sighed. He suddenly overheard the voices of the maids talking to each other. They¡¯re Teresa and Lotte, two of the many slaves he bought quite some time ago. Next to Teresa was her nine years old daughter, Lulu, who tried her best to help out. By the way, the husband Robson was currently trimming the trees with some other men in the garden. Teresa¡¯s entire family had unfortunately been turned into slaves, but that¡¯s also what made them end up here working at the frontier territory. Both Lotte and Teresa similarly came from rural areas. Perhaps that¡¯s why they clicked together easily. [Once upon a time, on a day like this, the villagers would get together to have a picnic outside¡­ it¡¯s really fun, though it¡¯s just a happy memory now.] [Oh, we also did similar things in our village. Perhaps it¡¯s the same everywhere?] [I mean, it¡¯s fun, getting together with families and friends.] [Moreover it¡¯s easy to make the preparation, so we can do it anytime] After overhearing their conversation, Ares finally stood up. [Thaaaaaat¡¯s iiiiiiiiiiitt !!] Teresa, Lulu and Lotte were startled by the sudden loud outburst. When they went to check¡­ Ares¡¯s face was already right in front of them. [Ee¡­. was that master¡¯s voice? Well¡­ Eh? Master?] [Wha- Ares-sama, that¡¯s dangerous¡­] Those voices seemingly fell on deaf ears since Ares continued on with a blurt. [Thank you!! Teresa! Lotte!!] [ [ ¡­..yes? ] ] [I just came up with a good idea! Thank you for giving me such a good inspiration!] [ [ ¡­.yes?? ] ] Their replies didn¡¯t reach Ares either since he already scooted away and left in a hurry. [That¡­ will it be alright¡­?] [Hopefully George-sama and the Lord¡¯s wives won¡¯t get mad¡­] And just like that, Ares hurriedly headed to the dining room. Meanwhile, Lotte and Teresa looked on worriedly at their master. ===== ¡ô The garden in Ares¡¯ mansion was currently crowded with people. All of them had a smile on their faces. [What did you say earlier again¡­?] There was a bitterness on George¡¯s face. But even so, he had a glass of liquor in his hand as he spoke. Ares had visited the government office while George was also there then one-sidedly declared that it¡¯s going to be his rest day just a few minutes ago. He then told the officials to come to his mansion before running back. The guerrilla attack caught George off guard. Seeing this rare opportunity when George was too startled, his (exhausted) subordinates voiced their support on Ares¡¯ instruction. And just like that, the usually impregnable George finally relented. [To be swept by the current¡­ what a blunder.] [¡­.even if you say that, you seem to be enjoying this yourself.] Next to George was a tower of empty plates, making Ares feel the need to make a verbal jab to that. [But well, a good and proper rest is really needed after all.] After informing George, Ares immediately headed back to the mansion, gathered all of his wives and servants, then declared that today is a rest day. Even as the other party was still confused by the suddenness, he already proposed to hold a feast in the garden. Due to the suddenness, Cornelia who usually acted as the common sense of the Schwarzer¡¯s household couldn¡¯t really react to it. Ares personally saw through the preparation for the feast. Meat, fish, vegetables¡­the preparation proceeded quickly by following Hadora¡¯s instructions. [Oi oi, I was wondering why there is a sudden call¡­ you seem to be doing something fun here.] The first to appear was Darius. As expected, he simply snorted after seeing the situation. Zenobia was also there with him. Sigurd arrived a little bit later, followed by Shu and Ares¡¯ other trusted retainers. Shion, George, and Elan appeared as well. [Here I thought something had gone wrong¡­ but not that I¡¯m against this though.] Shion laughed after saying so. George brought his family along, while Elan came with his fiancee Liza and his soon-to-be sister-in-law. And even that quiet and unsociable Shion actually brought someone along. It was miss Lina Parom, who had been living together with him as his disciple. Darius¡¯ brothers, as well as the rest of Ares¡¯ main retainers arrived one after another soon afterward¡­ Once everyone had gathered, only then did the feast actually begin for real. ===== ¡ô [Delishh! What¡¯s with this meat!] Darius commented as he kept devouring the meat. Next to him, Zenobia was also happily stuffing her mouth with food. The two were gluttonously eating load after load of platinum meat. The couple really went wild here. Earlier they chugged down a bottle of distilled spirit that supposedly shouldn¡¯t be drunk all at once. [This couple¡­. Both of them are really big eaters¡­] Cornelia chuckled after hearing the slightly worried Ares¡¯ muttering. [It is fine, is it not? We still have enough ingredients to make more, do we not?] Behind them, Sharon and Liliana were engaging in their usual quarrel. [Hold it right there! Wasn¡¯t that meat supposedly mine!?] [Is your name written on it? I was the one who grilled this meat.] Maria and Cynthia were watching the two apprehensively. The usual arbitrator, Nina, finally took action. [Just cut it out already, you two.] [What?!] [What was that?!] [Do any of you even realize what happened to the meat while you¡¯re busy quarreling?] [What do you mean¡­ Ahh©`©`©`!] Yes, the meat had already turned into charcoal. [Are you stupid or what¡­? Why don¡¯t you two try to take Roxanne as an example?] Roxanne, Millia, and Lilith were doing their own stuff, seemingly unconcerned about the short-lived quarrel. However¡­ the atmosphere wasn¡¯t exactly good either. [Why do big sister and Lilith insist that I eat all these meat is really beyond me.] [I told you¡­ you need to gain more fat in order to make your breasts bigger.] [Dear Husband loves big breasts, you know?] While saying all that, Roxanne¡¯s and Lilith¡¯s enormous breasts would sway and shook around titillatingly. These two were strangely close to each other. Meanwhile, this scene provided by the huge breasts combo only served to frustrate Nina. [I don¡¯t like this at all©`©`©`©`!!] Ares could only sigh from seeing all that unfolded. Theta poured a drink into his now empty glass. [They aren¡¯t really hating each other, right?] [Well, it should be obvious already¡­] [It is the proof that they are all good friends.] Even Cornelia gave up on stopping them. Suddenly, more and more people came to the mansion, each enjoying themselves while grilling their favorite food. The children were having fun, running around while chomping on the grilled corn. They eventually came across Zetos and proceeded to use him as a climbing tree. The mothers tried to stop the kids in a hurry, but Zetos politely rejected them, saying that he didn¡¯t mind. Young women and girls in plain clothing engaged in a merry conversation. The topic was, of course, about love. They would steal a glance at Sigurd and Shu, giggling excitedly as they discuss which one of the two they prefer more. All the men also chatted with each other, a glass of ale in hand. The topic they talked about was more diverse than the women, but of course there would be married men making fun of the singles. Urging the young men to divulge on who they have feelings for and to confess their feelings soon while enjoying the ale. Helmut was busy tidying up the site, as well as serving more food whenever ready. There was no waste in his movement at all. By the way, he had unknowingly gained a sizable amount of admirers among the servants. The stern looking man seemed to be fairly popular nowadays. Zetos was still doing what he did earlier, letting the kids play around him. Apparently he has a soft spot for kids. Sigurd and Shu were having a heated discussion about martial arts. The more they drank, the more heated the discussion got. It¡¯s a bit difficult to join in by now. George had been drinking a lot while eating sweets like a huge sweet tooth. His family apparently also shares his fondness of sweet foods. Seeing this, his subordinates had a somewhat bad premonition. Shion seemed to be angry at Lina for some reason. At first glance, they might appear to be in a quarrel, but those in the know knew that it¡¯s their gesture of friendship. Elan was having a sweet time with Liza. The usually quiet Elan took on an aggressive stance this time, that the lovey dovey mood between the two made it hard for others to look at them. Eckhart and Lauren were a bit jealous seeing them. Oliver was involved in a discussion about liquor with Gale and Ramires. Natalie tried her best to attract Sigurd¡¯s attention but to no avail¡­ Ares had fun watching his wives having a pleasant talk. But above all, he was happy to see all these exchanges that he¡¯d normally be unable to see for himself. [Oh, this meat is really delicious.] The most important part is still being able to see all those smiles. So let¡¯s hold this kind of feast regularly now. Next time, how about holding a territory-wide big festival? While thinking so, Ares smiled as he enjoyed the feast. CH 154 Translator: Raizu Chapter 154 ¨C Holy Lance The corner of the military training ground: this was the place where the thickest barrier in the entire training ground was usually erected. Because it¡¯s the spot where people with superhuman strength like Ares, Sigurd, Darius, and Shu usually spar. Two would spar in this spot every morning. It¡¯s pretty much a common knowledge to everyone who uses the training ground now. This morning, the spar actually looked like it was a real battle. On one side was a golden haired female combatant while on the other side was a noble looking swordswoman with silver hair. Both are women with equally fascinating beauty. These two are Sharon and Liliana, the Lord of the Frontier Ares¡¯ wives. It was their daily routine to spar in this spot in the morning. Yes, because this was the only place where they could spar safely without causing widespread destruction. The problem lies in their equipment. Sharon would wear her ¡ºValkyrie Armor¡»and Liliana wielded her ¡ºHoly Sword Alflex¡» to make the spar as close as possible to real battle. Any regular training ground would be demolished at the wake of their sparring session. Today, they were sparring as usual. ===== ¡ô [Phew¡­] After the sparring session, Sharon wiped the sweat in her forehead while stealing glances at Liliana¡¯s¡ºHoly Sword Alflex¡». The sword carries a strong magic strengthening skill; it¡¯s a companion that allows Liliana to bring out her full capabilities. It¡¯s been making Sharon uneasy recently. At the moment, Sharon and Liliana are evenly matched. However, that¡¯s only because Sharon had the¡ºValkyrie Armor¡». Similarly to Liliana¡¯s sword, the valkyrie armor is like a companion that could bring out Sharon¡¯s full potential. However¡­ (According to Ares, Liliana¡¯s very own ¡ºValkyrie Armor¡» is in the making¡­that will create a gap between us¡­) Sharon couldn¡¯t hide her anxiousness. Liliana¡¯s Valkyrie Armor was already near completion, with only procuring the fitting magic stone that will act as the core left. Certainly, it¡¯s difficult to find that level of magic stone¡­but it will be found eventually. When that happens¡­ (No doubt, Liliana will be much stronger¡­ in that, she¡¯ll be the only one between us to be able to keep up with Ares in the battlefield¡­) The Valkyrie Armor added on top of the holy sword¡­ the combination of the two should be enough to bring them closer to their level¡­ Ares¡¯ right hand men, Sigurd, Darius, and Shu¡­. Liliana would earn her right to stay next to Ares. While Sharon may end up only in secretarial role¡­ But she wanted to stay with, or even protect him some day¡­ at this rate she won¡¯t be able to fulfill the vow she promised upon herself the day Ares helped her. [If only I have more power¡­ I will be able to fight side by side with Ares¡­] With that thought weighing on her, Sharon could only pray. Perhaps because of her prayer¡­ Sharon started to experience a mysterious event one day, about three months after Ares¡¯ return. ===== ¡ô [So please come with me for a bit.] [¡­but©`, I still have some work left to do.] [Cornelia-sama can do that in your place, right? In fact, she does it better than you.] [Well©`, I can¡¯t say anything when you put it that way.] Ares was fairly disturbed by the sudden call. Sharon suddenly told Ares to accompany her to a certain ruin in the northwest. Apparently, something has been calling her from there. [I mean, isn¡¯t it just a dream?] [But, is it really possible that the report and my dream actually matched?] Feeling that something fateful was going to happen, Sharon immediately asked Ares to accompany her to confirm the site. What frightened Ares was that she had already convinced Cornelia and George to cover up for Ares¡¯ absence. [We can get there in a day if we ride on a dragon, right?] [Well, I can¡¯t not go now, can I¡­? I mean, it¡¯s not often that I¡¯m allowed to go out while there¡¯s still work left to do?] [George agreed as long as Ares is only out for a day. In exchange, Ares will not be getting a day off this weekend.] [¡­eh?] [In other words, like taking a day off in advance?] [D-domineering¡­] Ares¡¯ face turned hollow in disappointment. Meanwhile, the person standing next to him raised her hand. [Excuse me¡­ I can understand if it is just dear husband¡­ but why do I have to tag along as well?] It was Liliana who raised her hand. [Eh? You don¡¯t have anything to do right now, do you?] [Nnhu! But I do have something to do! In fact, I have lots of things to do like training the soldiers and doing self training! ¡­and why do I have to help you in the first place!] Liliana complained. Sharon sighed, then approached Liliana. [I understand. Let¡¯s make a deal then. How about¡­] She started to whisper something into Liliana¡¯s ear. The previously annoyed Liliana¡­was soon less annoyed. [Understood. I will tag along then.] [Well, in a way, isn¡¯t this the first time we get to go out with only the three of us? How about we just enjoy it?] [Eh? No one else is tagging along?] [As George put it:¡ºIs it really needed£¿¡». After that, I immediately backed off.] [¡­that guy is terrible¡­] Ares, Sharon and Liliana¡­ each of them could match a thousand. Certainly¡­ There¡¯s really no need for escort. [George also said that it¡¯s troublesome if Sigurd or Shu were to tag along, so it¡¯s faster this way. Those two would immediately abandon their work and follow Ares anywhere after all¡­. Anyway, let¡¯s get on with it.] [¡­am I really still the leader here¡­] [Yes, that¡¯s why, as I said earlier¡­] That said, Sharon held Ares¡¯ arm and dragged him to the dragon¡¯s pen. ===== ¡ô Along the way to the ruin while travelling on top of the flying dragon, Ares had a casual conversation with his two wives. Sharon told Ares and Liliana her part of the story in detail this time. The two listened carefully in turn. [¡­that¡¯s certainly a mysterious dream] [And it¡¯s repeating¡­ perhaps, something really is calling out to you.] Ares shook his head in amazement, while Liliana nodded after hearing Sharon¡¯s story. They were now travelling in the sky on top of a flying dragon wyvern. This one was the fastest flight-capable dragon that Ares owned right now. It¡¯s been several years since they started raising dragons in earnest. And it finally reached a point where they could use the dragons as they want. One can say that the ability to travel around by riding a dragon like this is one of the frontier area¡¯s powers. Thanks to the wyvern¡¯s flight speed, Ares and co. nearly arrived at the ruin in no time at all. [It was curious, really. In the dream I was told to go to a ruin in the southwest, then when I checked on the report, there was actually a ruin there¡­ moreover, the shape was almost identical.] Sharon recounted her mysterious dream. In a small shrine inside the large ruin, a young girl holding a dazzling spear kept calling out to her. Upon reading the result of the investigation, Sharon was perplexed. Was it really a coincidence? Just what kind of dream was it? she thought. A frown appeared on Liliana¡¯s beautiful face then she told Sharon.. [¡­regarding the spear, no need to think too hard about it. Perhaps it¡¯s really just trying to reach out to you?] [¡­what do you mean?] [Well, I mean, it¡¯s similar to how I found Alflex¡­] Sharon simply laughed in response. [It¡¯s just something I do out of curiosity¡­ I merely want to see it with my own eyes. Is that it?] Whilst saying that, Sharon shifted her gaze downward. It¡¯s only been a short time since they left Heinz, but there was indeed a large temple-like structure in the midst of a ruin. ===== ¡ô After Ares secured the wyvern¡¯s rein on a nearby pillar, the trio proceeded into the abandoned temple. [It¡¯s surprising that there¡¯s actually a ruin¡­ in such a place.] Ares muttered as they went deeper. Curiously, the temple had staircases leading underground. [Perhaps there used to be a city around here.] [Fumu¡­ and it¡¯s probably destroyed either by the barbarians or monsters. It is a possibility.] The trio went down the stairs while discussing the ruin. [Interesting. The temple has a staircase that leads downward. Looks like it¡¯s worth exploring after all¡­ oya?] Ares stopped his pace. Liliana and Sharon noticed this at the same time and turned to look at what caught his attention. [They¡¯re here too¡­ after all.] Yes, it¡¯s par for the course in any ruin: with undead monsters roaming around. And right now, there were a lot of zombies and skeletons in front of the trio¡­.. [They¡¯re in the way.] [Undead scum, become the rust on my holy sword!] ¡­.suffice to say, they¡¯re not the trio¡¯s match. [With this many undead around, perhaps next time we should bring Shadow along. This many skeletons will surely make him happy.] Unfortunately, the swarm of undead wasn¡¯t even enough to serve as an obstacle for the intrepid trio. ===== ¡ô The trio proceeded as is¡­ and reached the bottom floor in record time. It was a huge hall. And at the end of it¡­was a small shrine. [Nn¡­ the atmosphere has somewhat changed.] The air was solemn like inside an actual temple. Therefore, no monster was in sight. Sharon took a deep breath as she saw the small shrine. Because it¡¯s identical to what she saw in her dream. [Wait¡­ what¡¯s the meaning of this? It¡¯s really identical¡­] Sharon unconsciously approached the shrine. ¡º¡­..You have come¡­..¡» The voice of a little girl echoed. Ares and Liliana immediately entered a battle stance, but Sharon continued to approach the shrine as if in a trance. [Sharon!] [What are you doing!?] The moment Ares and Liliana moved forward while stretching their hands: [Guh!] [Wha!] but they were repelled by an invisible force. [Oi oi¡­ this is¡­ ¡ºDivine Authority¡»? Is there a Divine entity in here?] Sharon touched the shrine without caring about the worried Ares¡­ and opened some sort of door. A golden sphere was enshrined behind that door. ¡ºDid my voice reach you?¡» Suddenly, the sphere spoke. [You are¡­?] ¡ºBecause you wished for me, did you not? That is why I have been desperately calling out for you. I have been waiting for someone to come here. And here you are, after hearing my voice. ¡» [I wished for you?] Sharon tilted her head. ¡ºYou wished for a power that would allow you to stand side by side with that person, did you not? A power to protect that person?¡» [Ah¡­ but¡­] ¡ºI heard your heartfelt wish. That is why I raised my voice even more. I am sure that someone like you will eventually take me out from here.¡» The sphere of light turned into a young girl this time. Not only was Sharon surprised, but Ares was also amazed by this scene. ¡ºOnce upon a time, there was a city here. I was enshrined in this place to protect the city¡­ However, the city was still destroyed by magic beasts. I wasn¡¯t able to protect the city.¡» [Why¡­?] ¡ºBecause no one could hear my voice. Thus I cannot leave this place¡­¡» [¡­] ¡ºIt has been a long time since then. And one day¡­..I started hearing your voice. It was from a place far from here, but I could clearly feel your strong feelings. So I thought, Perhaps this person would be the one to take me away from this place?¡» The young girl smiled afterward. ¡ºI was lonely. I was alone without anyone else present here. So¡­ please, take me away¡» Listening to the story, Sharon smiled in response and gently stroked the girl¡¯s head. [¡­being alone in a place like this¡­ Certainly it can be lonely. Very well, come with me.] The girl laughed in satisfaction, then turned back into a sphere of light before finally coalescing into the shape of a spear. ¡ºMy name is¡ºMinerva¡». We shall be companions from now on.¡» The spear gently floated into Sharon¡¯s hand. ¡ºThe reason for my being is to¡ºprotect something important¡». That was why your wish could reach me. I am looking forward to our collaboration in the future.¡» ===== ¡ô Ares and Liliana could only watch the exchange. But¡­ even they understood. [Sharon was probably chosen by that spear. That¡¯s why it¡¯s been calling out for her¡­ Just like me in the past.] [Just like you?] [Dear husband, it was the same when I first met this little one.] Before Liliana obtained the holy sword Alflex¡­ she also heard voices from somewhere calling out to her, guiding her to find the sword. [I think¡­ Sharon finally got hers.] Ares turned his gaze towards Sharon. He could still see her talking to the spear¡­ but¡­ for some reason, she looked divinely beautiful at this very moment. ===== ¡ô After asking Sharon about what happened in detail, Ares decided that they should rebuild the ruined city. [There¡¯s a city here originally. So securing water sources should be easy. We might be able to rebuild fairly fast.] Once Ares returned to Heinz, he immediately dispatched Shadow to the ruins. The latter quickly took control of the undead inside and used them as the workforce to help rebuild the city. Afterward, many freed slaves were sent to repopulate the rebuilt city. A few years later, the city grew big enough to become a major city. A temple was built in this northwestern city of¡ºMinerva¡»where a statue of a young girl was enshrined inside. And then¡­ The ¡ºGolden War Maiden¡»Sharon was known by many to wield a particular weapon known as the ¡ºHoly Spear Minerva¡». And the spear¡¯s ability was ¡ºAbsolute Defense¡». It was capable of reflecting all sorts of attacks. She was said to only use this ability for¡ºa certain someone she must protect¡» as she fought side by side with him. CH 155 Chapter 155 ¨C Dragon Heart [Anyways, I need you to come with me, dear husband.] [¡­you people really decide a lot of things without consulting me first, do you¡­?] It was a few days after the incident with Sharon and the holy spear. This time, Liliana came to fetch Ares. [And of course, you also need to come along, Sharon.] [After the other day, I can¡¯t say no, can I?] Sharon shrugged and raised her hands signifying that she¡¯s not against it. [Errrm¡­] [What is it?] [About Cornelia and George¡­] [Of course, I¡¯ve persuaded them.] [Already? So fast!] Ares facepalmed in disappointment. Sharon also sighed in defeat. [Why of course. I¡¯ve already confided with Cornelia-sama before coming here.] [And George-dono will not get mad since I already told him far in advance¡­] [¡­enough¡­ I think I got it already¡­ Un¡­ I give up¡­] After sighing a fair bit, Ares turned to Liliana. [So, where are we going next? We¡¯re not looking for another weapon, right?] Liliana already had her partner Alflex. So that shouldn¡¯t be the case. [Y-yes¡­ dear husband, you really change mood very quickly¡­ Mhm¡­] After taking a short breather, Liliana told them where they would go this time. [This time we¡¯ll be heading to the mining area in the east. The 13th mining area to be exact.] ===== ¡ô The mining area was in the east of Grants. It¡¯s the place currently entrusted under Nora¡¯s care. A huge amount of mining engineers from all over the country had gathered there, making the settlement so crowded it can be considered a town now. Each mining shaft was numbered and all of them were under Nora¡¯s administration. The 13th mining area on the other hand¡­ [Nora said that it¡¯s located in the unexplored part of the mountain. The spirits couldn¡¯t investigate because the amount of monsters habitating the area is too many¡­] The spirits were unable to enter the area due to the strong miasma. Liliana said that they would be entering this particular mining area. [Why are we going there though?] [I heard that a piece of high purity magic stone was found in that area.] Nowadays, magic stones are no longer a rare commodity in Grants. The discovery of the¡ºDragon Vein¡» was the greatest factor. Any stone can eventually become magic stone if left in close proximity to the dragon vein. As a result, the frontier territory saw vast amounts of development mostly thanks to the large number of magic stone-powered golems and other magic tools. However, a high purity magic stone is a different matter altogether. Originally, a magic stone was produced when a strong magic beast dies and its leftover vitality is crystallized. As for a high purity magic stone, the stronger the magic beast, the purer the magic stone will be. Magic stones of the highest purity usually only belonged to ancient dragons or phoenixes. Some magic beasts like Kirins or Fenrirs could also produce similar purity. [I heard that there were many high purity magic stones scattered there¡­ if it¡¯s true, then perhaps some sort of divine beast died there, I think.] Liliana then winked at Sharon. [I also want a Valkyrie Armor like Sharon¡¯s.] In fact, Liliana¡¯s very own Valkyrie Armor had been mostly completed. However, it¡¯s still lacking only 1 last component; a fitting ¡ºmagic stone¡»was not available. The Valkyrie Armor developed by Ares was mainly crafted from magic metal called mithril, which cost a huge amount to begin with. However, the biggest part of the armor was the ¡ºmagic stone¡» that acts as the armor¡¯s core. Mithril was used to draw out the magic from this core. As for the magic stone¡­ it¡¯ll require the best quality magic stone. For reference, Sharon¡¯s Valkyrie Armor uses a super high purity magic stone called the ¡ºPhoenix¡¯s Heart¡»as its core. A powerful monster tends to attract other strong monsters. That got to be why there were many high purity magic stones scattered in that area. With some good luck, there might even be a Divine Beast¡¯s magic stone there¡­ Liliana thought so. Thus the intrepid trio headed out to Nora¡¯s mining town this time. ===== ¡ô [If things get dangerous, just pull back, alright?] The trio received that advice from Nora. [There seem to be a hefty amount of monsters there that the spirits were having trouble going there¡­ but I think you¡¯ll be fine since Ares-sama is here with you¡­ but anyways, if it looks impossible, then just retreat!] Taking those words into hearts, the trio left for the mining shaft. Only the entrance was well maintained. The deeper one went, the more untouched the mineshaft got, and the more monsters one would encounter. Undead appearing is par for the course. However, not only skeletons and zombies, but also many magic beast-shaped undeads were also appearing here. Moreover, some of them were actually quite strong, which perplexed Ares. [This is surprising¡­ Bringing the regular army here might not be enough¡­ I will need to bring the White Legion next time¡­] Ares muttered as he kicked away the undead he just killed. Then when he looked behind, he noticed that both Sharon and Liliana looked fairly exhausted already. [Perhaps this is another reason why no one else had explored this far. The deeper we go, the thinner the air becomes¡­ Maybe we should consider pulling back now¡­] Whilst saying so, Ares started to look around¡­and realized something. Right¡­the walls around them were tinted with blue. [Don¡¯t tell me¡­this is¡­] [What is it?] Ignoring Sharon¡¯s question, Ares continued to inspect the wall¡­until he finally muttered. [Yet another surprise. These are mithril ores. This mine¡­is actually a mithril mine.] [Is a mithril mine really that great?] [¡­..honestly, I haven¡¯t heard much about it myself. That¡¯s why¡­this is a very amazing discovery.] Ares was quite excited by the prospect. Even if mithril is more abundant than adamantite or orichalcon, it¡¯s still a valuable commodity. The fact that they now had a huge deposit only waiting to be mined was a bit¡­ [We were originally here to get a magic stone for Liliana¡¯s armor, but we ended up finding something ridiculous instead¡­] Right after Ares said that, [OooooooooOOOO¡­..] A ferocious and loud growl echoed from the depth of the tunnel. ===== ¡ô Ares and co. immediately went to investigate the source of the growl. That was a dragon¡¯s voice¡­and an ancient dragon level at that. [No way¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that something would actually come out¡­] Ares sighed at the circumstances then frowned. What made him frown¡­was the state the dragon was in. Its flesh was peeling off, causing its bones to be visible here and there. Its eyes were empty and unresponsive; moreover it was giving off rotten odor and miasma. [Wait¡­ this is¡­] Sharon and Liliana unconsciously stepped back. [Yeah¡­ this was definitely an ancient dragon¡­that has become an undead¡­!] That said, Ares ignited his fighting spirit and used magic strengthening at the same time. Murakumo-style combat technique¡ºMagic Sword Style¡»¡­the fact that Ares immediately used it showed that he¡¯s serious. Even if it had already become an undead, the fact remained that it¡¯s an ancient dragon, one of the Divine Beasts class. It¡¯s easy to see that this would be a gruelling battle. (If it¡¯s like this, maybe I should¡¯ve brought Sigurd and the others as well? This might be a bit rough for only the three of us¡­) Ares turned to Sharon and Liliana, then spoke, [You two, retreat for the time bei¡­] [We won¡¯t.] Sharon didn¡¯t even let Ares finish his sentence. Meanwhile Liliana didn¡¯t even bother to spare a word and instead drew Alflex from its sheath. Sharon followed suit by brandishing the holy lance Minerva. [Are you misunderstanding something here? We are not here to be protected one-sidedly.] [But, even if our opponent this time is an undead, it was still an ancient dragon. That thing might still be too tough for just the three of us.] [¡­it¡¯s the opposite. It might be an ancient dragon before, but isn¡¯t it just an undead now?] Sharon sighed after saying so. [That is¡­ Ah!] Ares finally realized what Sharon was trying to imply. [Dear husband¡­ aren¡¯t our weapons the most effective against undead beings?] True. Sharon¡¯s spear is the ¡ºHoly Spear¡» Minerva while Liliana¡¯s sword is the¡ºHoly Sword¡»Alflex. It¡¯s easy to forget since both weapons¡¯ innate abilities are formidable¡­ but their¡ºHoly¡»attribute makes them extremely powerful against undead. Any run on the mill undead would turn to ash with just a slight touch. [Here we have three wielders of¡ºHoly¡» weapons. I assume there cannot be any more advantageous situation against an undead than this?] Liliana¡¯s words managed to make Ares reconsider. His wives spoke the truth. They did have the greatest advantage here. In addition to that¡­ he thought. What reliable wives he had! Ares chuckled then summoned the ¡ºHoly Sword Excalibur¡»within the Seven Heavenly Swords. [I was really wrong¡­ You two, please back me up.] [We intended to do that from the very beginning!!] [Why of course!] Following that, Liliana casted Alflex¡¯s magic strengthening on her body while Sharon activated her Valkyrie Armor, which promptly sprouted its golden wings. [I will strike from the front. Sharon, attack from the right. Liliana, you aim for its legs from the left.] [ [ Affirmative!! ] ] Thus the trio went to face the undead ancient dragon. ===== ¡ô The battle actually developed into a one-sided situation. Although it was originally an ancient dragon, it¡¯s also an undead now. The holy weapons proved to be the bane of its existence. [Hiyaaaaaa!] Sharon tore apart the undead ancient dragon¡¯s left forefoot. [Haaaaaaa!] Liliana also seriously dealt a serious damage to the undead dragon¡¯s right forefoot. From the front, Ares¡¯ Excalibur rained down. Thanks to the effect of Excalibur¡¯s ¡ºBody Strengthening¡»and the ¡ºMagic Sword style¡»stacking together, Ares¡¯ slash cut through the undead¡¯s body at a blinding speed. The undead dragon wailed in pain. At that moment, the trio could hear a voice. ¡¶Please help me!¡· That voice stopped the trio on their tracks. It¡¯s as if someone is talking directly into their mind. ¡¶When I died, someone cast a spell on me, turning me into an undead¡­my pride had been trampled¡­ Please help me¡­help me break the spell¡­..¡· Listening to that voice, Ares frowned, Sharon stiffened while covering her mouth with her hand, while Liliana instantly looked angry. [What¡¯s the meaning¡­ of this¡­] [Someone turned it into an undead shortly after it died, defiling the end of a proud ancient dragon.] Liliana roared in response to Ares¡¯ explanation. [¡­this is not a laughing matter anymore! Who in their right mind would do such a thing?!] Liliana then turned her gaze towards the undead ancient dragon. There were tears in her eyes. She was raised in a royal environment and grew up as a knight. Pride and honor were probably some of the most important things for her. Therefore, the dragon¡¯s painful feelings of pride being trampled upon resonated deeply with her. [Liliana is right¡­. Let¡¯s finish this with our next blow. A dragon should live its life and die in honor.] Ares recalled Excalibur and replaced it with Murasama instead. Along with that, Sharon and Liliana headed toward the dragon¡¯s hindleg at the same time. Due to the power of the holy attribute in both of their weapons, the hindlegs were deleted almost instantly. The undead ancient dragon roared, knowing that its movement had been mostly disabled. Seeing this, Ares opened his eyes and sharply stared at his target, before leaping at the undead dragon with breakneck speed. [Murakumo-style Killing Blow¡ºDragon Annihilating Sword¡»!] Ares¡¯ slash came down like lightning from midair. It was one of the Murakumo-style secret techniques, meant to slay evil dragons: the¡ºRyumetsuken ~ Dragon Annihilating Sword¡» [GuuuuuOOOOOO!] The undead ancient dragon couldn¡¯t hold out against such an attack, it collapsed to the floor. At the same time, its body started decomposing into ashes. Ares could almost make out a smile on the dragon¡¯s face as it crumbled into ashes. With this knowledge, the trio finally felt a sense of relief. ===== ¡ô At the center where the ancient dragon collapsed¡­ Ares found a large glowing mass. [This is¡­ a magic stone¡­? Since it came to be from an ancient dragon¡¯s heart, could this be a¡ºDragon¡¯s Heart¡»magic stone!?] The two women quickly went to Ares¡¯ side. There, they saw a large pale blue magic stone. [Amazing¡­ even I can see the overflowing magic power¡­] Liliana nodded to Sharon¡¯s words. [A magic stone from a Divine Beast¡­truly beyond expectations.] [Anyways, with this I can finally complete Liliana¡¯s Valkyrie Armor! Never thought that we¡¯ll really find a proper magic stone in this journey.] Contrary to Ares¡¯ excited voice, Liliana sounded more anxious instead. [But¡­ I heard that the magic stone coming from a Divine Beast chooses its wielder. Will it really choose me¡­?] [¡­Liliana, what are you worried for?] Sharon cut in. [We released the ancient dragon from its suffering, didn¡¯t we? Everything should be just fine, right?] Ares nodded to Sharon¡¯s words. Looking at the magic stone, it let out brilliant light, as if affirming that conjecture. And like that, Ares and co. were able to obtain the proper magic stone to serve as the core to Liliana¡¯s valkyrie armor. ===== ¡ô The trio explored the mine further, and found another ridiculous fact. Not only was there a huge vein of mithril here, but also the fact that a lot of high-purity magic stones were scattered inside the mine. In the first place, ancient dragons prefer to live in an area abundant with magic. Perhaps the mithril vein was why the one they encountered chose to stay even after becoming an undead. Regarding the high purity magic stones, a powerful beast would naturally attract other strong beasts. Thus this place became the gathering spot for strong magic beasts. [This discovery is too ridiculous¡­ I really don¡¯t know what to do with them before consulting this with everyone¡­] Ares sighed. [Ahh, this will surely make me busier than before¡­ I wonder when I will get to relax¡­] As Ares concluded, these discoveries would bring benefit to the Schwarzer Frontier Territory. However, it also happened to be the sign of the looming war. CH 156 Chapter 156 ¨C The True Dwarves and their Technology A letter directed to Ares arrived a few days after he returned from Nora¡¯s mine. Fortunate enough to read it on time, Ares immediately made preparation to leave Heinz once more. Sighing, Ares headed out to convince George¡­ ===== ¡ô The past few days, Ares had been discussing things with George in the internal affairs office. The content of their discussion was Nora¡¯s mine. It began when George was informed about the mithril deposit and enormous amount of high purity magic stone. The other domestic officials were having a headache thinking how to deal with it. [It¡¯s certainly a nice addition¡­ but it¡¯s also difficult to handle when it comes to things like this¡­] George nodded in agreement to Ramires¡¯ opinion. [With such a huge amount of mithril¡­ we¡¯ll certainly be able to make a huge fortune by selling it, and we won¡¯t have to worry about future funds. But at the same time, it¡¯ll also raise suspicions. There is no doubt that the mine will be confiscated by the Empire, and the control of the Frontier area will be shifted to someone else if this becomes known.] The Frontier area¡¯s development had been kept well hidden so far. It¡¯s still too early to make it public. That¡¯s the consensus of everyone present. [It¡¯s just too precious of a resource. We need to really consider how to make us of it so as not to waste it.] [Used well, it may lead us to develop even further.] They had been talking about it for several days now, but still couldn¡¯t come up with a good plan. And Ares had enough with this situation. (This won¡¯t do¡­ this kind of discussion cannot continue on without break¡­) It¡¯s been several days straight since he returned from Nora¡¯s mine. Ares was stressed out and he was nearly reaching his limit after having to discuss this topic non-stop since his return. ¡ô Ares was praised as a great ruler in the Frontier area. He was also loved by the people of the Schwarzer territory, and is a very good politician. However¡­ his real character isn¡¯t really fit for domestic affairs, save for a few. Right, he¡¯s not good at just sitting still. Certainly, he works better than most other Lords in the Empire. Surprisingly, there were many aristocrats who prefer to ditch the internal affairs of their territory to someone else. He cares for the people, and often came up with a solution that no one else could think of¡­. He¡¯s also fairly fast in dealing with documents.. A very good politician indeed¡­if he could focus. Ares was certainly not a God though. If he keeps doing the same work over and over, he would naturally still feel bored and tired. That¡¯s why he often suspended his work for a bit to take a walk around the city to lighten the mood¡­ However, George, the head of the internal affairs officers, wouldn¡¯t allow that. Every time Ares went out, George would capture him and force the lord back to his duty¡­ And this time as well, the long non-stop discussion had begun to tire Ares out. And almost just in time, a letter from the true dwarven chief arrived. ===== ¡ô [This letter from Galdor¡­ it really came just at the right moment¡­] Ares laughed as he said so to the people in front of him. The three people reacted differently. One looked worried, the other one grinned while the last simply looked unimpressed. Ares conversed with the other domestic officials after reading Galdor¡¯s letter. Because it¡¯s an important matter, he managed to convince George to let him leave Heinz temporarily. [Being called so suddenly, are you gathering us here to become your accomplices in slacking, Milord?] [Nah¡­ you guys also need some rest anyway, right?] That¡¯s how he ended up gathering the three men in front of him. Yes, these three men were no stranger in the Frontier area as they are the renowned 3 military generals: Sigurd, Darius, and Shu respectively. Behind them were ten more people. They were warriors whose air gave away that they¡¯re no mere ordinary fighters¡­ the White Legion. [This time, I¡¯m really not slacking. You guys should know me better than that.] Ares replied to Darius¡¯ jab. In Galdor¡¯s letter, it was written that the sample for the soldier¡¯s armor that Ares ordered has been completed so Ares decided to head out to check it. According to Shion, the soldier¡¯s equipment would greatly affect their survival in the battlefield. And Ares couldn¡¯t agree more to that. Therefore, Ares wanted his army to have the best equipment he could provide. Fortunately, Ares had a large amount of high quality iron supplied by Nora¡¯s mine. And there were a lot of excellent blacksmiths among the true dwarves under Galdor¡¯s leadership. With the help from the dwarves, Ares could obtain good quality equipment faster than commissioning regular blacksmiths. Ares planned to borrow the dwarves¡¯ power to mass produce excellent weapons and armors. At the same time, the true dwarves would take regular blacksmiths from the frontier area as their disciples in the effort to produce even more excellent blacksmiths. [Well, I can¡¯t really complain if it will make the army even stronger. All the equipment my Aryan warriors used always ended up as trash by the way.] [The Aryans are really forceful in using their weapons, aren¡¯t they¡­?] Ares nodded at Darius, then changed the topic. [There are other reasons. Like crafting weapons for the White Legion and¡­ personalized equipment for the three of you.] The purpose of visiting the dwarves this time was not only checking on the soldier¡¯s armor sample, but also to pick up the specially made armors for the Generals. That¡¯s why Ares had the three Generals to escort him. And thus Ares and co. headed to the mountain where the true dwarves resided. ===== ¡ô [My friend, I brought you the item you requested.] After formal greetings, a light iron armor was presented. Ares picked up and inspected the armor, then handed it over to Sigurd who was standing behind him. Shu and Darius glanced from the sides with interest. [Is it good enough? My friend, it¡¯s actually possible to make it even sturdier.] [No, this is already as good as it can be considering the budget and weight.] Ares replied with a smile. He ordered light armor for the infantry. Infantry made up the greater part of the army in Arcadia. The same also applies to the frontier area. Originally, infantrymen would use leather armor on top of chainmail. But Ares planned to replace that with iron armor. [I want something sturdier than leather, but it has to be as light.] Normally it¡¯s an impossible request. But the true dwarves actually delivered brilliantly. Strengthen the important areas while reducing the thickness on the less vital parts. They also made the chainmail stronger and easier to move in. The strength certainly surpassed the leather armor by a lot. With this, a better substitute had been created. [This is very good. As expected of the true dwarves.] Ares laughed in satisfaction. ===== ¡ô Ares then proceeded to ask about the other things he requested. What was presented next were weapons and armors made of mithril. [These are very good alright¡­ totally different than the one earlier.] [Something like this will not be weird if it¡¯s in the possession of a great general or famed adventurer.] Sigurd also praised after seeing the weapons and armors. After inspecting the equipment for a while, Ares called out to those standing behind his three generals. [Kane and all of you, can you guys come over?] [Yes!] Sigurd and the two Generals made way. At the same time, a blonde man, the one called Kane, stepped forward followed by the rest of the White Legion that were present. [Can you please try it out? My plan is to make this equipment exclusive for the White Legion after all.] [Acknowledged.] That said, Kane proceeded to wear the mithril armor and tried to swing the mithril sword several times. The other members also picked up their preferred weapons like spears or axes. [This is¡­ how should I say it, fits right into my hand. The armor is not heavy and feels good to wear.] The other members also voiced their agreement. Hearing their reactions, Ares smiled. [Alright, I¡¯m ordering this then. Galdor, I want you to make a lot of armor of this quality. Fortunately, we have plenty of material to work with. I¡¯ll be sending in the people who will wear the equipment.] Ares then discussed another topic with Galdor. Not only the equipment for infantrymen and the White Legion, but they also discussed equipment for cavalry and the Aryans¡­with Sigurd, Darius, and Shu joining the fray, the discussion became quite lively. ===== ¡ô Galdor suddenly turned to Sigurd, Darius and Shu as though he just recalled something. [Oh, I almost forgot¡­ this should be your number one goal in coming here.] The last thing Galdor presented were equipment of various shapes and sizes. However, the quality was an entirely different matter. Even the mithril equipment from earlier can¡¯t hold a candle. These were obviously at the same level as legendary grade armaments like a holy sword or a magic sword. Upon seeing these, the eyes of Sigurd, Darius and Shu visibly shone. Right, those were their preferred weapons lined up there. [I made these three myself. I couldn¡¯t afford to entrust them to other people. After all, the material is THAT material. Whoever is involved with these weapons will surely carve their name in the history.] That said, Galdor gave Sigurd and two others a look. [In any case, these weapons are yours. Well, I¡¯m confident that I still have it in me (to craft a splendid weapon). Please take a look at them.] Galdor said with a smile. Galdor was one of the leaders of the true dwarves that scattered around the world¡­ He was also said to be the best blacksmith among them. He had been named genius since young, and several of his works could be found around the continent~mostly as national treasures. Now, the dwarves seeking to become blacksmith would line up to become his disciple and he still remained a respected figure that all blacksmiths strive for. Galdor¡¯s technique had reached maturity with his age. It far outstripped his younger self now, making him the best dwarven blacksmith at present. However¡­ he rarely crafted weapons nowadays. If he did, it¡¯s just out of a whim or just there to keep his skill from diminishing. The reason why he rarely made a weapon¡­was because the person who could fit his weapons are also equally rare. ¡ºWeapons also require a proper wielder. Evil guys should just use blunt weapons.¡» That¡¯s how Galdor put it. But the men standing before him now¡­ he could sense that they are Heroes who will surely make a name for themselves in history. Therefore Galdor poured everything he got and took his time to complete these weapons. ===== ¡ô [First of all is this fellow, right?] Having said that, the first thing Galdor picked up was a single edged one handed sword. Its blade was brimming with a golden aura and a strong magic power resides within the magic stone embedded at the center of the sword. [This is¡­ the sword I asked for¡­] It was Sigurd who said so. [As requested, I made this sword from dragon scales.] What Sigurd requested for was indeed a sword. He wanted a sword as a pair to his ancient ¡ºDragon Spear Gaebolg¡». What he was very particular about was the material. [If possible, please craft the sword from these scales.] What he had at that moment was the scales of the Ancient Dragon Zephyr. Dragon scales are among the finest material and ancient dragon scales in particular could easily compare to orichalcon or adamantite. To be particular, it¡¯s because the scales taken from a living ancient dragon carry some amount of its magic power. Galdor was more than happy to work on this material even he could rarely see. It requires a great skill to craft dragon scales into a sword, and the dwarven king clearly was not lacking in that department. He even fashioned some orichalcon in to enhance the sharpness of the sword¡¯s edge. Sigurd smiled like a child finding a new toy when he received the sword, admiring the beautiful workmanship. [Next is this one.] Galdor presented a spear with a cross shaped head¡­a cross spear so to speak. [This is¡­ a spear of my homeland, no matter how one sees it.] [Yes, this gave me a little difficulty. After all, I haven¡¯t crafted a weapon of this eastern style since a very long time ago.] Galdor smiled in response to Shu¡¯s remark. Shu had requested for a cross spear, which he prefers to wield. [The one I used in the previous battle had been considerably damaged.] Shu said reluctantly. It was said that eastern style weapons were difficult to reproduce with the continent¡¯s current technology, especially the swords. Even the best blacksmith among the true dwarves had difficulty in crafting one. Fortunately, Shu¡¯s katana¡ºRaikiri¡»was intact. His cross spear, however, had gone through the last few years on the battlefield in the state of disrepair with nobody capable of properly maintaining it. It had served its last on the previous battle. Therefore, while keeping little hope, Shu spoke of his request to Galdor, to which the true dwarf replied: [It¡¯s alright. Leave it to me.] That¡¯s how it went. Galdor was willing to accept Shu¡¯s request. During his youth, Galdor had travelled to various places to hone his smithing skills. There was even a time when he was famous as an adventuring blacksmith. Of course, he had visited the eastern islands. The high level of smithing techniques fascinated him and he spent a considerable amount of time there to learn the techniques. [Back then, I learned the smithing technique from a man called¡ºNorimune¡». He was also the one who taught me to craft this kind of spear.] [Wha!? The ¡ºNorimune¡»!?] Shu was greatly surprised. The name¡ºNorimune¡»belonged to a certain legendary blacksmith master in Yashima. [But¡­ I heard that Norimune never took a disciple¡­] [I was never his disciple. We were partners. I taught him how to use magic stones to bequeath magic power unto a weapon. In return, he taught me the eastern style of blacksmithing.] Galdor laughed after saying so. [Well, please look forward to it. This spear will surely satisfy your need.] Galdor spoke with confidence as he handed the cross spear over to Shu. Confirming that the spear was really in his hands for real, Shu proceeded to enter a fighting stance to have a feel on the spear. Then he soon laughed in satisfaction. [Impressive. Much better than my previous one.] Orichalcon was used to craft Shu¡¯s new spear. The sharpness, magic power conductivity and durability were raised to a perfect level. A magic stone was embedded at the center, from which enormous magic power could be sensed. Admiring the handicraft, Shu couldn¡¯t help but smile like a kid, just like Sigurd. ===== ¡ô [Alright then¡­so far so good¡­] Galdor then turned to Darius, giving the latter a frown. [Oh? Is it time for my turn already?] [¡­.those two were quite unique works. But yours was¡­definitely something a human could wield. Anyways¡­ here you go.] After throwing a few barbs at Darius, Galdor motioned his two attendants to go to a separate room. When they came back out, they were carrying a heavy looking spear shaped weapon. [Just what kind of weapon is it that two dwarves are required to carry it¡­] [Hoho¡­not half bad. This is a lot better than my old black iron spear that you also crafted. Let me test it a bit.] Ignoring Galdor¡¯s words, Darius picked up the weapon. It was obviously a tremendously heavy weapon. But Darius could wield it one handed. [This weapon of yours is called¡ºHoutengeki¡»] [Hou? What makes it any different than a halberd?] [It¡¯s similar to halberd¡­in that, it¡¯s a weapon specialized in both piercing and slashing.] Hearing Galdor¡¯s words, all those present started to inspect the weapon. It¡¯s easy to see that the spear tip was made from a high quality material. But what really caught their eyes was the pair of crescent moon-shaped blades on both sides of the tip. [Everything, including the handle, is made from black iron. That¡¯s why it¡¯s very heavy. But I know you like this kind of hefty weapon.] Galdor had crafted several weapons for Darius before. Among them was the black iron spear that was cut down during his duel against Ares. [Also, I used adamantite to make the tip more durable¡­because you always wield your weapon roughly. This way it shouldn¡¯t break so easily. Normally, adamantite is too heavy to be made a weapon. That¡¯s why it¡¯s mostly used for armor¡­ But for you, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem.] Galdor paused and took a deep breath, then continued. [The crescent shaped blades are made of Orichalcon. With that, all the orichalcon ores entrusted to us by the Lord of Frontier has been completely used up.] He laughed while saying that. Whilst listening to Galdor, Darius swung the new weapon around to get a feel of it. [Guh! Stupid idiot! Who in their right mind would swing that around inside this small room!] Galdor shouted in a panicked voice. Darius, on the other hand, responded shortly. [I love this.] He said with a smile. [This is really good. I really like it. Makes me want to swing it around whenever I can.] Looking closely, Sigurd and Shu actually had the same opinion. [Ah©`, if you want to swing it around, do it outside¡­with moderation. I¡¯ll join you after I¡¯m done talking to Galdor¡­] Before Ares even finished speaking, the three had already jumped outside. In the childish outburst of these veteran warriors, many had to suffer through the consequences. ===== ¡ô The weapons wielded by the right arms of the Hero Sovereign, the [Heavenly Armaments], were later stored in the treasury as national treasures. These were weapons crafted by Galdor. Sigurd¡¯s¡ºDragon Sword Dragonia¡» Shu¡¯s cross spear, the¡ºShiranui¡» (TL Note: Shiranui-Yari) And Darius beloved polearm, the unnamed¡ºHoutengeki¡» All of them, like many other legendary weapons, would later be featured in various stories. CH 157 Chapter 157 ¨C Urgent Summon One day, about half a year after Ares returned from the northern land. The count of Redgear, William couldn¡¯t hide his confusion when an urgent summon for him to go to Heinz arrived. In the frontier area, once every three months, the lords of each territory, including Ares¡¯ direct retainers, and the heads of the big towns, would meet in Heinz to decide on policies. However, such an urgent call never happened before¡­ Not in the entire 2 years since Ares first gained control over the area. [What in the world is going on¡­] William pondered as he looked through the glass window of his carriage. Outside was the old¡ºGold Tiger General¡»Zion riding atop his horse. Other than himself¡­ Zion was also included in this urgent summon. A highway that crosses the Land of Demons¡­while travelling along the so-called¡ºRoad of Beginning¡», William couldn¡¯t help but to wonder about what kind of meeting awaits him. ===== ¡ô As soon as William arrived at Ares¡¯ mansion, he immediately headed to the¡ºRound Table Room¡». The important meetings of the Schwarzer Frontier territory were usually held in this room. At first, the round table confused William, but that¡¯s no longer the case now. Behind him, Zion looked on the table with interest. [Hoho. Is this¡­the round table you told me about?] [Yes¡­ it confused me at first.] Whilst saying so, William took a seat on one of the chairs. Looking around, everyone present also cannot hide their confusion. William observed them one by one¡­then stopped his gaze at a certain man. He hadn¡¯t seen this man again for these past few years or so. [That¡­ General Darius? You have come back¡­] Yes, Darius, who was supposedly still in the Aryan territory, was here. Darius sat quietly with his arms crossed, his eyes closed. In the meantime, the number of people kept increasing. The last who hadn¡¯t appeared yet were Ares and his wives and important staff like George and Shion. There was a strange tension in the round table room, causing everyone to remain silent. William and Zion looked at each other. They could only wait apprehensively for the person who summoned them to appear, which didn¡¯t take too long. [I¡¯ve made you wait, everyone.] The Lord of Frontier, Ares Schwarzer, finally appeared in the Round Table Room with his usual bright smile. ===== ¡ô Ares quickly sat down on one of the empty seats. George and Shion sat on either of his sides, with his wives sitting on the seats next to the two. Since the northern expedition, Ares¡¯ wives who actively participated in both the domestic and military affairs started to also attend the meetings. William¡¯s gaze was met with his sister Liliana¡¯s. After exchanging smiles as a silent greeting, the two focused their attention to their lord once more. [Pardon me for summoning you all so suddenly. But there is a big discovery happening recently; also a big movement is about to begin¡­ so I feel the need to gather everyone to discuss it.] Hearing that one part caused William to swallow his saliva. Ares mentioned ¡ºBig Movement¡»just now. Their lord is not someone who would deliberately exaggerate stories so something big is really going to happen. Which means this would involve the entire continent. He started to feel excited at the possibility. [First of all, from domestic affairs. George, please explain.] [Yes. Firstly¡­ in the mountain Nora is developing¡­ we found that it¡¯s filled with a large amount of high purity magic stones¡­ and also, a vein of mithril was discovered there.] [What?! High purity magic stones!?] [A mithril vein was discovered there!?] The unexpected report raised a commotion. It was only natural as both high purity magic stones and mithril are rarer than gold and silver. High purity magic stones carried a much higher magic power in both quality and quantity than those produced by the¡ºDragon Vein¡»in the Land of Demon. High purity magic stones are formed from the crystallizing heart of magic beasts with strong magic power. The highest quality known so far were the¡ºPhoenix¡¯s Heart¡»and ¡ºDragon¡¯s Heart¡» embedded on Sharon¡¯s and Liliana¡¯s valkyrie armors. Other than the ¡ºDragon¡¯s Heart¡», high purity magic stones only a few ranks lower in quality were found scattered inside the mine. The other discovery, the mithril vein, is also a huge thing. Most equipment with magical properties in this continent are crafted from mithril. Thus most well known warlords and adventurers prefer to use mithril products. It may not be as sturdy as the three supermetals like adamantite, orichalcon, and the eastern islands¡¯ hihiirokane, but mithril has greater magic conductivity and certainly sturdier than iron or steel. It is even more valuable than the¡ºBlack Iron¡»that is said to be the king of iron. It is certainly a coveted material, especially by those who dabble in magic. [This certainly cannot be announced to the public. The Empire will confiscate it immediately after the announcement. But that doesn¡¯t mean we must leave it alone.] George spread his gaze to everyone as he said this. It will be immediately confiscated if it becomes known. This much is obvious to everyone. It was too huge of a discovery¡­ If confiscation really occurs, many more people will come and go and the Frontier area will move into a worse direction. In addition to that, it would also make the development of the Frontier area, which had been kept a secret up until now, to become known, which will in turn cause the land to be confiscated as well. However¡­ that doesn¡¯t mean they should leave the discovery be. [Therefore¡­ we will not sell or give it to others and instead use it secretly to further develop our land. Something that all of us can benefit from, like armors and weapons. We will also use them to produce ¡ºCombat Golems¡»and ¡ºMagic Trains¡». [What is a¡ºCombat Golem¡»?] Because an unfamiliar word suddenly popped out, the Count of Trevoir Louis asked. It was Ares who answered that question. [The¡ºCombat Golem¡»¡­.it will be made entirely from mithril. And a high purity magic stone will act as its heart. Theoretically, it may become a golem with a will of its own.] Everyone was stunned hearing such an unimaginable usage. George then made a follow-up. [The general idea is to use the high purity magic stone as a power source for the¡ºMagic Train¡»in order to enable the train to travel faster. Well, theoretically speaking, the train may also develop its own will¡­ but that might be interesting too.] George said such a scary notion lightly. William and Gray could only shake their heads lightly at the thought of a train with a will of its own¡­ Meanwhile, Ares and the others didn¡¯t seem to mind. [But once such a golem can be fielded to battle, we might need to reorganize our army.] This time around, Elan spoke up. This time Shion was the one to answer it. [Indeed. Our second agenda for this meeting¡­ is the army reorganization.] ===== ¡ô Shion started his explanation. [The Dragon Knights are becoming more and more viable for combat recently. They can certainly be incorporated into the second army. The Aryans under Darius are strong enough to become the core of his army. And then¡­ there are also the warriors of the east that Shu is calling in¡­ I heard that they¡¯re all considerably strong fighters. They¡¯re scheduled to also join the army in one year¡¯s time.] Shu nodded in confirmation. What Shion was thinking about is the placement within the army. Dividing the powerful soldiers of the frontier area that had been trained in the last few years into 5 armies then mixing in the special units into them. The 1st army will be centered around the ¡ºLegions¡»that Ares led. The ¡ºDragon Knights¡»under Sigurd¡¯s command will act as the 2nd army¡¯s core. The 3rd army will have the ¡ºAryans¡»headed by Darius as its center. Shu will lead the 4th army with the¡ºMurakumo clan¡¯s samurai¡»acting as the core. [The 4th army will mostly be in defensive duty until the samurais arrive. Until then, Shu will be in charge of commanding and training the 4th army. He¡¯ll also serve as deputy commander for lord Ares in the meantime.] [Understood.] Shu nodded in affirmative to Shion¡¯s explanation. Shion then resumed. [The 5th army will have the skeleton soldiers to aid it, with Shadow-dono will be joining as deputy commander. A¡ºCombat Golem¡»will also be assigned to this army.] The 5th army, led by Shion, will have the skeleton soldiers and the new ¡ºcombat golem¡»as its core. They will be in charge of defensive battles After entering Heinz, Shadow had been busy at work collecting skeletons. The demand for skeleton workers was so high their presence had already become indispensable for domestic affairs. This time, it was decided to use that power freely for military purposes (as it originally should have been). [Reorganize our army and prepare for war. Our peaceful days¡­ are nearing its end.] Shion said that last part casually. But it was enough to turn the previously noisy room solemn. Shion turned to Ares. Their eyes met, and Ares responded with a nod. Receiving the confirmation, Shion started talking once more. [All of you may wonder, why are we arming ourselves again? And¡­. why everyone was summoned in a hurry this time¡­ and without a doubt this time, there will be a big war in two months.] ===== ¡ô [There are two pieces of important information. First of all, the west¡­ it has been reported that the battle against Thrace will begin in earnest shortly.] While saying so, Shion spreaded out a map on the round table. It was a large map depicting the western part of the Arcadia continent. Shion then pointed at two spots on the map with his iron fan. [The army will advance from these two directions. The first one will go through Archduke Saxon¡¯s territory to enter Thrace, while the other will go through the late Morolto¡¯s territory¡­ currently ruled by princess Sylvia, to attack from ¡ºTranberg Principality¡». There is no doubt that the Empire gathered the soldiers in these two areas. According to Rouen-dono¡¯s report, the Archduke¡¯s soldiers were instructed to gather there.] Listening to Shion¡¯s explanation, someone asked. [I get it if they¡¯ll be passing through Archduke Saxon¡¯s territory¡­ but why bother going through Tranberg Principality? A country known for the¡ºSteel Battalion¡»led by the¡ºBattle God¡»King Alvarez Tranberg?] It was Grants¡¯ consultant Gail who spoke this time. Everyone nodded in agreement to Gail¡¯s question. Alvarez Tranberg Currently in his late forties, Alvarez is in the peak of his life, still active and energetic as a national leader despite his age. He was a well-known military genius, single-handedly enabling even a small country like Tranberg principality to retain its independence despite being sandwiched by much larger countries such as Wolfgard. He hadn¡¯t suffered any defeat in his whole life and Tranberg¡¯s Steel Battalion bore the name of the strongest cavalry in the continent. It¡¯s said that if only he was born in a stronger country, he would¡¯ve conquered the continent. Tranberg was like untouchable land for other countries. None had invaded for the past several years. Hearing Gail¡¯s question, Shion nodded. [Yes, that should be common sense. However, it seems that the young lord of Rosenheim will be diving personally into this battle. Perhaps he¡¯s aiming to achieve¡ºgreat merit none other could surpass¡». Just like what our lord did in the past.] While saying that, Shion threw a glance at Ares, which Ares replied with a shrug. [Scion now arguably leads the largest faction in the Capital. Marriage with one of the Princesses will at least secure the position of the Prime Minister in the future. But¡­. that alone will not be enough. He lacks influence within the military body.] Shion looked at everyone present then took a short breather. [Going through Tranberg¡­ is a feat that no one had managed to accomplish. At first, he¡¯ll probably try to negotiate his way, but I don¡¯t think the King of Tranberg would agree so easily. They will have to settle the matter in battle. Therefore he¡¯ll try to win by using overwhelming numbers.] According to the information, certainly, a large number of soldiers was being gathered under Princess Sylvia¡¯s banner. Everyone nodded in agreement. [Or perhaps he has another plan. Apparently he has a mysterious staff member working for him. Either way, king Tranberg will not go down without a fight. If it¡¯s possible to defeat him with sheer numbers, he would¡¯ve been defeated a long time ago¡­ but the question is, are the soldiers from the Schwarzer territory gathering there as well? The Schwarzer territory does not have any justification to refuse fielding their troops unlike here in the Frontier area.] Following Shion, Ares also spoke up. [Well, we can certainly rest assured about that. The necessary precautions have been taken. I¡¯m not going to let father¡¯s precious soldiers die in vain.] Ares chuckled. [I also hear that Rouen-dono will be leading. That must be why Milord looks assured.] Shion also chuckled in return. [This war, the empire will most likely lose. Horribly¡­ not only in Tranberg, but also those marching from Archduke Saxon¡¯s territory. The Thrace military is not to be trifled with as well. Besides, I¡¯m sure Archduke Saxon will get in their way. The reason why Scion wanted to pass through Saxon¡¯s territory is to test the latter. But I¡¯m afraid that will only backfire¡­ And if the empire suffers a defeat here¡­ there will surely be a great commotion.] [Well¡­ Hold on a second!] This time, William raised his voice. [If it¡¯s fairly obvious, then¡­ how come His Majesty¡ºThunder Emperor¡»allowed all of this to happen??] Many nodded in agreement to William. [His Majesty Sephiros is well known as the¡ºThunder Emperor¡». Surely such a person could see this coming¡­] After hearing these questions, Ares gave Cornelia a glance¡­ and answered. [Perhaps, His Majesty¡­ didn¡¯t do anything¡­ no, He can¡¯t really do anything about it¡­] Ares¡¯ words caused everyone to take a deep breath. The room fell into silence. There were rumours floating around about how the emperor had fallen sick. But how can Ares be sure about that¡­ nobody knows. But everyone¡¯s glancing at Cornelia, only to be replied with silence. Shion then asked Ares. [Milord¡­ I dare not to doubt your words¡­¡­ but can you tell us why His Majesty can¡¯t against it?] Ares shook his head in a bitter face. [¡­I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t say yet¡­] The calm was returned to the round table. [A year from now¡­ in a year, the time will come to talk about it. Until then¡­ please wait.] Everyone sighed then fell into silence. It was George who broke this silence. [¡­then we will ¡ºcertainly¡»talk about it in a year to come. We have a more important matter to discuss now¡­ let¡¯s move on to the next topic on the agenda.] George looked at Shion again. [This time, it¡¯s regarding the movement in the east and how will we move in response to that. Let me explain the most important topic at the moment.] CH 158 Translator: Raizu Chapter 158 ¨C Into the Eastern Campaign [A report came from the Dragon¡¯s Eye hiding in the east.] Ares began the topic following George¡¯s words. Everyone¡¯s eyes gathered on him. [The Dormadia Kingdom has invaded the Horus Kingdom, a neighbouring country of the Istrea Kingdom. Horus couldn¡¯t defend against the sudden invasion. It is said that the invasion has reached the center of the country as we speak.] Listening to Ares¡¯ words, everyone present turned solemn. [That¡¯s not all. The cavalry of Byzerd was seen along the border of Toronto Kingdom, another neighboring country to the Istrea Kingdom. Toronto is currently in the middle of consolidating their defense to meet the Byzerdians in battle.] Ares then turned his gaze towards Shion. He left the rest to those more adept on this topic. As usual, Shion sighed. Instead of his usual unwilling lazy face, he had this serious look as he spreaded out another map on the table. It shows how urgent the situation was. [This is the map of the eastern part of the continent. We can say that this is the latest map as it only been drawn recently by the folks from Dragon¡¯s Eye.] Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on the map. Surely, it¡¯s a wonderfully detailed map. But what amazed everyone was the territorial lines of each country. Byzerd actually owned two-fifth of the east, and Dormadia also had two-fifth of the entire region. The remaining one-fifth belonged to the combination of Horus, Toronto, and Istrea. That also included their vassal states; Renato and Lyon Principality. [When did Dormadia and Byzerd grow that big¡­?] Gail raised his voice in amazement. [It seems that these two countries, Byzerd and Dormadia, are in a race of swallowing smaller countries while at the same time avoiding conflict with each other. Most likely, both sides decided that they will deal with each other once there is nothing else left to conquer.] [And¡­ this time they are aiming for¡­] To that person¡¯s muttering, Shion turned his gaze back to the map. [They want to conquer Istrea no matter what. Anyone who conquers Istrea will obtain fertile land, abundant funds, and lots of supplies. It should give them the edge to break the current stalemate.] Shion then gave everyone a look. [Once any of them conquer Istrea, they will finally clash to decide who is the true lord of the east¡­ I think that is their ongoing strategy.] After listening to Shion, Eckhart unconsciously muttered his thoughts out loud. [How about leaving them as they are and attack the two countries as they engaged in battle when they won¡¯t be able to defend properly against an outsider?] Shion smiled hearing that opinion. [Certainly, there is that method. However, that one is out of the question.] He then looked at everyone present. [First of all¡­ in the unlikely event that one of them falls and the other rises to become the lord of the east¡­ means that another great power will rise alongside the already established 4 Great Powers. We want to avoid that as much as possible.] Eckhart nodded. [Secondly¡­ the timing coincides with the Empire¡¯s upcoming campaign. Everyone¡¯s eyes will focus on the battle in the west.] If the Frontier is to intervene with the conflict in the east at a different time¡­ no matter how tight the iron curtain is spread to regulate the information from moving past Redgear, there¡¯s still a possibility that a leak will occur due to the extent of the conflict. If that happens, the cover might break and a lot of people will be able to tell what actually transpired inside the frontier area. The inside of the frontier area¡­ the fact that demihumans and demonkins could live alongside humans alone could turn the entire continent, including the church, against them. A situation that must be avoided considering that they¡¯re about to engage in a huge battle. However, now that most of the attention is focused on the west, each major power would likely ignore the movement in the east. Thus. it¡¯s the best timing to initiate a military intervention. [Until we have enough strength to stand against the Great Powers on our own¡­ I want our situation here to stay secret.] Many showed their agreement to Ares. [And third¡­ we do have a clear reason to intervene with the conflict in the east. Right now, both Dormadia and Byzerd violently devour the eastern region. If we go in with the intention to liberate the people, our cause will be justified.] Ares wanted to gain power before the Empire falls into disarray. But if Ares were to take over the eastern region, he would do so while maintaining the power of any outstanding local aristocrats. Invasion can cause unrest among the people which in turn will cause the new governing body to take a very long time to stabilize. But what if it¡¯s liberation instead? The people would most likely be happy to obey. Even if¡­ they have to go against the teachings of the church. [And the last reason¡­ is our secret pact with Istrea.] [Secret pact?] [Yes. To tell the truth, an Istrean ambassador came to us to forge a secret alliance between the frontier area and Istrea Kingdom quite a long time ago.] This was new to almost everyone. But they remained silent as they waited for Shion to explain. [The content of the pact was¡­ when Istrea is under attack, the frontier area will send help to repel the invader. And¡­.. in return¡­ Istrea will obey the Frontier area from then onward. Mind you, they specifically pointed out that they¡¯re making this pact with the ¡ºFrontier Area¡»instead of the Arcadia Empire.] Shion¡¯s explanation was too astonishing for many. It¡¯s like Istrea was showing their willingness to be ruled by Ares. [The Istrea Ambassador probably took into account our post-war policy and the eventuality of us trying to ¡ºunify the east¡». He most likely wanted the people of Istrea and the royal family to be protected while retaining the influence of the latter. Therefore, he went to request this directly to our Lord, instead of going to the Arcadia Empire.] Shion perhaps said all this with a rather casual tone. However, the air in the Round Table room instantly changed when the phrase ¡ºunify the east¡»came out from Shion¡¯s mouth. Right¡­ the frontier grew and developed itself apart from the Arcadia Empire and did not bother themselves with the succession war. That¡¯s because they actually aimed to conquer the east. There were many warriors in the Round Table room and most originated from Grants. All of them showed a uniformly excited look. [We will secretly move to join Istrea and move while disguising ourselves as the Istrea army. On the surface, it will seem like it¡¯s Istrea who unified the east when in truth, we are actually in control. And then¡­ once the time comes, and the empire falls into disorder, that will be when we reveal our true flag.] Many nodded in response to Shion¡¯s exposition. [Let me say this once more¡­ I feel sorry for the people in the eastern region, but this is an opportunity that only comes once in a thousand. Not receiving too much attention, having a proper cause and easily stabilizing the government after the war¡­ we can¡¯t afford to miss this chance.] After confirming everyone¡¯s approval, Shion began to touch upon the detailed instruction. [Count of Redgear, Count of Trevoir, Brittany Representative Gray.] [ [ [ Yes! ] ] ] [You are to return to your land to secure the defenses. While we are focusing on the east, there will be nothing we can do about the west. We are still not strong enough to spread our influence around us.] Shion smiled. [Also, send in your troops to us. The amount will be in the instructions later.] The three nodded. [Sigurd, Darius.] [ [ Yes! ] ] [Reorganize the Second and Third Armies and lead them toward Fort Harline in the eastern border. Always be prepared for immediate departure.] Sigurd¡¯s and Darius¡¯ eyes shone when they heard the instructions. [Shu, you will lead the Fourth Army that will march alongside our Lord¡¯s first army a little later on. There are no ¡ºsamurai¡»yet, but you should teach them on how the Yashima¡¯s warriors fight so that there will be no problem adapting when your compatriots join in the future.] [Affirmative!] Shu deeply bowed. [Arnold and Dirk will also set out as deputy commanders for Sigurd and Darius respectively. And this time, not only Lauren but also you, Eckhart,, will also head out. So get ready.] Eckhart¡¯s eyes shone after hearing that¡­ but then he recalled something. [Then who will maintain the territory security while I¡¯m away?] [Territory security will be temporarily maintained by Elan and Shadow. In addition to that, I will have to ask Sharon-sama and Liliana-sana to stay in the territory during this campaign as a precaution.] That kind of arrangement of course incited protest from the two women. [Wha- I can¡¯t accompany Ares again this time!?] [Are you saying dear husband will leave us at home again!?] Ares who received Shion¡¯s frosty gaze immediately went to calm the two. [Now now¡­ I understand that you two are eager to test out your newly gained powers¡­ but if all of us go, there will be no one left capable of responding should monsters or bandits suddenly spring out somewhere in the territory¡­ so please?] [As Milord said, this is a very important role. What¡¯s scary here is the power of ¡ºDarkness¡». We don¡¯t know what they will do in the background. And among us all, you two who wield ¡ºHoly Sword¡»and¡ºHoly Spear¡»are the most well equipped to defend against their ploy.] The two reluctantly nodded. [Lastly¡­ once our Lord arrives at Fort Harline, we will immediately march to Istrea. Our deadline is one month. Let¡¯s get everything ready before that.] Everyone nodded in affirmation. But there¡¯s still someone asking a question. [But¡­ this amount of military movement. No matter how strict the Dragon¡¯s Eye works, and even if most of the continent¡¯s attention are currently focused to the west¡­ wouldn¡¯t some rumours still leak out one way or another?] Shion acknowledged this problem. [The story will leak alright.] [What!?] [However, by the time the story spread, we would¡¯ve already conquered the east. And by then¡­ the Empire would¡¯ve been in shambles and we would¡¯ve already gained enough power to stand on our own. No one will be able to complain.] Everyone was rendered silent. Until Ares finally spoke up. [That¡¯s all. This battle, like the Northern expedition, will be a very important one for our Frontier area. Everyone should do their best to prepare.] Everyone nodded as the tense atmosphere spread once more. The fateful battle for the Frontier area is about to begin. CH 159 Translator: Raizu Chapter 159 ¨C Tranberg¡¯s Steel Battalion part 1 [Reporting! The left wing has been routed!!] [Reporting!! The troops of count Montroll are retreating to the backline!!] [Reporting. The Tranberg forces are nowhere to be found, they seemed to have retreated somewhere.] Arcadia Army base. Marquis of Bavaria Gerios who was in charge of leading the army that was supposed to march through Tranberg angrily kicked a nearby chair as he listened to the incoming reports. [Dammit!! One bad news after another¡­ these guys keep dragging me down!!] Gerios Bavaria was hailed as one of the prodigious warriors of the Empire while also already being the head of Bavaria clan at a young age. He¡¯s only in his mid-twenties with reddish brown hair and the same color sideburns. His body was tall and bulged with muscles. As a Marquis, he could be considered as a high ranking aristocrat of the Arcadia Empire. Even within the military body, he held a pretty high position, being the commander of the Imperial Army¡¯s 2nd Corps. He¡¯s regarded as one of the Empire¡¯s next generation brave Generals along with Prince Carlos, Saxon Young Lord Rudolf, and Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s Ares. He was a matchless halberdier, and he was famous for his style of marching ahead on his own despite being a commander of the army to rouse his soldiers¡¯ morale. However, he had a fatal flaw. Which was¡­ He¡¯s extremely vain in glory and ambition. His ambition knew no end, that once he wanted something, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to cut down his own relatives. Therefore, it was said that many admired him for his heroic deeds, but at the same time no one dared to trust him. His participation in this battle under Scion¡¯s command was just to earn achievements so that he could aim for even greater heights. Normally, a guy like him would¡¯ve never stayed under someone else¡¯s command, let alone someone like Scion, thanks to his overly bloated pride. However, things changed due to some unexpected development; the bestowal of the¡ºGeneral of Conquest¡»title to Ares Schwarzer. When he first heard this news, Gerios could only grind his teeth in regret. To him, Ares, whose rise in rank and fame actually surpassed him, was really an eyesore. Therefore, he needed to catch up in this battle. ¡ºIf that guy can become General of Conquest, then a military prodigy like me should be able to become¡¶Grand General¡·¡» Conquering Tranberg, which had remained unconquered for the past few decades, should become an even greater achievement than what Ares did a few years back. Therefore, he joined Scion under the condition that he would be the commanding general for the army heading to Tranberg. For Scion, Gerios joining him was like a godsend. His faction¡¯s shortcomings was that it had no connection to the military body and the lack of brave generals. Therefore, selecting the general that will lead the army to Tranberg was a major headache for Scion. That is, until the renowned Marquis of Bavaria joined. Scion was more than happy to appoint Gerios for that task of taking Tranberg. ===== However, something outside of Gerios¡¯ expectation occurred on Tranberg. He headed to Tranberg with high hope and optimism. But then he noticed how weak the soldiers that the aristocrats had fielded for this battle. They couldn¡¯t go as fast as he wanted. Instead, he received complaints from the aristocrats under his command. [Damn! This is why¡­ those civilian aristocrats are useless.] Other than Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s troops, there were very few troops that could keep up with Gerios¡¯ command. Meanwhile, Tranberg retaliated fiercely. Tranberg¡¯s proud¡ºSteel Battalion¡»made full use of their mobility, slowly reducing the number of the bigger army led by Gerios with each clash. The Arcadia army was larger in size, but they couldn¡¯t do anything. And Tranberg would attack at the weak point in their ranks every single time. Before Gerios could do anything to remedy this, Arcadia army had already lost a third of its numbers. ===== Gerios had a stern look that day. In front of him was a large map, around which aristocrats and generals sat. There were a sizable number of them when the battle began, but now that number had been reduced by half. Most of them were not here either because they¡¯ve been defeated in battle, or had fled the battle. [Alright, let¡¯s hear your opinion on what we should do next.] Gerios grumpily announced as he gave those present a look. No one spoke up. They¡¯re afraid of Gerios. Meanwhile some turned their head to a certain general sitting a bit away from Gerios. They¡¯re the two Schwarzer¡¯s old generals Rouen and Alberto. They¡¯re well known as the¡ºSchwarzer¡¯s Twin Towers¡». In addition to that, they¡¯re also direct retainers to a high ranking Archduke. However, the two elders stayed quiet, preferring to meditate instead. At that moment, someone suddenly spoke up from beside Gerios. [Your Excellency, I propose to retreat.] It was a long time retainer of the Bavaria clan, Garm Rockarm who spoke up just now. Like his master, he¡¯s a man with a muscular body. Despite already over 60 years old, there¡¯s no visible decline in his physique. Like Gerios himself, Garm was an important component for every army his master led. If Gerios is the executor, then Garm is the planner¡­ the man was like the brain of Bavaria¡¯s army. [Ha? What did you say just now?] [We should retreat, Your Excellency.] Garm¡¯s voice was followed by total silence. Rouen and Alberto finally opened their eyes and turned their attention to the exchanges. [What are you talking about!! I haven¡¯t lost yet!!] [No, if our army continues to perform poorly, we will eventually be wiped out.] Garm replied calmly. [Tranberg Steel Battalion¡­ the one leading them is a scary person. They¡¯ve been using their mobility to strike at our weakest link with pinpoint accuracy before retreating just as fast to reduce our number, eliminating our advantage in size. If we try to chase, they¡¯ll certainly break through the center, where we are now, to take Your Excellency¡¯s head. Given their strategy so far, I believe it¡¯s a totally valid scenario.] Silence fell once again after Garm finished. [I¡¯m confident that I will not be defeated even if they manage to break through the center.] [Your Excellency is well known in Arcadia for your valor that only one or two could match. However, if we cannot suppress them as they charge through our center, the army will collapse. At present, we are in an area where they can break into the center from any direction. It¡¯s too disadvantageous for us. It¡¯s their strategy to lure us into this area in the first place.] [Uh! But!! Then we will¡ª] [Your Excellency will not be punished. Originally, this campaign to attack Thracia was meant to be a show of power. If anyone should be punished, then it¡¯s Scion-dono.] Gerios and Garm stared at each other with neither willing to give up. At that time [We also agree with Garm-dono regarding this matter.] A voice could be heard from the furthest chair. Looking at the source, there was Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s Rouen raising his hand. [If we keep going like this, we will only be dancing in the enemy¡¯s palm. We have achieved our goal. No one should blame you for retreating now.] Rouen grinned, his gaze was directed at Gram. Their eyes met, and Garm shook his head after sighing. After that, many voiced their support to retreat. And thus, it was decided by majority that the army would retreat. ===== After the council was over, Rouen and Alberto returned to their own troops to begin the preparation to retreat. [That man Garm was really unfortunate.] Rouen laughed as he said so. [His lord is so boneheaded that you had to send a rescue boat just to settle the council.] After the military council decided that the army would retreat, they discussed some more for the arrangement. After retreating back to Arcadia, everyone will immediately return to their territory. Each aristocrat voiced their support for that, so Gerios had no choice but to acknowledge it. That¡¯s how the council reached an agreement. The idea of returning to each territory directly without stopping by at the capital first¡­ was ostensibly because the aristocrats wanted their troops to have a rest. But the real thought inside these aristocrats¡¯ minds was that they fear that Gerios will make unreasonable actions, such as disposing them off one by one. The retreat was immediately decided. But later on there were some confusions over who will act as their rearguard. There is no doubt that the Tranberg army will give chase. Therefore, it was obvious for everyone that anyone chosen to become rearguard will be like they are committing suicide, as they¡¯ll only have their own troops. Garm was the only one who voiced his opinion. [Currently, most of our army is in tatters due to Tranberg forces¡¯ attack. We have a lot of injured soldiers with us. Certainly, it¡¯s a hard decision to sacrifice our healthy soldiers to act as rearguard. Meanwhile, sending the injured will not do much to hold against the chasing enemies. We will not be able to retreat safely if we do that.] That said, Garm turned his gaze toward Rouen and Alberto. [Thinking back, His Excellency Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s army received the least damage during this entire battle. Not to mention that the soldiers are exceptionally stronger than the majority of us. In addition to that, Rouen-dono and Alberto-dono are acting as the commanders. For such an important matter, I would certainly feel assured if it¡¯s handled by Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s army.] If Archduke Edgar was here to lead the troops himself, then nobody would dare to voice out such a request, even if they are the acting commander. However this time, it was only his retainers, Rouen and Alberto, who came to represent the Archduke. Since the reason is justified, then it¡¯ll be hard to refuse this request. Rouen was reluctant at first, but eventually agreed. And thus, the two old Generals would stay to act as rearguard for the rest of the Arcadia army. [Even so¡­ this is still within calculation] It was Alberto who muttered that. [And what¡¯s with that acting? Pretending to be reluctant at first.] [Hahaha, perhaps I can be an actor after I retire in the future?] [¡­..as if there is a theatre company that will be willing to hire a super strong old man like you.] They laughed at each other after that exchange. [¡­.well, jokes aside, let¡¯s wrap things out here already, shall we? By the way, will the Steel Battalion perform as planned?] Rouen simply nodded in response to Alberto¡¯s question. [Well, we only need to believe in our young master¡¯s words. That young man always plans two or three moves ahead.] As he said so, in Rouen¡¯s right hand¡­ was a letter within an envelope. CH 160 Translator: Raizu Chapter 160 ¨C Tranberg¡¯s Steel Battalion part 2 Tranberg, a small country sandwiched between many great powers. Surrounded by mountains, it had a basin-like terrain. Even so, despite being small, it¡¯s also a country rich in resources. The specialty product of this country was¡ºgold¡». Yes, the mountains surrounding this country were full of gold veins. In addition to that, the basin-like land proved to be a fertile ground, so farming and agriculture were flourishing. Naturally, both Arcadia and Thrace had attempted to take over such a rich land. However, the terrain made it hard to be attacked, which was why the country prevailed despite facing much larger invaders. Tranberg entered a remarkable prosperity during the last 10 years. Fully taking the advantage of their gold mines, the country adopted various cultures from the four great powers, gradually growing into a formidable strength that the powers themselves couldn¡¯t ignore. And the person behind that major development, was the current king of Tranberg himself. Alvarez Tranberg. He¡¯s already in his forties now. Pretty much in the peak of his life. A sharp pair of eyes like those of the bird of prey. Long black hair tied at the back. Neat, well kept beard and moustache. At first glance, anyone would see him as an intelligent type of person. Especially due to the neatness of his appearance. However, hidden inside his lean and tall body was an indomitable spirit that could make most seasoned warriors prostrate before him¡­ For those who could feel it, it¡¯ll be obvious to them just what kind of person Alvarez is. Alvarez was indeed the son of the previous Tranberg king. But he had a unique history of leaving the country when he was young, travelling around the continent as both an adventurer and mercenary. As an adventurer, he was an S rank whose legend was fairly famous among the younger adventurers nowadays. As a mercenary, he managed to put together a large amount of mercenaries into a singular group. Due to his achievement and credibility during his time as mercenary, he was lauded by others as the¡ºMercenary King¡». And finally, he returned back to his family. At that time, Tranberg was embroiled in internal strife due to the succession war. The princes formed their own factions, each one dogged in their pursuit for the throne. Taking advantage of this, the Great Powers took this chance to intervene, seeking to control the bountiful land of Tranberg. The fate of Tranberg was like a leaf in the middle of a storm. Retainers loyal to the country were disgusted by this conflict. They were worried about the future of the country, so they took a decision. It was to renew the Royal Clan. They sought out Alvarez, who was still a mercenary back then. Tranberg was geographically surrounded on all sides by Great Powers. So what they needed the most from their leader was¡ºability¡». Alvarez who had already made a name for himself as both adventurer and mercenary simply fit the bill. The loyal retainers secretly worked together under the nose of the feuding princes, then launched an uprising all at once. The coup was a success. And with that, they welcomed Alvarez as their new king. Alvarez was in the same mind with these loyal retainers. He took the post of the king, even if he never really wanted it. And thus began the reign of King Alvarez. The first thing he did as the king was to address his retainers. Particularly those who were the masterminds behind the coup. Even if it¡¯s for the sake of the country, rebelling against your master cannot be justified. They willingly offered themselves to be executed, but Alvarez had something else in mind. [People like all of you are those suitable to run this country.] Later on, these people became the brain behind Alvarez¡¯ rule. Becoming his right hands. Alvarez then embarked on a reform with the aid of these retainers. It only took three years since he took the throne. Tranberg saw an astounding growth. Encouraging new gold mines to be dug, absorbing the beneficial cultures of the Great Powers, developing the cities, fostering new local specialties¡­ one¡¯s fingers won¡¯t be enough to count it all. All that was achieved through Alvarez working together with his retainers. Seeing Tranberg grew on such a large scale certainly didn¡¯t sit well with the Great Powers. Led by Arcadia, many other countries had sent their forces to take over the bountiful land. Arcadia empire brought forth 300.000 men into this battle. The Great Powers¡­ Arcadia, Wolfgard, and Thrace actually allied themselves together for this invasion. On the other hand, Alvarez was prepared for this. He rallied his army to repel the invaders. Yes, the people all over the continent were aware of this battle. It was¡­.. Tranberg Principality¡¯s show of power. One most unusual thing about Alvarez¡¯ rise as a King was that; the reorganization of the army. His prior achievement as the¡ºMercenary King¡»attracted many strong figures into his leadership. Alvarez efficiently reorganized his predecessor¡¯s army and the mercenaries who admired his virtue, thoroughly trained them to his tactics. And thus, the undefeated army of Tranberg was born. Along with it, the one unit that embodied Tranberg¡¯s superiority, ¡ºSteel Battalion.¡» was formed. Their members consisted of only chosen warriors, and they rode only the toughest horses available, as both the riders and the mounts wore special iron armor. This turns them into an army that fears no sword or spear, and capable of running through the battlefield systematically and endlessly. The¡ºSteel Battalion¡»soon became known as Tranberg¡¯s symbol of power, and Alvarez became known as as the¡ºSteel Prince¡». And then¡­ As he racked up victories after victory, people started to call him the¡ºBattle God¡»instead. ===== [Reporting!! Arcadia forces continue to retreat! One army stayed as a rearguard!] Hearing the messenger, the generals of Tranberg army stood up and raised their voice. [Arcadia is actually running away scared!!] [So much for being the best military force in the continent!] Many of the generals laughed after hearing that report. [Your Excellency!! It¡¯s time for us to pursue. Show those Arcadians our might!!] The generals then turned toward their master. The king of Tranberg Alvarez turned his keen eyes to the map, then asked the messenger. [What kind of crest is on the rearguard¡¯s flag?] [Yessir!! It was a dragon and a sword coat of arms] Hearing that, Tranberg generals once again fell into chaos once again. [An Arcadia aristocrat, bearing the dragon and sword coat of arms¡­?] [That¡­ could it be?] Alvarez was the one to answer that question to settle down the fuss. [The dragon as coat of arms means that it¡¯s a clan related to the imperial clan. And the sword means it belongs to¡­ ¡ºArchduke Schwarzer¡»] Everybody certainly took note of the last part of what Alvarez said. [What!? That Archduke Schwarzer!?] [This is an opportunity! Archduke Schwarzer is one of Arcadian prestigious military clans!] [Your Excellency!! If we defeat them now, our mettle will¡­] [Be quiet!!] Wallace Landberg, one of Alvarez¡¯ long time retainers shouted at the noisy generals. The military council quickly regained their calm as if they¡¯d been doused by cold water. With his generals calmed down, Alvarez spoke up once more. [Since the Arcadia forces chose to retreat, there is no need to pursue them. Engage only the enemy who actively comes for us so that we can pull them in. Everyone, return to battle stations.] For these generals, every word coming out from the¡ºBattle God¡»Alvarez¡¯ mouth was absolute. As soon after they replied, everyone returned to their post uniformly. ===== Other than Alvarez himself, only two other generals remained on the tent. One was Wallace Randberg who raised his voice earlier. The other one was Ward Dexter, a well known warlord in Tranberg. Wallace was a veteran general who had served Tranberg for a fairly long time. Over 60 years old already, he supports Alvarez as an elder. Reputed as a wise man, it¡¯s a well known fact that he was one of the retainers who supported Alvarez¡¯ ascend as the new king. Ward on the other hand was a former mercenary. He was about the same age as Alvarez. He¡¯s the most well known general of Tranberg principality, reputed to have both wisdom and valor. Once only the three were left, Ward opened the conversation. [Your Excellency, I understand how our general must¡¯ve felt. Our morale is soaring high at the moment. If we defeat Archduke Schwarzer¡¯s forces now and hit Arcadia from the back, we will certainly earn a major victory.] But Alvarez calmly responded to Ward. [We would¡¯ve done that if the rearguard is not the Schwarzers¡­. However, if it¡¯s them alone, then it¡¯s alright to leave them be.] [¡­..why should Your Excellency be wary of this¡ºArchduke Schwarzer¡»?] Wallace was the one to answer this time. [In Arcadia, the Schwarzers in the north and the Lombardia in the south must not be trifled with. According to intels, these two trained their soldiers independently. Moreover, the Archduke¡¯s army this time is led by his two great generals, Rouen and Alberto. Even if we can defeat them, the price will be steep. It¡¯s not worth it.] Ward was dumbstruck by Wallace¡¯s explanation. There was a silence that lingered for a while. Alvarez was the one who broke it. [I am indebted to a certain Schwarzer.] [Wha? Your Excellency¡­?] Ward let out a surprise voice. It was also the first for Wallace to hear this. [This is the first for me either¡­ what of it?] [It was from 10 years ago¡­ quite nostalgic to recall it now.] Alvarez¡¯ eyes peered into the distant memories. Wallace looked at his master, then realized something. There was a paper, a letter, in his master¡¯s hand. Alvarez soon changed the topic, ignoring the two¡¯s curiosity. [Well, perhaps in the future¡­ In any case, it will be good to have a light skirmish with them before retreating back. Ward¡­ can I trust you with this?] [Yes!! Leave it to me.] [No need to take it so seriously out there¡­.yes¡­ just challenge them to a one on one duel once, then pull back¡­ that way we can end the war without inflicting damage to each other.] [Understood¡­ but Your Excellency said something weird there. It¡¯s fine if I just challenge them to a duel once and retreat¡­ But will the other side do the same?] [They will, trust me. Alright then¡­ go prepare so we can be done with this war already.] That said, Alvarez stood up and left the tent. Once he was alone, he muttered. [Did you orchestrate this situation, Ares? Very well, I¡¯ll play along this time.] CH 161 Translator: Raizu Chapter 161 ¨C Tranberg Steel Battalion part 3 The Tranberg army was currently preparing to withdraw. The General of Tranberg, Ward, was at loss for words due to the battle he was experiencing just now. King Alvarez ordered him to not rout the Arcadia army¡¯s rearguard¡­. Instead he ordered Ward to just challenge them to a duel then retreat immediately. Despite feeling weird, the generals still obediently executed the order. None of them would oppose the king. Because for the generals and the soldiers, Alvarez¡¯ command is absolute. The foremost general of Tranberg was Ward, deemed to be the bravest among all others. Alvarez gave out a mysterious order for this trusted retainer of his. Which was, Challenge them to a one on one duel, and retreat immediately after exchanging a few clashes. And that¡¯s it. [Their number might be smaller, but still take them seriously. You might even get defeated if you don¡¯t retreat immediately. Even though they are old, those are still the steadfast gatekeepers of Archduke Schwarzer. Never let your guard down.] Following Alvarez¡¯ mysterious order, Ward led his forces to face the Arcadia army¡¯s rearguard¡­ and shouted up a challenge to duel the army general. [Under the command of King of Tranberg, I, Ward Dexter has come! Is there any man in Arcadia brave enough to duel me!!] Nobody would come out to accept this challenge¡­ he thought to himself. But as Alvarez predicted, a lone old general actually came upfront. [Here I am, a long time retainer of the Archduke Schwarzer, Alberto Werheld. Let¡¯s go!] Ward was surprised. The enemy reacted just as Alvarez said. And even though the one who came out was an old general, he¡¯s Alberto Werheld, well known in the entire continent as one of the best generals of Archduke Schwarzer. [There is no shortage of opponents after all. En guard!!] The man in front of him¡­ When he faced the general who he had been hearing about since young, Ward couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. He only realized by now that his hand is trembling. Before serving Alvarez, Ward himself was an A rank adventurer. He¡¯s confident that his ability would be sufficient to match this old general. Letting a low pitched scream, Ward¡¯s magic power enveloped his body, giving off pale glow as a result. [Hoho, so you can strengthen yourself with magic power. Being careful, aren¡¯t you?] After saying so, Alberto also did the same whilst drawing out his twin swords. Ward urged his horse forward, galloping with a terrifying speed as he brandished his spear toward Alberto¡¯s chest. But Alberto easily parried that charge, then counterattacked with a terrifying storm-like slashes. He¡¯s a twin swords wielder, a rarity in the continent. The magic power overflowing from his body was nothing to be scoffed at despite his advanced age. (So this is the famous¡ºSchwarzer¡¯s Twin Towers¡» ! !) Everytime they clashed, waves of magic power would scatter, raising dust all over the place. All eyes were focused on them. No one dared to speak. Everyone watched the duel as if they had been mesmerized. It had been only a few exchanges. But Ward was made acutely aware that the old general facing him right now was no mere old man. Ward¡¯s forehead was already oozing with sweats. Meanwhile, Alberto still looked calm. (I see, he is both superior in terms of magic power and technique¡­ a testament to his experience in the battlefield¡­) Ward suppressed his excitement, raising his spear to mount another attack. Gan Gan Gan Gan But retreat bells were rang on both sides. Upon hearing the signal, the two combatants lowered their stances. [¡­..I actually want to continue this duel¡­ It¡¯s been a long while since my chest is screaming with excitement like this.] [And so do I¡­unfortunately we have to end it here¡­] Ward and Alberto laughed at each other. Their action was unlike those who were just putting their life on stakes in a duel. [Apparently my Lord has doing something to you?] [Ho? I wasn¡¯t aware about that. But let me ask you this; Is that man named Alvarez is a worthy person to serve?] [¡­¡­I believe my Lord is the best there is in the world.] Hearing Ward¡¯s answer, Ward let out a hearty laugh after a brief moment of amazement. [Hahaha, it¡¯s good to hear that. It¡¯s¡ºA Hero can surely recognize other Hero¡»stuff, huh? I guess there is also Young Master¡¯s strong connection with your King during their youth at play here. Makes me want to see him, your Lord I mean.] Alberto turned his horse around. [See you again, Tranberg¡¯s brave general.] That said, Alberto galloped back to his troops. Ward didn¡¯t even have the chance to reply, so he simply watched the old man go. ===== [Ahhh, that was a good fight for an old bone like you.] The very first voice that greeted Alberto¡¯s return belonged to a friend who had spent decades working alongside him. When Alberto turned his head to the source, there was Rouen standing with a smile on his face. [That¡¯s quite bitter for a welcome.] [What, that was a compliment.] That said, the two laughed. Alberto joined Rouen on a chair after getting off from his horse. [Well, it¡¯s still a pain in the arse. Maybe I should¡¯ve acted more like a proper grandpa next time around?] [It¡¯s because you¡¯ve been keeping Julius-sama safe for years. If not for that, do you think you¡¯ll be able to move like that at our age?] [Who knows? Even this old body can still move if empowered with magic. Young Master will laugh at us otherwise.] Alberto then asked Rouen. [Well then? Was it a success?] [They¡¯re retreating. Well, we don¡¯t have to chase them either] Rouen chuckled when he said so. ===== [I just don¡¯t understand!!] Ward was complaining to Alvarez. [We have the advantage, but why do we have to retreat after just a single bout?] Alvarez inspected the faces of his generals. All of them looked dissatisfied. [Your Excellency! We¡­] [Enough.] Alvarez raised his voice. In response to that, everyone immediately turned silent. The chaotic scene earlier had disappeared like it was but a mere dream. Wallace found the situation interesting. Alvarez¡¯ authority can be compared to that of someone like the¡ºThunder Emperor¡»Sephiros already. Even Ward, who bravely complained earlier¡­ unconsciously stepped back. [If I said we retreat, then we retreat. There are no other alternatives. Everyone, please make the preparation.] [Please wait a moment!!] Ward raised his voice, as if he had resolved himself. [Did Your Excellency command this retreat¡­ because of a secret agreement with the Schwarzers??] Alvarez raised his eyebrow to Ward¡¯s question. [Earlier, when I was facing off against sir Alberto, he mentioned Your Excellency connection with a certain¡ºyoung master¡».] This was a first for everyone else to hear it. They looked on with interest. [Your Excellency¡­who is this¡ºyoung master¡»he was talking about??] [¡­..my benefactor, and steadfast ally. Also¡­..] Alvarez took a breather before continuing. [Also¡­..the only man in this world that I would be willing to offer my sword to.] Alvarez grinned as he said so. [Of course, if we meet again in the future¡­ there is no knowing whether we¡¯ll be allies or enemies. But¡­ we will definitely meet again in the battlefield. And I¡¯m looking forward to that.] With that story ended, Alvarez got up from his chair and repeated his instruction. [Alright, the storytime is over. Prepare for our retreat.] Alvarez left the council afterward. Wallace followed him from behind. The generals soon stood back up, returning to their posts. Only one remained. Ward¡­.. I couldn¡¯t move for a while there. ¡ºA Hero can surely recognize other Hero¡» Alberto¡¯s words were still fresh in his head. And yet, Alvarez whom he worshipped like a God actually said that. He simply couldn¡¯t believe it¡­.. CH 162 Translator: Raizu Ch.162 ¨C Silent Anger Harline Fort was situated on the border between the frontier and the eastern countries. It¡¯s a place Ares deemed important as it can serve as a base for gathering information and defending from the eastern countries. Thus its defense had been solidified and more soldiers were stationed there. And now, for the first time since the fort was built, a huge number of soldiers had gathered there. It caused a tingly and tense mood to surround the fort. It¡¯s clear to everybody that war is just around the corner. The gathering soldiers were led by the renown heroes of the Frontier, Second Army commander Sigurd and the Third Army commander Darius. They had been stationed here since a month ago, making all the necessary preparations to march out at any given time. And then the tension soared into the sky¡­ when the Lord of Frontier Ares himself, accompanied by the fourth army commander Shu, arrived at the fort yesterday. ===== ¡ô As soon as he entered the fort, Ares read Zekka¡¯s report, and clearly became angry afterward. Seeing Ares like this, Sigurd who had known him for a long time was naturally surprised. After all, his Lord¡­ was the kind of person to deal with mostly anything calmly. Having been serving him for a long time now, this would be the first time he saw Ares showing his anger in front of others. Even the usually carefree Darius and the calm Shu were disturbed by Ares¡¯ expression. [Zekka¡­ is this report really true?] [Yes.] [If it¡¯s true¡­that means the east has already become a living hell.] Zekka remained silent. There¡¯s nothing else he could add since it was indeed, the fact. Ares immediately tossed the report paper away. Sigurd picked it up and read it. Darius and Shu also joined in from the sides. And¡­ They too were stunned by the content. The situation in the eastern countries investigated by Zekka and the Dragon¡¯s Eye was clearly written there. [Pillage, rape, massacre¡­ These are pretty much every horrible acts that an army could do.] Ares muttered. Dormadia made use of magic beasts as their army. For them, both humans and demihumans alike were nothing more than food, slaves, and incubators for offsprings. They had done even more unspeakable deeds than imagined. Meanwhile, Byzerd was no better. All the proud and honorable knights that Byzerd once boasted had been completely purged, leaving only those who share similar desire with its new king, Zackard the Usurper King. With those at the top being like that, the soldiers ended up following their example, becoming greedy, power chasing bastards. They¡¯re no different than a huge band of bandits right now. And¡­ they treated the defeated countries no better than Dormadia did¡­ one can argue that they¡¯re even worse since they¡¯re humans too. The conquered countries no longer looked like a country, but more of hells on earth. The entire eastern region would be devoured by these two countries soon. [This is outrageous,] Being the boldest among them, Darius openly frowned and bemoaned this wretchedness. Eckhart and Lauren, who acted as his deputy general this time, also showed their anger. Sigurd and Shu remained silent, but their faces clearly filled with fury. [Zekka¡­ where are they now?] [Dormadia has taken control of all but the Horus Kingdom¡¯s royal palace. It is said that their magic beast army has been seen along the border of Istrea. Byzerd has also almost finished occupying Toronto. Their army has also advanced to Istrea¡¯s border.] [¡­their marching speed is faster than I expected.] [Both are aiming for Istrea¡¯s fertile land. The one who conquered the land will have greater advantage over the other.] Everyone present turned silent after hearing Zekka. [However¡­ the conquered will be devoured clean without leaving anything¡­right?] Ares muttered in a small voice. [Should we just crush them to dust?] Everyone who heard that could feel the rancor in his voice. Ares is not fond of fighting. He prefers a method that is as harmless as possible to both sides, and willing to take a great length to carry it out. Knowing his penchant, the military strategist Shion painstakingly devises the path and strategy to reach that end. But this time, he said it clearly: ¡ºCrush¡» Ares then began to give orders, as if he had resolved himself now. [Tomorrow morning, the entire army will march through Renato to Istrea. From there, the First and Fourth armies will engage Dormadia. The Second and Third armies will face Byzerd.] After a short break, Ares continued. [The generals heading to face Dormadia will be myself and Shu. Sigurd and Darius will head in the Byzerd direction. The command of the army will be shared between the two, so please consult with each other before moving.] Hearing the order, Sigurd simply nodded, Darius laughed fearlessly and Shu solemnly stared back at Ares. [No matter the circumstances, they¡¯ve crossed the line they never should. Let the world know the consequences of such acts. Thoroughly¡­] Taking another breath, Ares finally said. [Destroy them.] After that, the four armies of the frontier headed by Ares quickly marched toward Istrea. And here began¡­ the world famous tale of the¡ºHero Sovereign Eastern Conquest¡», also known as the¡ºEastern Continent Extermination War¡». The curtain has finally opened. ===== Author¡¯s Note: The East Continent Arc has finally started. To be clear¡­ It¡¯s muddy. War is the main content, but when it comes to conflict between people. Naturally, something such as human nature will come out. From murderous depictions, violent things, relationships¡­.. Robbing, using, and consuming. I think that kind of scenes will come out. That¡¯s why Ares can¡¯t be a Saint Prince¡­ He will be forced to make choices as Politician. Originally, I was aiming for a light war record, so I didn¡¯t want to write much. By all means, it happened when I focused to write the war. If you feel uncomfortable, please forgive me. We will looking forward for your continuous support. CH 163 Translator: Raizu Chapter 163 ¨C Pig King and Usurper King Horus Kingdom A country situated at the north of Istrea Kingdom, known as one of the many emerging Kingdoms in the east. It was established by King Maximillian Horus about three generations ago when he gathered migrants together and declared independence. It¡¯s said that the countries situated in the western part of the continent¡¯s eastern region saw much less conflict than the eastern part. Therefore, not many of them put so much effort into their military power. But Horus kingdom was an exception. Probably due to the fact that the country was originally built by migrants, there¡¯s a strong awareness to ¡°protect the people¡±. The kingdom had been systematically arming itself since its founding. The current King, Maximillian II, forged an alliance with the Istrea Kingdom. From a regular person¡¯s perspective, the country had lowered itself to become Istrea Kingdom¡¯s subordinate. But the King managed to gain a huge¡ºprofit¡»out of this agreement, bringing great progress to his country. However, even that Horus kingdom¡­ its fate is now uncertain. ===== The Horus Kingdom¡¯s Royal Capital [Srahn] The city that was known as the second richest city in the western part of the eastern region, only losing to Istrea¡¯s capital, is now surrounded by innumerable magic beasts. It¡¯s only a matter of time until it was overwhelmed. It was only about a year ago since the magic beast army of Dormadia started invading the neighbouring countries. A year hadn¡¯t fully passed when Dormadia managed to overrun Horus, leaving only the Royal Capital to occupy. Initially, Horus kingdom¡¯s army put up a fight. But they lost so much during the course of the war, that what¡¯s left was only those stationed to defend the capital. And the defending force was about to reach their limits sooner or later against the constant attacks from the magic beasts. ===== ¡ô Humanoid monsters such as goblins and orcs made up the bulk of Dormadia¡¯s main forces. The superior subspecies would act as the commanders, with the demonkin ruling above them, and demon lords taking key positions. And now, Dormadia generals were gathering to meet their sole ruler. The king of Dormadia, whom they all recognize as their master¡­ Dormaghest. In front of the gathering the demonkin and the demon lords, an individual stood out at the back of the high level magic beasts. His face was ugly, dark skinned and pig-like. His upper body was swelling with abnormally developed muscles. Right, the pig-like countenance gave out the fact that this individual was a humanoid magic beast better known as orcs. However, unlike orcs in general, he has outstanding abilities. He¡¯s smart and capable of controlling an army. Not to mention that his personal valor and magic power could probably surpass that of a demonkin, no, perhaps even a demon lord. Indeed, Dormaghest was an¡ºOrc King¡»that had surpassed its own limitation, evolving into the so called¡ºOrc Kaiser¡»that only appear once in several hundred years. Dormaghest took advantage of his capabilities, taking control of a huge amount of magic beasts. Thus Dormadia¡¯s main army was formed practically overnight. Dormaghest himself was a rarity among his kind¡­ he could understand the notion of creating a¡ºcountry¡», something that regular demonkins aren¡¯t capable of. By creating a country and becoming the king, he¡¯ll be able to do as he wishes¡­ Anything to satisfy his excessive gluttony, ambition and lust. His abnormal desire was well documented from how he presented himself now. He had several naked women around his exposed crotch, urging one woman at a time to service his engorged member. Each of these women were the Princesses or Aristocrats¡¯ daughters of the country Dormadia had conquered. None of the women had focused eyes; all of them serviced him with lewd smiles on their faces. Any woman touched by his semen would go crazy, becoming a thirsty nymphomaniac. Yes, this man named Dormaghest was pretty much the embodiment of¡ºlust¡». [Let¡¯s hear the report.] Dormaghest said in a low growling voice. The demonkin kneeled upon hearing his voice. [Yes, Your Majesty! The wall of Horus Kingdom hadn¡¯t been breached yet. But the eastern gate is already cracked. It¡¯s only a matter of time until the palace is taken.] Hearing that, Dormaghest went silent as if deep in thought. Then, at that moment: guchuri He ejaculated. The woman sprayed by his semen moaned loudly while showing an ecstatic expression. On the other hand, the retainers stayed silent. This was already a mundane sight for them after all. After a short pause, the woman started to bury their faces in Dormaghest¡¯s crotch, resuming the service. At the same time, Dormaghest opened his mouth. [Continue to siege Srahn. Gilbarus, I leave this matter to you.] [Yes! Leave it to me!] A man with a tiger head, Gilbarus, bowed. [I myself will proceed to invade Istrea. As of now, the Horus army is just a nuisance. We need to return to our original goal: sacking Istrea.] Dormaghest let out an ugly smile. [Istrea doesn¡¯t have a big army to defend themselves. But on the contrary, they are very rich. And also¡­] Dormaghest took out the magic tool called¡ºPhantom Mirror¡»and started thinking about the queen of Istrea. An image of a beautiful woman known as the White Flower of the East was reflected on the mirror. She¡¯s somewhat old, but that doesn¡¯t reduce her sex appeal one bit. I want to thoroughly fuck this clean and neat woman. He already had this thought from the moment he first saw her. Dormaghest¡¯s mind is occupied by this very thought since then. The inexhaustible mass of libido that is Dormaghest. [Prepare the magic beast army immediately. Soon, I¡¯ll finally get the¡ºtoy¡»I¡¯ve been wanting.] Having said that, Dormaghest laughed in a low voice. ===== ¡ô Toronto Principality, east of Istrea. This country was said to be established about 70 years ago. It was believed that the one who declared independence for Toronto was the younger brother of Istrea¡¯s King then. Unlike Istrea, the land Toronto is in had no river and was not fertile or rich in resources. Therefore, from when it was established, Toronto had made use of its link with Istrea to maintain its status as a country while heavily relying on vassal states for resources. Toronto Principality¡¯s real strength¡­ lies in its military power. In return for Istrea¡¯s support, Toronto chose to become a dam that will protect Istrea should another country attack from the east. It¡¯s for that reason that the successive Kings focused on military reform the most. Incorporating mercenaries into its army, focusing on new military technology and incorporating it into their armies over the years, Toronto had become a country with one of the most advanced military powers in the east. However, even Toronto¡¯s fate was unpredictable now. The soldiers of Toronto Principality had repelled many invaders before. However, the crazed army of Byzerd was truly something else. Especially¡­ with the Usurper King Zackard leading the army personally. All of Toronto¡¯s renowned warlords were slaughtered like bugs by Zackard himself. And the soldiers were trampled easily by the might of the Byzerdian berserkers. The once mighty principality was razed to the ground. Corpses littered the ground everywhere. What¡¯s left was only the westmost town¡­ Shaw, which served as the border area between Istrea and Toronto¡­ ===== ¡ô The center of the Byzerd army. They were in the middle of discussing their next steps. King Zackard of Byzerd was staring at the map solemnly. [¡­.are you saying that the Dormadia fools are already on their way to attack Istrea?] [Yes¡­ apparently they split their forces in two, with one heading directly for Istrea¡­] Upon hearing the report, Zackard instantly threw a nearby cup at the reporting soldier. The cup hit the said soldier right in the forehead, which bleed profusely. But the man didn¡¯t even flinch¡­ He knew for a fact. That if the king wished for it, he would¡¯ve lost his life right there. [¡­so, do you have any plans at all?] Hearing that question, all the blue-uniformed officers¡¯ faces turned blue. How many times has it been already? There is no use to answer this question. Zackard¡¯s reaction always depended on his mood. If he¡¯s in a bad mood¡­ heads would easily fly off. And even if the plan went well, he might still punish his subordinates. So all in all, everything depended on his mood. [Fuhn, useless pieces of shit¡­] After spitting curses, he turned to the man standing behind him. [What about you lot? Have any ideas?] Seeing that Zackard had turned his attention to someone else, the officers sighed in relief. They then also turned their gaze to the man behind Zackard. There stood a masked man in a black robe. The lad had been with Zackard from when he seized the throne. Everyone present understood that this man was the brain behind all of Zackard¡¯s actions, which means that he controls the kingdom from behind the scenes. [Say something, Abdollah.] [¡­let me ask Your Majesty¡­ Which one is more prosperous, Istrea or Toronto?] Zackard looked like he had eaten something gross after hearing that. [Of course, that would be Istrea. Nothing of note here in Toronto.] [Indeed. The land was infertile, and there¡¯s nothing much to plunder¡­ on the other hand, Istrea has fertile land and abundant amounts of food and other goods ¡­Also¡­ lots of beautiful women. Wasn¡¯t Your Majesty also obsessed by the beauty of Istrea¡¯s Queen?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­.] Zackard didn¡¯t say anything back, merely moving his chin slightly. A sign to continue talking. [If Dormadia attacks as is, Istrea will fall into their hands in no time. The Queen will also fall into the hand of that pig¡­ After all, that pig is known for its lustfulness¡­] [Then¡­ what should I do?] Zackard asked frustratedly. Yes, like a child who lost their toy. [Let¡¯s attack Istrea too.] The masked man paused to take a breath. [I said this before¡­ The first one to take over Istrea will win the entire eastern region. I have to remind Your Majesty that conquering the east is just the first step to your dream¡­ that is to conquer the entire Arcadia continent, is it not?] Zackard perked up to that last word. His eyes shining with madness. [I¡¯ll take two thirds of our army and attack Istrea immediately. Get ready!] [P-please wait a minute!! What about Shaw¡­guhaaa!] Zackard drew his sword and swung it at the general who stepped forth to stop him. The other generals chose to stay quiet after seeing that scene. Zackard said to the beheaded corpse. [Serves you right. You should¡¯ve thought more carefully. I want Istrea now.] The generals could only keep their complaints to themselves. Their King was like a child. When he wants something, he can¡¯t think about anything else. Neither how to get it nor about the aftermath. He moved only for solely following his desires, destroying everything on his path with overwhelming violence. Isn¡¯t he no different than the Tyrants and Demon Kings mentioned in legends of old? The generals could only stand there, pale faced. Meanwhile Zackard had already marched out of the camp to prepare for his departure. [I¡¯ll take Istrea before Dormadia does. And then¡­] Take the renowned White Flower of the East, Queen Irene and bed her; raping her to his heart¡¯s content. Zackard licked his lips at that thought, increasing the speed of his pace. CH 164 Translator: Raizu Chapter 164 ¨C Irene Istrea The center of Istrea Royal Palace, the Royal Court. The people who govern Istrea gather here to discuss the direction the country would take. And right now, the many aristocrats standing at the left and right of the throne were in the middle of arguments, their opinions collided with each other. [Dormadia is already upon us! If we don¡¯t do anything, we¡¯ll be finished!] [No, I heard that Byzerd has crossed over Toronto and approached from the east. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they reach the nearest village to the border.] [Isn¡¯t it about time for us to just surrender?] [No, it¡¯s too late to take any action¡­ Even if we surrender now to any of the two, we would still be swallowed by them whole¡­] Alfredo, standing the nearest to the throne as the Head Diplomat, looked at this cacophony with a cold stare. Then he suddenly noticed that two gazes were directed at him instead. The first belonged to Queen Irene Istrea who was sitting on the throne, and the other one belonged to lord Eldan Oxford, Queen Irene¡¯s uncle and the long time chancellor. When Alfredo turned his stare to meet theirs one by one, Queen Irene visibly loosened her previously grim expression. Also noticing these small bits, the discussion also took a turn. This time blaming Alfredo for failing to forge an alliance with the two countries. [This is all Alfredo¡¯s fault! It¡¯s because he couldn¡¯t negotiate well with those two countries!] [Th-that¡¯s right! Have you forgotten Her Majesty¡¯s kindness in picking you to become the head diplomat? Now it seems to us that you¡¯re not up for the task¡­] [After all, he¡¯s just a low ranking aristocrat who rose to the position due to Her Majesty¡¯s grace. It was not a task that can be entrusted to someone with such a low aptitude¡­] [That is enough.] Irene couldn¡¯t stand hearing the abusive words that the aristocrats directed toward Alfredo. The court room instantly went quiet. It was Chancellor Eldan who broke the silence. [¡­All of us know that it was Alfredo who travelled around the land to gather all the important information for us. It was also Alfredo who negotiated with Toronto and Horus to act as our lines of defense. Do you honestly think his achievements are not great enough? If any of you feel that he is insufficient, are you willing to go meet those two countries to negotiate in his place instead?] [¡­¡­¡­..] [¡­¡­no¡­¡­] All of the bickering aristocrats turned pale. [Then would you please shut your mouths? In any case¡­ They will come no matter what. To argue here is but a waste of air.] Eldan said so and declared the end of the meeting. The council was dismissed without any decision. ===== ¡ô The aristocrats left with a bitter look on their face, leaving only Irene, Eldan, and Alfredo in the courtroom. After the last aristocrat left, now that the tension had broken, the three exhaled deeply. [Good grief¡­ peacetime really have made them to grow dumb. I¡¯ll remember their faces¡­ I¡¯m willing to bet my own neck if I don¡¯t punish them later.] Eldan complained resentfully. [¡­. well, that is if there is still a¡ºlater¡»for us. So Alfredo, I believe you have acted already?] [Yes. I have evacuated the citizens of the border village, placed a good amount of food and goods in their place. That should slow the enemy down for a bit.] Alfredo turned to Irene before continuing. [And¡­ one of his spies contacted me. His army has already left the frontier area.] [¡­..!? Is he heading here as we speak?] [Yes. It¡¯s actually been a few days since they contacted me. And the idea to leave behind goods and foods was also his instruction, communicated through the spies.] Both Irene and Eldan went silent after hearing all that. [However¡­ entrusting our country¡¯s fate to another¡­ it feels complicated¡­] [Even so¡­ this is the only way. No matter which one we surrender to, Dormadia and Byzerd will still plunder our country clean. On the other hand, His Excellency, the Lord of the Frontier¡­ is a heroic man. He¡¯ll come to help us, not to conquer us.] Irene carefully considered Alfredo¡¯s words¡­ Then replied with a determined look. [Alfredo¡­ I have entrusted the fate of Istrea upon your hand on¡ºthat day¡»a few years back¡­ it was though my own free will that I decided to do so. Hopefully, this will truly do us good.] Hearing the Queen¡¯s response, Alfredo bowed deeply to his beloved master. ===== ¡ô [Alfredo, a moment please.] When Alfredo and Eldan were about to leave the courtroom, Irene called out. [¡­is there anything else, Your Majesty?] [Are you truly sure that it will be just fine?] Alfredo tilted his head. [Did you negotiate with the frontier area because you want to protect me? Even if he truly protects Istrea, you will be despised forever as someone who sold your own country to another¡­] Irene was worried that Istrean aristocrats would put the blame on Alfredo. [Alfredo. I have resolved myself. I am willing to become either Zackard¡¯s or Dormaghest¡¯ sex slave if it will save the country¡­] [Your Majesty¡­] [I know you were hiding this information from us all. That their terms for our surrender is for me to become their sex slave. If the body of an old woman like me could save countless lives, then¡­] [Your Majesty, I beg you to stop right there.] Alfredo interrupted Irene¡¯s resoluteness with an equally strong voice. [They will still gobble up this country after they do away with Your Majesty anyway. It is a waste of time to put any ounce of belief in their words.] Alfredo showed a complicated look afterward. Seeing this, Irene prompted him to speak up his mind. [Alfredo¡­you must have a plan in mind already, have you not? Please, feel free to speak it up, no matter how harsh it will be.] After a short moment of silence, Alfredo finally spoke up. [Your Majesty¡­ you spoke of¡ºresoluteness¡»earlier¡­ did you not?] [¡­¡­yes. I will gladly offer my body if it will save this country.] [If Your Majesty is truly prepared, then I would like to ask you to use that resolve for something else instead.] Still with a complicated look on his face, Alfredo spoke of a shocking offer. [Please embrace the Lord of Frontier Ares Schwarzer.] [¡­..!?] [And if it¡¯s possible, please have a child as well.] Irene was utterly disappointed. Alfredo closed his eyes for a moment, then continued. [Istrea Kingdom¡­ no, the entire eastern region will crumble one way or another during this conflict. Lord of Frontier Ares Schwarzer¡­ I believe this man can change that grim fate.] Irene decided to listen once more. [He will liberate all the conquered countries, but taking them under his control from within peacefully¡­. At that time, even our Istrea will also become a part of his¡ºcountry¡». However, before that time comes, I¡¯d like to secure a better position in his court for Your Majesty.] Alfredo opened his eyes and gave Irene a look. [By tying a knot with him¡­ Your Majesty will certainly gain a strong position within this eastern part of the continent.] [¡­.but, will the Lord of Frontier desire me? He is much younger than I, and¡­ I heard he already has many wives.] [Certainly, he might refuse due to his conscience. But at the same time, he is still a politician with capability to discern benefits.] Alfredo continued after taking a short breather. [To take over this eastern land¡­ having a relation to a kingdom with a long history like Istrea will certainly help. It¡¯ll make governing a lot easier. There is no reason he isn¡¯t aware of this.] Irene put some thought into Alfredo¡¯s explanation, then asked. [Why do we not send my daughter instead?] [I did consider that¡­ But I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll take too long. No matter how beneficial this transaction is for both sides, convincing His Excellency may take some time.] Irene nodded at this part. This isn¡¯t a love affair. It¡¯s a strategic move to allow Istrea to survive. If she were to seduce the Lord of Frontier and bear his child, that child could become a¡ºmeans¡»for Istrea to gain position within the frontier. To that end, however, there is no way that wild mare daughter of hers would be willing to sleep with a man she didn¡¯t have a feeling for. But Irene is different. To secure her¡ºhouse¡», she married the former King and bore his children. This time around, the¡ºhouse¡»she¡¯s trying to protect has changed into a¡ºcountry¡». That¡¯s why Alfredo dared to bring this up, knowing that the queen would be able to see the benefits. Also¡­the Queen¡¯s calm judgment, her willingness to accompany the former king for the rest of his life and her own capability in politics, she was able to bring Istrea to prosperity when she had to take over the government. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call her the best female ruler of the generation. [Still, I wonder if I am up for this task.] Alfredo could only smile, seeing Irene leaning her head sullenly. This woman really doesn¡¯t understand her own self, does she? Her daughter entered the marriageable age this year. If anyone wants to make a connection with Istrea Kingdom, normally they would propose a marriage with the Princess. But they didn¡¯t. Instead¡­ they kept sending marriage proposals for her instead. Both from within and outside the country. Irene is beautiful. She also has this figure any man would love and a graceful personality. However¡­.. She¡¯s not aware of any of that. For example, didn¡¯t she worry that she doesn¡¯t have the¡ºcharm to attract a man¡»? Alfredo thought so. [Your Majesty is underestimating your own value. After all, both Dormadia and Byzerd are attacking Istrea mainly for Your Majesty, aren¡¯t they?] Alfredo bowed deeply before continuing. [¡­..Your Majesty. To be honest, I didn¡¯t intend to talk about this. If Your Majesty is not willing, then please tell me. There is still a possibility that the Lord of Frontier would still take care of us even if you don¡¯t do this. I simply want insurance, so to speak.] [It is alright, Alfredo.] Irene replied flatly to Alfredo¡¯s apology. [As I said earlier, I have resolved myself. If it is for Istrea¡­ then please use me any way you can.] CH 165 Chapter 165 ¨C Eastern Expedition Part 1: First war vs Dolmadia [Gyaaaaa] [Syaaaaaaa] The screams and echoes of demon beasts [Guaaaaaaa] The goblin¡¯s neck fluttered and the orc¡¯s arms rolled. It¡¯s the event several days after a part of the demi-human Dolmedia army, which mainly consists of goblins, orcs, and ogres, entering a certain village in northern Istrea When the army of Dolmadia entered Istrea¡­ they found a certain village. And, after they discovered this village¡­ They are dancing wildly. That¡¯s because the food and property were piled-up in the center of the village. The demon beasts were delighted. The people in this village are cowardly. They are leaving their treasures behind and running away¡­ Although they have forms like humans, demon beasts moved according to their instincts. Without thinking deeply, they began to eat as they pleased. The same was true for the demons who commanded them. Gold and silver were placed near the food. The demons like treasures. They own anything that they stole as their own. Those are the rules of the demons. Therefore, they are competing against each other and desperately making anything as their own. For them, their only dissatisfaction was there was no [Human] in this village. Humans are valuable properties for the demi-human demons. The females for breeding. The males for toys. However, there is nothing in this village. Sometimes, they found people who were late to run away¡­ But, the numbers were not enough. However, the foods and goods are more than enough. After they are finished with their feast here, they can move out to the other villages. If there are no humans, they only need to attack the next village. For them, they can enjoy and consume the food and treasure¡­ They are obsessed and really faithful with their desires¡­ Yes, they didn¡¯t think that it was a trap. ===== ¡ô Two days later, red-colored lightly armed cavalry suddenly attacked the Dormadia army, which had devoured a large amount of food in the villages. They moved in a formation to run around the narrow village and shot down the demon beasts. [W-What the hell happened¡­!?] The demon general who led the demon beasts in the village hurriedly dashed out from the best residence where he was staying and looked around. And then¡­ what he saw was one-sided slaughter. The red cavalry who started to attack were annihilating the demon beasts. And after they passed through, the black cavalry overruns the surviving demon beasts. The red cavalry were lightly armed, meanwhile the black cavalry was heavy armed. After they are passed through, the goblins and orcs already become mincemeat. And also¡­ the most terrifying are the soldiers who wore white bracelets. If you look at the battlefield, you can understand that they are only few in number but a very powerful group. [Impossible¡­ For our demi-human army to lose easily against humans¡­] [Oi.] It was a man with a large body who suddenly called out to the impatient demon. Next to that, there were several men and women in total. I saw all of them were characterized by wearing the white bracelets. [You¡­ Are you the general of this army?] [Wh¡­ you low life! How dare the soldiers of the human army talk to me!?] The big man grinned and ignored what the demon shouted. [That magical power¡­ A demon, huh. Oi, we¡¯re lucky. We can fight against a demon.] The big man broadly grinning while saying it. At the same time, the demon felt an unpleasant feeling when he saw that smile. These fellows are playing around. They caught this demon. [Since our general don¡¯t want to handle this. Shall we enjoy it?] With that said, the moment he took a stance with his sword as big as his body, a tremendous amount of magical power overflowed from the big man. At that time¡­ [Oi, Baran. Don¡¯t get ahead with yourself.] A man with a blue bandana suddenly showed up from his side. A longsword in his hand. And he also has the same amount of magic as the big man. [You guys¡­ without permission, don¡¯t move forward by yourself.] [¡­..] When I noticed, a woman with a red spear and a reticent man with long hair also appeared. The demon understood that they also have similar magical power. [I know. But¡­ I feel excited. It¡¯s my first time fighting a demon. I¡¯ve always wanted to see how well I can do it.] The demon had cold sweat when he saw them. These guys¡­ are pretty good¡­ they are also not afraid of demons¡­ and they¡¯re definitely going to kill me. The action he took after this would definitely have been correct. He tried to leave the place without looking back. However¡­.. From somewhere, a sharp, magical arrow hits his leg and stops him. And looking back, the last sight he saw was¡­ It was the figures of four men and women attacking them at a terrifying speed¡­ ===== ¡ô Ares listened to the report from Zekka while watching the village where the screams of the demon beasts echoed from the top of the hill. [The demon beasts lurking in this village seem to have been wiped out.] [¡­Any survivors?] [We found some people who were late to escape. In the rear¡­ probably the women who were previously captured and brought in.] [¡­Alright.] Ares listened to the report from Zekka and closed his eyes. Ares instructed Alfredo to evacuate the inhabitants of each village through the eyes of a dragon. However, there are some sudden things that are delayed. As the demon beasts roam, they hide their breath and survive¡­ They must have been unimaginably traumatized. Even more¡­ I could immediately imagine when they heard the story about what happened to the women who had been trapped and brought in before that. [Choose some soldiers from the Red Army and tell them to send the survivors to the Margrave. They need psychological treatment.] [Understood.] Ares said so and turned his gaze from Zecca back towards the village. [I don¡¯t feel a particularly strong [magical power] or [fighting spirit]¡­ too bad.] [Yes. I couldn¡¯t find a demon beast that looks like an Orc King¡­] Ares sighed a little and smiled at Zekka. [Then, I¡¯ll leave the rest to Shu. After we control this area, we will depart to the Capital of Istrea.] When Ares said that, he used wind magic to give instructions to the whole army. [After [destroying] all the demon beasts here, we will be leaving. Finish everything as soon as possible.] ===== ¡ô [Oi, did you hear me?] Baran turned to the back, smiling at the stubble¡¯s mouth. [Ares-sama has instructed me to finish it.] [Ah. The general is terrible. I want a little break.] Saying that, while trampling on the corpses of the demon beasts, Flik stabbed to kill the goblin who started to run away while laughing at his own joke. It was a very common and lighthearted talk, but there were those who reacted strongly to it. [Hey! Isn¡¯t it a little disrespectful?] [¡­..] Karina and Kiru of the same White Army. Karina slammed a spear into the head of an orc beside her with an apparently unpleasant look at Flik¡¯s light word. Kiru, the long-haired swordsman next to him, also cut off the neck of a nearby goblin with an unpleasant look. Flik smiled bitterly as he saw the situation. [¡­Don¡¯t show that kind of face. Even Flik doesn¡¯t really mean to say it seriously to Ares.] Baran smiles when he sees their faces. Certainly, for those who yearn for Ares like a God, the word just now may have been an unpleasant remark. But¡­ You don¡¯t need to get so sullen that you¡¯d even let it show up on your face all because of a conversation like that, do you. The reason why Karina, who is usually calm, shakes so much may be because of the excitement of fighting the demons. And whenever she gets in a bad mood, she immediately takes it out on something. In fact, she¡¯s currently stabbing an orc nonstop after she had already given the killing blow, and the poor orc is becoming a pile of meat that doesn¡¯t even resemble his original form anymore. Karina replied with a sharp mouth to Baran who took such caution. [Hmm. It¡¯s not unusual. You¡¯re said to be Ares¡¯ fanatic, but you don¡¯t get angry.] [¡­..Ha! Well, I might have been a little crazy in the old days. I¡¯ve had a long relationship with Flik.] He smiles from ear to ear when saying that. [Even this guy, isn¡¯t he a [fanatic] as good as I am?] Flik opened his mouth as he shook his tongue at the sudden turn of the conversation. [Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t say anything extra.] Flik also turned into an unpleasant look. Then someone who calls out from behind. [Stop with the tedious talk, let¡¯s finish here. I¡¯m tired of all the small fish.] Robin, holding a bow, said so and hit an arrow on the forehead of an ogre in the distance. [You see, you¡¯re a [believer] of that person if you were in the White Army anyway. What are you talking about now?] The others grin at Robin¡¯s words. Yes, that¡¯s right. In other countries¡­ No, even in the Arcadia Empire, they have the skill to be entrusted with one army. It is none other than the existence of Ares that they continued to be a soldier. [Well, then, do you really want to crush the guys around here? It was worth defeating the demon there, but these guys aren¡¯t interesting at all.] Where Baran showed with his chin¡­ one decapitated head was rolling. Yes, it¡¯s the demon¡¯s neck. For them, the annihilation of the demon beasts is just a matter of telling a trifling story. Nodding to Baran¡¯s voice, the White Army members increased their magical power again and carried out a one-sided massacre. CH 166 Translator: Raizu Editor: Shirayuki Chapter 166 ¨C Eastern Expedition Part 2 ~ The Ability of the Orc King ~ What¡¯s going on? Overlooking the battlefield, the King of Dormadia Dormages¡¯s head was confused. An unidentified army had been attacking his demon armies from earlier. What¡¯s more, in the front of [that] helpless human race, they scatter his proud demon beast units one after another. He overlooks the battlefield again. In his eyes, he still steadily saw his demon beasts being reduced in number by a mysterious corps. Look at the situation¡­ band judge. Obviously this corps is a foreign army. That¡¯s more than a Byzeld monster. And I feel it. There are monsters lurking in this corps that are comparable to those monsters. This calm judgment is what made him, a demon beast, gain power into a King. Dormages told the demon who was waiting nearby. [I¡¯ll retreat. Go make the others buy time while I run away.] Yes. It was an intuitive decision. And he later realized that his intuition was not wrong. ===== ¡ô Dormages entrusted the attacking enemy to his army and turned his back away from the battlefield with a few elites. And he sits in a [tank] that he usually rides on. Dormages is a giant so there is no horse that can ride him. Therefore, he rides in a four-wheeled car pulled by a demon beast. The car had a strange shape with a blade pointed so that it could respond to attacks from multiple directions. It was when Dormages was sitting in his proud tank and about to leave¡­ There is one figure in front of him and it emerged slowly. [¡­who are you?] Dormages saw the shadow and intuitively judged him to be an enemy. He touched the handle of the barbarian sword that was lying on his waist and asked him while growling. However, the shadow did not answer it and only muttered to himself. [So is this a hit, huh. I feel bad for my Master, but¡­ I¡¯m lucky.] When Dormages squinted, it saw a warrior in eastern armor straddling a horse holding a spear that he had never seen. [Who are you¡­?] [Hmm¡­ do you understand words? Orc.] Ignoring Dormages¡¯ question and opening his mouth, the warrior¡­ Shu slowly got off the horse and released the magical power in his body. Seeing that, Dormages distorted his face. [However, it doesn¡¯t look like just a normal orc¡­ its extraordinary magical power¡­ ever since the guy I saw in the north, I think?] Who was the northern guy? Dormages didn¡¯t ask further. He couldn¡¯t afford it now. Dormages was impatient. He noticed by looking at the amount of magical power. The man who appeared in front of him was like any human that he saw never before. [Monster.] That¡¯s what he thought. Meanwhile, Shu, on the other hand, was also surprised to feel the sign of a strong power from this demon beast called Dormages. A man who sold the soul that fought with Ares and Batu to the devil passed through his mind. In front of you is a demon beast and it is different from Amga. The figure is a huge orc. His skin color is purplish and it wears only one waist cloth. It wore a strange necklace that connects skulls of various races on the neck. However, this orc has the same magical power as the terrifying magical power that Amga, who was ruining the northern land back then.. [It¡¯s going to be a fun fight!] As soon as Shu jumped off the horse, he charged Dormages at a terrifying speed. [Fugyaaaaaa!!] However, even though it has a giant body, Dormages managed to jump off from the tank with agile movements to avoid the attack. Then, when it noticed the second attack that was coming from the sword that was sitting on his waist, he flicked Shu. However, when Shu jumped back from the impact, he held the cross-shaped spear again and launched a follow-up attack at a terrifying speed. Dormages got ready with his sword, but¡­ Gakin! His sword broke from the root when he heard a dull sound. Shu took a breath here. He is not so immature that he rushed to take advantage of a great opportunity. It was at that time when the beast weakened its prey and calmly stabbed it during the hunting. Dormages jumped backwards with terrifying leg strength and took a distance. [Tsk!] Shu clicked his tongue and tried to attack again. However, at that moment¡­ [Shit! You bastard!] Dormages threw the handle of a sword which lost its blade at Shu. Shu parried it with a spear. But¡­ At that chance, Shu and Dormages had a silent moment. And Dormages didn¡¯t miss that moment. [Dirty scumbag! I¡¯ll make you regret it!] As soon as he shouted, Dormages jumped into the tank and snatched his big sword from it and pulled it out. A black and distorted blade and a terrifying pattern that seems to be drawn with blood; It was obvious to everyone that it was clearly not an ordinary weapon. [Goooooooooo!!] The moment when the sword was pulled out, Dormages¡¯s eyes turned crazy red and his breathing became rough as he gave a big roar. [Mu? Is that¡­ a cursed weapon?] Shu wondered. As he was wondering, at that moment: [Gaaaaaaa!] With that strange scream, Dormages jumped at Shu at a terrifying speed that couldn¡¯t be compared to before. [Wha!?] Surprised, Shu flew backwards and avoided it. However, Dormages also attacked in succession with the second and third slashes. [Tch!] When Shu managed to avoid them well, he made a sharp thrust in return. But again, Dormages easily avoided it and fired the next slash. Offense and defense. Shu thought inside his heart. (As expected from a demon beast that has become the king of a nation¡­ This is more than I imagined¡­) [Gaaaaaaaaa!!!] Dormages shouted at the surprised Shu and swung the big sword around. From all over his body, hiss terrifying magical power steadily increased and from his shoulders, black magical power, which could be called miasma, overflowed. (¡­What¡¯s with this guy? Did he improve his power one step further?) After seeing the situation, Shu began to increase the fighting spirit in his body in parallel with his magical power. He decided that he couldn¡¯t fight on an equal footing at the moment so he decided to take it seriously. Murakumo-Style Combat Technique [The boundary of the God of War]. Also known as [Magical Fighting Spirit]. It is a rough technique that combines magical power and fighting spirit to dramatically improve one¡¯s physical ability. Wearing that magical aura, Shu¡¯s body began to shine in silver. (I made a mistake. It seems that this fight won¡¯t end quickly. You have to do it seriously!) Shu thrust the Jumonji spear to the ground and pulled out his beloved sword [Raikiri]. And I put magical power and fighting spirit into the blade. Murakumo-Style Mysterious Art [Dragon Roar]. Shu had mastered this technique completely through training in the Margrave territory. I dared to unleash my greatest skill here. [Be prepared, Orc! Secret technique [Dragon Roar]] [Gumomo!?] A dragon made of the fighting spirit and magical power released by Shu dash towards Dormages. But Dormages took it head-on with its big sword. Dormages was blown far behind. However, he put a lot of effort into his legs and took the Dragon Roar head-on. He was thrown back and was breathing wildly¡­ but he was standing on two legs even after the Dragon Roar ended. [Im¡­possible¡­] Shu was surprised when his greatest skill failed. Dormages looked around his surroundings. And there he noticed for the first time about the current situation. The army of the demons under his control was defeated by the army of this unknown human race and their numbers were greatly reduced. And then¡­ Although Dormages had received the [Dragon¡¯s Roar], the opponent in front of him was a strong man that he has never faced before. And he still can afford to continue the fight. He became quite impatient. (This mysterious man¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s over after his big move earlier. I think he can still afford to continue.) On the other hand¡­ I can still fight. However, while dealing with this guy, the combat situation is becoming disadvantageous every moment. (It¡¯s unavoidable. Let¡¯s retreat from here.) The choice to retreat. He made a calm judgment despite being a demon beast. Dormages made a loud voice that echoed on the battlefield. Upon hearing the voice, the demons stopped moving uniformly and then began to retreat without hesitation. Dormages also glanced at Shu and flew away at a terrifying speed. [Shu-sama! The group of demon beasts is retreating!] A soldier on the side of Shu, who was watching over the battle as if he had been entranced with it, made a suggestion. But Shu shook his head at his word. [No¡­ we¡¯re not unharmed. Let us retreat at once. We¡¯ve achieved our goal.] With that said, he also ordered the entire army to retreat. Following the instructions, the Margrave Army quietly began preparing to retreat. The first event in this eastern continent was the retreat of the Dormadia Army. The invasion of the Margrave Army caused the Dormadia Empire to experience its first defeat since its founding. CH 167 Chapter 167 ¨C Eastern Expedition 3 ~ First Match vs. Byzeld ~ King Zackard of Byzeld looked forward with suspicion. Two days after entering the territory of Istrea. The mysteriously prepared food of the villages cultivated his spirit and he was about to head for the Royal Capital of Istrea. In front of him was an army that he had never seen appeared. [What the hell¡­ Are they¡­?] Zackard murmured. An army that he has never seen in this eastern continent that he has tried to conquer. Seeing that army, he couldn¡¯t hide his confusion. [I didn¡¯t know that Istrea had such an army?] It is a famous story that Istrea has no soldiers. They have taken a strategy of emphasizing domestic affairs and leaving the military affairs to other countries. Therefore there should be no soldiers on this territory. However, many soldiers are lined up in front of Zackard. He was able to see their skills from the army that acted in a trained and well-disciplined manner. [Even if you look at it that way, it doesn¡¯t make sense. I guess I should check it.] As soon as he said so, he moved the army on his left flank. And the formation of the opponent changed quickly as if in response to it. When he thought that he had split into two to pincer them, but it got swallowed like a living thing. A one-sided massacre unfolded. Zackard had no choice but to say nothing about this. He hurriedly tried to instruct the army¡¯s right flank to rescue the left. It was at that moment that he saw something impossible in front of him. [What do you mean¡­? A dragon !?] Yes, a dragon appeared and attacked the army¡¯s right flank. Following the dragon is an army of enemies. They rushed in with great momentum. [Your Majesty !? The number on both the left and right flanks had been greatly reduced. There may be enemies coming to this main army soon. It is better to retreat at once¡­ Guahhh!] However, it was Zackard¡¯s own sword that closed the mouth of his vassal. [That¡¯s for saying something stupid¡­ I think it¡¯s better to see what kind of person he is.] His own army was definitely collapsing. There were many annoying screams from both the right and left flanks. Nevertheless, Zackard grinned and smiled fiercely. Then, he picked up his beloved halberd which has a terrifying magical power and straddled his most favorite blue-haired horse-shaped monster. [Now, it¡¯s getting interesting. Let¡¯s make a visit to that side.] As he said so, he went to the center of the enemy army without going to the right or left. ===== ¡ô [He is moving.] [Yes. It looks like he is heading directly towards us.] Darius¡¯s reply is answered by a [Dragon¡¯s Eye] spy. [As expected. In this situation, I figured that he would be curious about the enemy general¡¯s face and would come charging in. It¡¯s bad for Sigurd, but I¡¯m the one who settled for this.] Darius told Sigurd that he would stay in the center, while Sigurd went to assault the enemy¡¯s right flank. Sigurd was looking at me with suspicion, but in the end, he accepted it and went into the enemy¡¯s right flank. And, as Darius expected, Zackard attacked the center, ignoring the right and left flanks where the unilateral massacre was unfolding. [Well, his aim may be to take the general¡¯s head.] [General¡­ But, there are two generals here, Sigurd-dono and Darius-dono¡­] [I doubt that guy knows about it. It¡¯s because he¡¯s heading here now.] Darius stood up with a grin. [Well, let¡¯s welcome him. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what kind of face he has.] ===== ¡ô Zackard runs through the Margrave Army of Schwarzer, as if running through an uninhabited field. Even the elite of the Margrave¡¯s army cannot stop his momentum. Zackard is heading to the center of the enemy. There is no reason but intuition. But he knows. There is definitely a [being] there. A monster. There was someone that stood in front of him. [I won¡¯t let him do anything he wants¡­ I¡¯ll be your opponent!] The main voice came from Darius¡¯s younger brother, Erhard, who was leading the army. Watching Ehrhardt¡­ Zackard laughed with his nose. [Hmph, it¡¯s not this guy.] [What are you talking about?] [¡­What I mean is you¡¯re not the one that I¡¯m looking for!] As such, Zackard advanced his beloved horse as if ignoring his existence. [¡­Kuh! How dare you to make fun of me!] Erhard is furious and he stuck his spear at Zackard. It was at that moment¡­ [Begone, small fry!] Zackard¡¯s halberd flashes. Erhard received the blow without any time to prepare. [Gaha!] A shock that he had never received before penetrated his whole body. And he was blown to the side with his beloved horse. [Guha!] Struck by the ground, Erhard couldn¡¯t breathe. However, he has to be prepared to prevent the second hit. At that time, when he held his spear with a flickering consciousness¡­ Zackard already went far away. From Zackard¡¯s point of view, he was a trivial opponent¡­ he was no different from a soldier. He is aiming for someone else¡­ There are two people with overwhelming martial arts that he felt on this battlefield. Zackard repeated the assault, relying solely on intuition, and¡­ He found it, he thought. [Are you the general in here?!] That being said, Zackard aimed his halberd toward the warrior¡­ he swung the halberd down toward Darius. ===== ¡ô He knew that overwhelming [violence] was approaching. Darius straddled Deathscythe and held his beloved spear [Houtenga] under his arm. [Oh, do you understand it?] He looked in the direction of the [sign] while calming down the vibrant Deathscythe. [Hey, let¡¯s sound the gong once again. Don¡¯t get close to him.] A bronze rhythm is carved into a certain rhythm. This signal is an instruction to [Do not deal with the enemy general]. [You don¡¯t have to throw your life for nothing. Cherish your life.] Darius left after having said that much and started running forward. [Well, I¡¯m excited. Let me entertain you!] In this way, Darius and Zackard¡­ the battle between the warlords who fought a historic match began. CH 168 Chapter 167 ¨C The Eastern Expedition 4 ~ The Apex of Martial Arts~ Gakinn! The sound of iron colliding against each other echoed on the battlefield. The sound came from the center of the battlefield. There are two men showing their powers. [It¡¯s you. It¡¯s definitely you! This overwhelming power!] Zackard was excited. There is a man who can take his best blow. [Isn¡¯t it late? I¡¯m tired of waiting.] Darius, who responded in a rough tone, also smiled at his expression. When each other took a good distance, they both looked at each other with a smirk. Zackard saw the man in front of him. A big man who is about the same height as himself. His bare muscles were bulging and his appearance was also elegant. He¡¯d never seen anything special about them, but it¡¯s definitely the real deal. The horse that he rode seems to be a demon beast. The black glossy hair and the ferocious eyes that shone red suggested that it is not an ordinary horse. Darius, on the other hand, also saw Zackard. About the same height. The developed muscles of his whole body and looked like a muscular dharuma. A golden armor helmet that covered the body. The halberd in his hand was full of black and terrifying magical power, and it was clear that he was a magic spear user. And that riding thing¡­ it¡¯s not a horse or a cow, it¡¯s obviously a demon beast. A cow-shaped demon beast covered with blue hair¡­ The two horns that shine black are like sharp blades. The thing that made them stop looking against each other¡­is because of Darius¡¯ beloved horse Death Scythe was neighing. Death Scythe got enthusiastic at seeing his opponent. As if to call it a signal, the two charged with tremendous force. [Oooohhh!] [Kaaaaaaaaa!] Every time the two people¡¯s strengths collide with each other, an invisible shock wave scattered throughout the battlefield. 5, 10 and even 20 times ¡­ The total number of weapon clashes has increased, but both men do not give up. [Gumo!] [Hooh!] Darius¡¯s beloved horse Deathscythe and the cow monster that Zackard straddled, did not move as if to boost his master. However, they hit their opponents with that sharp line of sight. When the number of clashes combined was about to exceed 50¡­ those two took another distance again. There are no words. But¡­ They have understood two things by exchanging spears now. One. Their way of fighting is similar. And two. If you don¡¯t take it seriously, you can¡¯t beat the man in front of you. [It¡¯s fun! It¡¯s really fun!] He shouted with a vicious laugh which made Zackard excited [Kaaaaaaa!] Along with that voice, Zackard raised the halberd overhead. The black miasma from the halberd overflowed and covered Zackard¡¯s body. Miasma began to drift from Zackard¡¯s body and the color of his eyes began to glow red. [It¡¯s the first physical strengthening method¡­] Darius muttered and glared at Zackard. His physical strengthening method is like a demon¡¯s. Some people use magic, but in some cases like Darius and his master Ares, they use fighting spirit to break through their limits, but using miasma is¡­ Darius took a small breath and¡­ [Hmph!] He took a deep breath. Along with that, the golden fighting spirit covers Darius. [Now, let¡¯s go for a second round!!] In this way, Darius and Zackard would clash spears again. ===== ¡ô Kin! Gakinn! The sound of their spears echoing on the battlefield. And every time their spears clash, an extraordinary amount of wind pressure is dug into the ground. Darius didn¡¯t care so much and drew out a heavenly painting with the wind pressure. However, as well as Zackard, he exchanged while twisting his body while identifying his enemy¡¯s weak point¡­ The next moment, he laid down his halberd. Darius also stopped and accepted the attack as if he knew the blow. The offensive and defensive movements continued¡­ The people around them can only watch over it. [¡­what should I do¡­?] A young soldier muttered, watching over the battle. [What can I do to be strong like that?] An unnamed young soldier muttered on the battlefield. The veteran soldier next to him replied with such words that everyone would normally ignore. [Are you sure you want to throw it away?] [Ha? What is it?] [Abandoning your humanity. By abandoning your humanity, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll end up with that kind of martial arts.] The martial arts that are unfolding in front of you. It¡¯s not a human skill. The young soldier was staring at the figure as if he was biting into the words of a veteran soldier. ===== ¡ô Zackard began to feel a little impatient. Ever since he was born, he didn¡¯t know anyone who could fight him this much. Most of them couldn¡¯t take one of his blows and have died until now. Yes, including his father. But, what about the man in front of him? He took his blow firmly and, on the contrary, launched a counterattack. And that blow is also so heavy that he had never experienced it¡­.. (The world is wide¡­ as there is a man like this.) Darius, on the other hand, was also waving his spear with surprise. (I was surprised. Isn¡¯t it the same martial art as the Lord, Sigurd, and Shu?) However, it is definitely different from Zackard. He knows a warrior equal to himself and is experiencing a deadly battle. There are people around him who, like him, have reached the culmination of martial arts. Sigurd, Shu, and his master, Ares. By acknowledging their existence, he was able to swing their spears more calmly than Zackard. However, such a margin is insignificant for the two of them today. Both Darius and Zackard¡­ smiled before the spear was put together, but now it¡¯s gone. It¡¯s easy to see that they are fighting within the limits. How long has it been since it started? The two pulled their spears again and took their distance. It was then that something incredulous happened. From the direction of the left flank of the Zackard army, a strange army that had never been seen on the battlefield appeared. [Oh, Darius. You seem to be doing something that looks fun.] A funny voice echoed in the tense battlefield. Yes, the man at the front spoke to him without reading the atmosphere. And Zackard is scared to stand up. The man¡­ was straddled on the dragon. [Oi oi, what happened to the enemy¡¯s left flank?] [Isn¡¯t it decided that we already crushed it, right?] [Haa. As expected from the dragon unit.] Two men were laughing at each other. But Zackard heard the words, turned his gaze backwards¡­ and clicked his tongue. Yes, it was the many dragon species behind him that came into his sight. He put it in sight and then immediately took action. He suddenly turned his horse¡¯s head in the opposite direction. The chance to fight numerous dragons was a bad call. And the man who was talking to that Darius¡­ That man is also a monster. It¡¯s bad to fight against two monsters here right now. Even now¡­ he heard that the right wing was swallowed by the enemy and the left wing was crushed¡­ [¡­Oi bastard, wait!] Without replying to Darius¡¯ words, Zackard started running. [I will¡­ never forget you¡­] When he glared with his red eyes, Zackard returned to his own camp. ===== ¡ô Zackard kicked off the Margraves¡¯ soldiers with a single horse, and returned to his main camp. Then the entire army will be ordered to retreat immediately. However, the decision was slow and his army was almost destroyed. The Byzeld army, which had invaded Istrea in this way, was thus almost destroyed. The retreat of Dormadia and Byzeld. That is something that has never been seen in the eastern countries. Their defeat marks the beginning of a major tide in these eastern nations. CH 169 Translator: Raizu Chapter 169 ¨C Entering Istraea [Margrave Ares Schwarzer, hooray!] [Hurray for the Margrave Army of Schwarzer!!] Many people of Istraea cheered toward the reinforcements who saved their city¡­ no, saved their country. [Hurray to the Arcadia Empire!!] Some even bear the name of the Arcadia Empire, which was a hypothetical enemy. Ares rode Sein and moved forward with a cramped smile. [I¡¯m not used to this kind of thing¡­] [From their point of view, we are their saviors¡­ So this kind of hospitality is obvious I guess?] Shu and others who were next to him were sneering as a matter of course. [Sigurd and Darius will be arriving here tomorrow¡­ So for the time being, let¡¯s meet them first before thinking about the next battle. And also¡­] Ares glanced at the window of a building. When I squinted, I saw men staring at me bitterly. [It looks like Istrea isn¡¯t solid either.] [There are those kinds of small people everywhere, but if they are malicious, we can make predictions based on what you can read¡­] [I don¡¯t think they can understand that. Well, Alfredo will probably get rid of them early before they make any moves because he¡¯s excellent.] Ares said that and laughed, and proceeded toward the castle gate. ===== ¡ô Istraea Castle, Throne room. Sitting at the center is Irene, who is currently reigning as the Regent as Queen Istraea. Beside that is Chancellor Erdan, and on the contrary, Alfredo, who looked confident. Some malicious intent had been directed toward such Alfredo. When you listen to them, you can hear the voice of grudges. [That traitorous guy¡­ He sold Istraea to Arcadia.] [¡­what kind of demands will they ask? It probably would be the same as if you were invaded either by Byzeld or Dormadia.] Eldan sighs deeply at the poisonous words. [Those idiots¡­ their heads would have been separated from their necks if we¡¯re being invaded¡­ How come they didn¡¯t realize that¡­] However, Alfredo, who was exposed to the malicious intent, laughed with a cool face. [Well, let me just say¡­ sooner or later, they will be rewarded too.] While saying so, Alfredo looks at Irene¡¯s face. She also has the expression that looked like her heart is not here at all. The Margrave army defeated the two nations who had overrun the eastern continent and almost swallowed Istrea in just one battle. It is the first meeting with the young hero Ares Schwarzer who led that army. No matter how much she has been in charge of national affairs for many years as a regent, it is no wonder she is nervous. Depending on her response, Istrea could be in jeopardy again. (Or perhaps something else¡­ maybe she is worried about that person.) Alfredo apologizes to her in his heart. During the other day¡¯s conversation, Irene nodded to Alfredo¡¯s proposal. She is also a politician, but she is also a woman. Even if I understand the importance of the proposal I proposed the other day, I think she is reluctant to accept it from the bottom of her heart. When Alfredo was thinking about that¡­ The soldier rushed into the throne room and said that Ares Schwarzer had arrived. His words change the atmosphere in the throne room immediately. While watching the situation, Alfredo stopped thinking at once and thought about what was about to begin. ===== ¡ô When Ares entered the throne room, the eyes of those who were there gathered at him. The dignified appearance of wearing a white armor with the dignity of a King. Coupled with his neat features, it¡¯s like watching a mythical Hero. In addition, a foreign swordsman standing next to him made his figure even more appealing. The aristocrats, who only knew the peacefulness of Istraea and knew nothing about the outside world, were silent as if they were drunk. (Muu¡­ As I expected¡­ He changed the air in this room in an instant¡­) Alfredo cannot hide his surprise when he saw the situation. The suspense that had filled the room and the malicious thoughts of the aristocrats earlier were instantly crushed. The heavy air flowed into the entire room. It was Irene¡¯s words and actions that broke that situation. When she stood up, she went downstairs and knelt deeply. [My name is Queen Irene and I¡¯m the Regent of the Kingdom of Istraea. I don¡¯t know how to thank His Excellency Margrave for the reinforcements. Thank you very much.] The Queen bowed her head, which is an act of decency. The Istrea aristocrats were amazed at the sudden event. Ares also opens his mouth without worrying about the appearance of such aristocrats. [Raise your head, Your Majesty Irene. I am a friend and only a nobleman in the Arcadia Empire. It will not be a good example to others if the Lord of this land bows her head.] When he laughed, Ares gently took Irene¡¯s hand and let her stand and return to the throne. Irene turned her gaze on their touching hands and blushed a little¡­ but soon she returned to the face of the politician and then she tightened his expression and sat on the throne. After that, Chancellor Erdan told Ares a formal courtesy and Ares heard it [while standing]¡­ it was a ritual that seemed to need to follow the rules¡­ Both Irene and Alfredo¡­ and many aristocrats turned their consciousness toward [Ares himself] more than the content. ===== ¡ô After the ritual in the throne room ended, Ares was sent to the private room next to the throne room. Only Ares and Shu are there. Ares looks at the room. A private room that seems to be everywhere in the royal castle. However, he did not overlook the fact that the room was magically prevented from leaking to the outside. [Well¡­ Is it apparently the main subject from here? I can¡¯t let my guard down.] As Ares reads the situation, after a while, Queen Irene, the Chancellors Erdan and Alfredo, who govern state affairs, enter the room. Three people who move the country appear in this confidential room¡­ This is apparently the true intention of Istrea. Ares prepared and waited for their words. After seeing the three sit in their respective seats¡­ Irene suddenly bowed deeply towards Ares. [Thank you very much for this time. Thanks to you, my Istrea was able to keep a lifeline.] [Your Majesty¡­ as I said earlier¡­] [There are no other subordinates in here. At least please let me thank you.] Like her, Eldan and Alfredo also bowed. [Ares-dono¡­ I also want to say my gratitude. Thank you very much. If you hadn¡¯t come, our necks would have already been lying around.] [¡­we are allies. We have a [secret agreement] with Alfredo there. You don¡¯t have to be afraid like that.] When he said that, Ares smiled and opened his mouth. [Rather than that¡­ let¡¯s talk about what¡¯s important now. What should we do in the future?] Irene and the others nodded to Ares¡¯ words. In this way, the summit meeting, which will hold the fate of the eastern continent in the future, started. ===== ¡ô [From now on, we are going to split into two and advance the army.] Ares told Irene about their future strategy. A map of the eastern continent is placed on the desk they surround. Ares first pointed to the northern land. [Shu and I here are going north and hitting Dormadia. There is information that the hordes of demons are currently operating in about three corps in Horus territory. We¡¯re gonna defeat them one by one.] Ares says lightly, but from the perspective of humans of Istraea, it is only a nightmare for the demon beasts to act in groups. Usually, demons and demonic beasts form flocks, but they never become a large group that can be called an [army corps]. Demonic beasts are creatures that work alone. It is precisely because such a demon beast was organized into an [army corps] that Dormadia succeeded in ruining the continent so much in such a short time. They heard that the demon beasts in Horus are currently in three locations. Apparently, they are divided into three corps. Each corps has a general who seems to be a demon and may be trying to re-invade Istraea if there is an opportunity while ruining Horus. [Margrave, I would like to briefly say¡­ That number of demon beasts, even though they are divided into three, aren¡¯t their numbers considerably huge?] Erdan¡¯s question is natural. If you want to destroy each one, shouldn¡¯t you aim to split their corps more? But, Ares answered the question in full confidence. [No, it¡¯s rather convenient. The biggest problem for us is that the demon beasts are scattered around and act like guerrillas. No matter how much you crush it, they will spring up again. King Dormadia, Dormages¡­ is an Orc King, the highest-ranked demon beast in the orcs¡­ I think they will realize it at the end halfway through. That¡¯s what we thought.] The words of Ares make the people of Istrea utterly speechless. [¡­in this battle¡­ I¡¯m going to [destroy] them. I¡¯m hoping to get them their rewards for what they have done here. For that purpose¡­ it¡¯s better for them to be in a big group.] Sweat appeared on Alfredo¡¯s forehead. Destroy the army of demon beasts¡­ it¡¯s not normally possible. However, the man in front of me says it like nothing. So formidable. Alfredo once again felt the awesomeness of a man named Ares. Ares continued his words without knowing Alfredo¡¯s thoughts. He pointed to the east side of the map and changed the topic. [On here¡­ I¡¯m going to send two Generals, Sigurd and Darius, to the direction of Byzeld. Do you know Darius?] Irene, Eldan, Alfredo: all three nod at the same time. The Principality of Grants, which was adjacent to the eastern continent and its guardian, [The Warrior of Grants], are also famous here. He is [an ally who should never be an ally]. [Sigurd¡¯s heroism is comparable to Darius, and¡­ he leads the [Dragoons]¡­ the strongest unit of our army.] The words [Dragon] made Irene stunned. Does it mean that he has taken care of that [Dragon species]? In that case, the battle situation will change significantly depending on the strength alone. Zackard, the King of Byzeld¡­ He seems used to fighting as well as his bravery. Unlike Dormadia, there is a possibility that enemy cavalrymen will be placed and use guerrilla tactics. However, even if that happens¡­ [Dragon] can deal with it by scattering the cavalry and attacking in a wide range.] Guerrilla tactics are used when dealing with a large army of soldiers. It¡¯s very effective when you¡¯re stalling or steadily reducing the number of enemies. But¡­what happens if you throw in a dragon? If it is a dragon, even if only one is deployed as a mercenary, you can deal with the cavalry. All you have to do is destroy and burn everything in the hiding place. Three of the Istrea people lost their ability to speak with Ares¡¯ words. The tactics that correspond to the two countries and the strength of the soldiers and the strength of the dragon species that make it possible¡­ I am more afraid of the power beyond their own imagination. Ares suddenly changed the story here. [Oh, by the way, I have one request.] Alfredo responds in spite of the sudden words. [What is it?] Seeing Alfredo¡¯s expression, Ares opened his mouth with a bitter smile. [Oh, don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯m looking for a person¡­] After taking a breath, Ares continues his words. [I¡¯m looking for the survivors of the Byzeld¡¯s royal family. I¡¯m sure¡­ I think he was Zackard¡¯s youngest brother, Leonhard.] ===== ¡ô After Ares and Shu left¡­ Irene sighed a little and Erdan collapsed. Alfredo, on the other hand, is staring at the map. [It¡¯s more than you can imagine¡­] Alfredo nods to Erdan¡¯s muttering. It¡¯s scary in a nutshell¡­ I don¡¯t want to get involved if I can. [But¡­ I think there is no other person who is so encouraging if you think of him as an ally.] It was Irene who responded to Alfredo¡¯s words. [Alfredo¡­ I have decided.] That said, Irene stood up quietly. [My Istrea will go together with him. Certainly¡­ I felt scared. But at the same time¡­ I felt a sense of relief that I hadn¡¯t had for a while. If he is with this Istraea¡­ No, even if it¡¯s only by extension, I think he is the one who will guide us to rule the eastern continent.] Both Alfredo and Erdan nodded to Irene¡¯s words. [Therefore¡­ I fully support him, and¡­ I will strive to connect the Margrave and Istraea with the [strongest bond as possible].] Upon hearing the words, Alfredo stared at Irene with a reading-like look, and Erdan involuntarily looked up at the sky. The silence stood for a while. And it was Erdan who broke it. [If your Majesty decides, we¡¯ll obey. We¡¯ll move to make it easier for you to do it in the future. First¡­ look for the royal family of Byzerd. And also¡­] [It¡¯s the movement of our own aristocrats.] Alfredo opened his mouth to cover Erdan¡¯s words. [Fumu¡­ right now, if we¡¯re just relying on Margrave, we¡¯ll just wait for our destruction. As far as we can see, they won¡¯t do anything crazy. We have to take immediate action before they move.] Then Erdan turned his gaze toward Irene. [Her Majesty¡­ Until now, we have considered Her Majesty¡¯s will and left them alone without dealing with them. And they are being overconfident and are now destroying this country¡­] [Eldan¡­ I already know¡­] Irene interrupted Erdan¡¯s words with a painful expression¡­ and continued. [To be honest¡­ I didn¡¯t want to do this kind of thing, but¡­ I can¡¯t change them for the sake of the well-being of the country and the people. Please try to be [gentle].] Eldan and Alfredo heard the words and bowed deeply. Only a few days after Ares entered Istraea¡­ Istraea will also undergo a major change in the [aristocrat] problem that has not been dealt with until now. CH 170 Chapter 170 ¨C Istraea¡¯s Noble Rebellion [Damn! That traitorous Alfredo!] The Istraea noble Rajj Gomez shouted as he was about to return to his room. [He will regret it.] [He must be being cocky because of his familial relationship with Her Majesty.] [If we keep going like this, we¡¯ll just be robbed of everything by the Margrave of Schwarzer¡­!! We shouldn¡¯t just hold our hands anymore!] Following him are the nobles of his faction. They are in tune with Rajj and expressed their opinions as they pleased. When Rajj sat down on a chair in his room, he bit his nails and made a moody expression. The color of impatience can be seen from the face. Rajj Gomez was in his mid-30s. He had a thin beard on his blonde hair and was known as one of the most beautiful men among the Istraean aristocrats. His title is Marquis. He grew up without any inconvenience, partly because of the high-ranking aristocrats of the peaceful country of Istraea. He got everything that he wanted: status, fame, luxuries and even women. Since he got everything, what he wants the most now is [The Istraea Kingdom itself] Thus he had always aimed to be the marriage partner of Queen Irene. By becoming the Prince Consort, she reached the position of [Regent] that she is currently in charge of and took over the country as it was¡­ He had been planning such a plan with the nobles who followed him from the day he took the title. By teaming up with aristocrats one after another, the prime minister Eldan has now created a great force that cannot be ignored. However, the plan, which seemed to be going well, went bankrupt. One is that Irene didn¡¯t look at him at all. Although Irene is already over 30 years old, her beauty is not overshadowed but rather her beauty seems to increase with age. And¡­ she has a mysterious charm and even the Rajj that gets used to women sometimes receives the urge to attack her. That¡¯s why I thought he was the right woman for him as the leading aristocrat. And for years, Rajj has been meticulously planning to get her. His plan was to build a large faction and then openly welcome Irene as his wife, backed by his faction. It can also be said that Rajj knows all about the creatures called [women]. He is still single and yet has experienced many women. That¡¯s why it¡¯s easy to trap her who doesn¡¯t know a man other than the former king¡­ He thought so. However, Irene¡¯s attitude didn¡¯t catch up to that. Yes¡­ She didn¡¯t care about the pressure of many aristocrats and she also wasn¡¯t interested in his invitation. Irene never turned her attention to Rajj at all. And the second reason is the invasion of Dormadia and Beiseld. But for him, it could be called a bolt out of the blue. The more information he collected, the more pessimistic the information was about these two countries. Far from getting Istraea, his current lifestyle is in danger. Because of the current peaceful Istraea, he has been able to do whatever I want. So he decided to change his policy. Dormadia is a demon beast country. Therefore, he cannot take any action toward this country. But, it¡¯s different with Byzeld. King Beiseld is a human being, although it is said that he was [like a beast]. He is capable of making negotiations. In this way, Rajj decided and made a secret agreement with Byzeld¡­ and made a [verbal promise] to protect his life and position on the condition that he advised Queen Irene to surrender and open the gate when they invaded¡­.. ¡­he doesn¡¯t know that Zackard doesn¡¯t care about such things. Rajj laughed, saying that this was a relief. As it is, he will serve the king of Byzeld and will trust Istraea¡¯s administration to him¡­ He shallowly drew such a plan on his head. But again, an unexpected development happened. That was the participation of the Margrave of Schwarzer. They came into Istraea as Heroes after kicking Dormadia and Byzeld. Based on his information gathering, it seems they came guided by Alfredo, who is also his political enemy. Rajj was now in a difficult situation. ===== ¡ô Only a few days after Ares Schwarzer entered the castle. The aristocrats of the kingdom were still in discussions in Rajj¡¯s room. The main discussion is how they will move in the future. Rajj was impatient. If it becomes clear that he had been in secret contact with Byzeld¡­ He didn¡¯t think that he would be spared the crime of death, but probably he wouldn¡¯t be in Istraea. Eldan and Alfredo¡¯s spies are capable. He hadn¡¯t been found out yet, but they may eventually reach him. Before that happened, he now had two ideas. One option was to shift the blame to the nobles in front of him and then escape. However, he may have missed the timing. Originally it should have been done before Margrave entered the capital. There is no doubt that it will be unnatural and suspicious after he enters the castle. When it comes to that, there is another way and that is what they are currently discussing: a coup d¡¯etat. The Margrave had just entered the castle with such hospitality and I don¡¯t think many aristocrats will move like this. Furthermore, he heard the Margrave army that was heading for Byzeld will arrive here tomorrow. So before that¡­ Defeat the political enemies such as Eldan, Alfredo and also the Margrave and I¡¯ll surrender Queen Irene as a gift. It was regrettable for Irene, but it can¡¯t be helped here. He himself is more important now. Rajj sees the aristocrats in front of him. The discussion looks strange. They rarely have such a bloody experience and are terrifyingly excited from the perspective of the Rajj. [We should change Istraea!] [Rajj is the new King!] That was the moment when the aristocrats shouted and the excitement was at its peak. The door of Rajj¡¯s room opened with a loud noise. The ones who rushed-in like an avalanche are none other than the ones who protected the peace of Istraea, the [Istraea Knights]. Although their numbers are small and unsuitable for battle, they are still a unit with a number of elite heroes. [Fu¡­ so rude!] [Know your place! Scum!] [Who do you think we are?!] Aristocrats cursed the sudden invasion. However, the members of the Knights did not respond to such swearing and tied them up. Due to the rapid development, Rajj doesn¡¯t have any choice besides giving up. In front of him who was stunned, a man, not a knight, stood in front of him. [You are¡­ Alfredo¡­!] [His Excellency Gomez¡­ No, let¡¯s call this place the rebel Rajj.] [¡­There is no reason for me to be called like that by someone like you!] Rajj¡¯s face is angry and bright red. Alfredo continues his words without worrying about such a thing. [¡­..Rajj-dono, no, the rebel Rajj Gomez. You have conspired with Byzeld to commit treasonous acts against the kingdom.] Upon hearing the words, Rajj¡¯s complexion changed from red to blue. [Wh- that¡¯s stupid. Where is the evidence¡­] [Here is your evidence.] Alfredo threw several letters to him. [Both are letters of communication between you and the Kingdom of Byzeld.] [W-why this!?] [You did make a mistake at your last action.. Marquis Gomez.] With that said, Alfredo smiled with his neat mouth. [You¡­ and the aristocrats here¡­ I¡¯m afraid that many already know that you all attempted to rebel. If you spoke so loudly like this¡­ obviously the ones outside will notice. It¡¯s a pity that you didn¡¯t realize that there was a knight outside¡­] [Kuh¡­.] Rajj distorted his face. [Well¡­ I will not forgive the rebels. You are all guilty of death. Private property is confiscated, leaving the bare minimum. Your faction will be banished from Istraea¡­] When I heard that, Rajj became nervous. The other aristocrats went into a frenzy. [Stupid! We are aristocrats! How come we¡¯re being sentenced to death?!] [I don¡¯t like it! I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to dieeee!] [You scum ¡­ Don¡¯t say anything you want!!] However, Alfredo coldly told them. [What you were trying to do was treason against the nation. Death is a matter of course. You can¡¯t say you were an aristocrat but didn¡¯t know?] Until now, they have enjoyed the privilege of being aristocrats and have come freely. As is often the case in every country, their growth was terrible for Istraea in times of peace. Aristocrats who were taken in were crying. While watching the figure, Rajj whispered to Alfredo. [Your Majesty! Does your Majesty know of such an abusive action!?] Queen Irene is well-known with her compassionate heart. However, both Rajj and Alfredo noticed that it was too sweet. Alfredo gently shows a piece of paper to Rajj while looking at him with cold eyes. Rajj looked through the paper¡­ and collapsed with a blue face. It was Irene¡¯s autograph for an arrest warrant and a power of attorney to leave everything to Alfredo for the future. [You know everything, including the punishment you will receive after this.] Rajj silently hangs on the words. [It is Her Majesty¡¯s gratitude to give the minimum amount of goods without taking the life of the rest of your faction¡­] With that said, Alfredo sat down at the same height as Rajj and continued his words. [Your Majesty has decided to dedicate all of Istraea to His Majesty the Margrave and gonna follow him¡­ His Excellency Gomez¡­ The times are changing; This continent and Istraea too.] Rajj did not respond and was taken to the knights. Thus, in just a few days after Ares entered the castle¡­ At an unpredictable rate, Istraea also underwent a major change. CH 171 Translator: Raizu Chapter 171 ¨C Istrea¡¯s move [Honestly, I didn¡¯t think he would take action so quickly.] Ares laughed and muttered at Zekka next to him. There is a letter in his hand. This is the report of the last few days given by Zecca. And there was a clear description of how Alfredo and his friends ¡°purged¡± the Istrea aristocrats. [Well, this makes it easier for me to move and they can¡¯t hold onto my weaknesses¡­ let¡¯s just say that both are good.] That said, Ares gently put the report on his desk. Istrea¡¯s power struggles were already known before he entered his land. The Chancellor faction to which bureaucrats involved in political affairs belong, including Alfredo. And the aristocratic faction to which the prestigious aristocrats of Istrea belong, led by Rajj Gomes. They are in conflict with each other, their powers are in opposition¡­ and they are in a very unstable situation despite the crisis that involved the survival of the nation. Alfredo and the Chancellor are struggling to protect the country, but the aristocrats are trying to pull their feet to retain more power. Ares was also informed that the aristocratic leader, Rajj Gomez, was trying to establish contact with Byzeld even before he entered Istrea. Don¡¯t be fooled by the behavior of a small person and there are times when such a person makes unexpected movements. Therefore, he predicted the possibility that he would be dragged in the fight against Byzeld in the future and even devised countermeasures in advance. [And if that happened, I was thinking of using it further¡­ but that¡¯s no longer necessary.] Ares laughed. Fake information will be sent to them to disturb their movement or launchiing a surprise attack from behind when they joined the Byzeld¡­ There was no limit to what they could do. And that¡¯s not all. Ares wanted to take advantage of them only after they were wiped out. Eliminating the rebels will bring great benefits to the Chancellor faction, such as Alfredo. By doing so, it will be possible to have more influence in Istrea, and it will be easier to govern the eastern continent in the future. Istrea is now completely in his hands. He doesn¡¯t think there will be any betrayal. But in this turbulent world, Ares doesn¡¯t know when an ally will jump out of his palm. With that in mind, it must be advantageous to have a lot of cards against your opponent. [Well, it would be hard for them to benefit too much. Also, even here, if they pull your leg every time, it may be affected to some extent. I think this was good.] And he thinks Eldan, the head of the faction, is also capable, but it¡¯s likely not only his plan. Perhaps that Alfredo must have taken immediate action, thinking about what happened after the war. After all, the man named Alfredo is excellent. That¡¯s why¡­.. [It¡¯s the same with getting the eastern continent¡­ but that guy has to drag me along into joining with whatever he wants¡­] It was Ares who said that and laughed happily. ===== ¡ô It¡¯s been about 5 days since he entered Istrea. It seemed that there was some confusion as the aristocrats were wiped out, but it was already expected by Alfredo. He was prepared for such a situation in advance and there was not much confusion. During the quiet process, Ares had various discussions with Irene, Eldan, and Alfredo about future developments. The main content is also about the war against both Dormadia and Byzeld. [After General Sigurd and General Darius have returned, replenished and rested, I¡¯m planning for them to advance their troops to Horus and Toronto. Istrea will provide them with logistical support¡­ Please arrange for supplies.] Ares explains to them, pointing at the map. [I know your Excellency¡¯s strategy, and it¡¯s a force that makes it possible. But¡­ Even if you think about it, isn¡¯t the number too small when dealing with these two countries? Although I¡¯m sure they will win, I don¡¯t think there will be any damage¡­?] Ares nods to Alfredo¡¯s words. [Yeah. For that¡­] Ares said that, pointing to Horus, then Toronto¡­ and the city beyond which was the capitals of several ruined nations. [All the people of these lands are suffering from invasion. Let them riot and hunt the enemies down from within the country.] That said, I looked at the faces of the three. [¡­But wouldn¡¯t that damage the innocent people?] It was Irene who showed a sad expression in Ares¡¯ words. Upon hearing the words, Ares smiled reassuringly and opened her mouth. [The freedom you get without doing anything will break soon.] He takes a breath and continues his words. [If you settle for the freedom that you have been given, they will only wait for help in the face of the next disaster¡­ but can you call it true freedom?] Asked Ares. True freedom is what you win by your own hand. And if one wants to protect the freedom he has won, he must use his wisdom and muster the courage to protect it at the risk of his life. And that¡¯s¡­ what it means to get true freedom. Three people lost their words to Ares¡¯ words. And Irene bowed deeply and apologized. [His Highness¡¯ deep-laid plans and thoughts¡­ I am deeply impressed. It was not my place to interfere. I apologize for that.] [No, I understand your Majesty Irene¡¯s feelings. Actually¡­ I want to help them more honestly¡­.] With that said, Ares laughed at Irene. [In any case, in order to end this war¡­ we need the cooperation of everyone in the eastern continent. Let¡¯s work closely together.] ===== ¡ô Starting from a meeting, various consultations and then further discussions¡­ After entering Istrea, Ares¡¯s day ended in no time. [There are so many things to do¡­ Should Zion bring George too¡­?] With that said, Ares thought of the two faces. [No, why don¡¯t those two come instead?] Zion is innately troublesome and George is obsessed with developing the territory. [I went to the north last time, but this time only the Lord is enough! Please give me time to read a book once in a while.] Recalling Zion¡¯s face, which refused to conquer the eastern region, Ares laughed. And then, when the night was late¡­ Suddenly, Ares was invited to Irene¡¯s room because she wanted to speak with him. While sitting on the sofa in the center of the room, Ares looked around. (Umm¡­ uncomfortable¡­) A women¡¯s private room; The interior is neatly arranged and it was not understated that white lily seems to symbolize her grace. And¡­ I could see a luxurious bed like a royal family in my sight, and I couldn¡¯t help myself. Ares is a well-known hero all over the continent and has many wives, but¡­ he is still nervous in a woman¡¯s room. (What on earth is this call at this time¡­) Maybe it¡¯s a trick¡­ when he thought about that. Gachari The sound of the door opening reached Ares¡¯s ears and Irene came in slowly. [Sorry to keep you waiting¡­] [Ah, no, that¡¯s¡­..yes!?] Ares responded immediately, looking in the direction of his voice¡­ and then involuntarily turning away. The reason why Ares turned away¡­ because there was a figure of Irene wearing a pale pink sleeping garment which her naked body could be seen through. You can clearly see her full breasts because of the thin underwear that she wore. Ares couldn¡¯t hide his nervousness. [Y-Your Majesty! Isn¡¯t this a bit bad for you?] Said Ares in a hurry. Yes¡­ he is so calm and amazing in military and politics, but¡­ He was still inexperienced to this, so much that Gilbert calls him a [little kid]¡­ On the other hand, Irene was looking at him with a different feeling than when she came in. (I heard that he has many wives¡­but it seems he is more naive than I expected¡­.) Irene was also in tension until she entered this room. Over the past few days, they had been somewhat in awe of his politics and military tactics through his sheer calmness. So what does it look like in a situation like this? She heard that he has many wives beforehand. He may be very sexually active. Maybe he is just looking at a woman as a tool. She might be treated roughly¡­ Even though she was prepared, she was also a woman. Going with an unfamiliar man¡­ was very courageous. However¡­ Now, looking unexpectedly at Ares¡¯s appearance¡­ Irene smiled. And it eased Irene, who was just as tense, and gave her an upper advantage. [For the time being, the leader of a country is not good to be looked at like this! It¡¯s too bad! First of all, please change your sleeping clothes first¡­] [Ares-dono¡­ I always wear this outfit when I go to bed¡­ is there something wrong? ] [No! I said it¡¯s alright except you can do it when you¡¯re alone!] Irene smiled gently at Ares¡¯ words. When she saw Ares in a hurry, the person that she thought [terrifying] was changed became [cute]. [I don¡¯t think those are the words that should come from Ares-dono who¡¯s a hero that has many wives these days. I¡¯ve heard that heroes prefer¡­ a [variety] of things, you know?] With that said, Irene approached Ares and took his hand. [Ares-dono¡­ I have a request.] [W-what is it?] Ares sweat profusely. And then Ares lost his words to the words spun from her mouth. [Please go to bed with me¡­ can you hold me?] CH 172 Translator: Raizu Chapter 172 ¨C The Curse of Attraction [Can you hold me?] Irene stared straight at Ares, saying a line that seemed embarrassing to herself. Ares also stared at Irene with a confused expression, listening to her words. A time of silence wraps both of them. Irene wondered if this silence would last forever. Given her appearance, Irene Istrea is expected to be a very experienced person due to her overflowing sex appeal. But¡­ it¡¯s completely different. Irene¡¯s male partner was only the first king. Moreover, because the other party was old, they only did it a few times. And she had children after those few times and made him into a successor. So to speak, when it comes to that kind of thing, she was a beginner and innocently naive. Irene¡­ even though she showed an advantage with her age¡­ but the truth was that her mind and body were trembling. On the contrary, Ares did not answer anything. But¡­ He is looking at Irene as if I¡¯m looking for something. And¡­ He opened his mouth. The contents were enough to surprise Irene. ===== ¡ô [Irene-dono.] Ares raised his right hand in front of Irene¡¯s face. Irene trembled as she saw it. [Ah, it¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t do anything strange?] With that said, Ares began to increase her magical power. His right hand began to glow quietly yet warmly. [Ares-dono¡­? What are you doing¡­?] It was when Irene muttered that she realized that a change had occurred in herself. [Eh? What? What is this¡­?] Irene was surprised. Yes, there is a shining red pattern appearing on her neck. [It¡¯s a curse.] Ares quietly told the surprised Irene. [Curse?] [Ah, you didn¡¯t know that? Well, I thought maybe that was the case¡­] Ares said so and lowered his hand. As his magical power disappeared, the pattern on Irene¡¯s neck also disappeared. [Since I first met you, I was wondering if something was wrong¡­ but I¡¯m convinced now.] With that said, Ares began to explain to Irene about the curse. ===== ¡ô There is something called a [Crest] in this world. It¡¯s like a sign that embodies the magical power that resides in you. Magical power is born and many human beings have different sizes. However, it cannot be used without the [Crest]. Often, it is carved into the body. A good example is the [Magic Crest] that magicians carve on themselves to use magic. However, engraving the [Crest] is a specialty of the [Crest Master] and requires a very large amount of money, so the general public has no access to it. Also, even if the [Crest] is carved, it is compatible with the attributes and requires various studies to deal with it¡­ It was unrelated to the common people on this continent. The guide mark of magic that dwells in the human body; that is the [Crest]. [Can you see this?] When he said that, Ares rolled up his sleeves and showed Irene his arms. With his moderately trained arms exposed, Irene appeared a little confused. [What was wrong with¡­your arm?] [Oops, excuse me. You can¡¯t tell from this alone.] With that said, Ares quietly put his magical power into his arm. [¡­! This is¡­!] It¡¯s no wonder Irene is surprised. This is because a number of Magical Crests appeared on Ares¡¯s arm in an overlapping manner. [The one that shines without color is the magical crest of my attribute magic [Null]. After that¡­ the spirit crest with a mischievous spirit and the contract crest with the demons¡­] Not only magic, but also summoning and spiritual arts use magical power. Therefore, the [Crest] that is the guidepost of the magical power is needed. [I¡¯ve heard about it¡­ but this is the first time I¡¯ve actually seen it¡­] [Well, unless you¡¯re a Royal family, you won¡¯t actually see it. It¡¯s not embarrassing.] Ares kindly answered Irene, who was ashamed of her lack of knowledge. [And¡­ it¡¯s not well known to the world from here.] Ares continued. [Among them, the one that has the strongest power is one who has the [Marked Sign].] And [Marked Sign] Is not something that is what you want. It was received after you were born. Among the [Marked Sign], the ones with the most powerful power are the so-called [Engraved]. There are only eight of them in the world and the number of people who are said to have had them in history is limited. However, whether they were good or bad, most of them make a name for themselves in history. And about [Marks] other than [Engraved]. [It¡¯s not as powerful as the [Engraved], but it¡¯s much stronger than the normal [Marks]. Therefore¡­ I never heard any good rumors about the end of its owner.] They did not have the [Marks] they wanted. And¡­ their abilities vary and some can even cause harm to their masters. Therefore¡­ the name given by the magicians. [Cursed Marks] It is no exaggeration to say that it is a [Curse] for the owner. [¡­ What your Excellency wants to tell me is¡­] [Yes. The pattern on your Majesty¡¯s chest¡­ it¡¯s a [Curse].] ===== ¡ô Irene was confused by the unexpected first story. [Well, it¡¯s normal to be confused¡­ Honestly, it¡¯s my first time seeing it too. It has more information than [Engraved], but I don¡¯t know much¡­] When Ares said that, he held his hand in front of Irene again and released his magical power. Along with that, the [Cursed Marks] on Irene¡¯s chest began to glow. [¡­Your Excellency¡­ My power is¡­] [Maybe it¡¯s a stronger version of the [Fascination] power used by succubi and incubi¡­ Let¡¯s call it [Charm] for now.] That said, Ares stopped holding his hand. At the same time, the [Curse Marks] on Irene¡¯s chest also disappeared. [¡­Maybe there was someone in your Majesty¡¯s relatives who knew about this. It was overwritten and hidden by powerful magic. But¡­ since this is a [Cursed Mark]¡­ it seemed difficult to control the overflowing power.] In Ares¡¯ words, Irene remembered going to a magician many times before entering the Royal family. That was¡­ to hide this. Ares was also often convinced by seeing the [Cursed Marks]. Perhaps Irene¡¯s [Cursed Marks] broke through the multiple layers of concealment crests and leaked out. Therefore, the men were attracted to her and couldn¡¯t stop¡­ Yes, such as King Dormages of Dormadia Kingdom and Zackard of King Beiseld. Alfredo and Eldan, who are close to her, are her relatives. Therefore, it is difficult to apply the power of [Curse Marks]. But the other guys¡­ She had heard that many aristocrats also wanted her. Not to mention her natural beauty, there is no doubt that the power of the [Cursed Marks] was also one of the causes. [For now, let me cast a stronger concealment spell and then¡­ I think you can live a more peaceful life.] [¡­wasn¡¯t your Excellency influenced by my [Cursed Marks]?] [I¡­ well, let¡¯s say that I have a special constitution.] That said, Ares gently touched his eyes. [?] [Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t mind it.] When I said that, Ares laughed self-deprecatingly. [Well then¡­ let¡¯s hide the curse mark¡­] When he said that and reached for the curse on her chest¡­ [Please wait, Ares-dono.] Irene betrayed Ares¡¯s expectation and pushed her hand away. ===== ¡ô [¡­Your Majesty Irene?] [His Excellency¡­ It¡¯s fine with the secrecy. Thank you for telling me various things. I feel that I understood everything with everything that I don¡¯t know at all.] Irene holds the hand of Ares and spun her words. And she gently pulled her hand to her chest. [This curse was part of me so you don¡¯t have to hide it.] With that said, Irene looked straight at Ares¡¯ eyes. With that strong look, Ares¡¯s heart jumped. [His Excellency¡­ Let¡¯s talk about politics from here.] [¡­..] [Your Excellency is trying to use this chance to get the eastern continent by saving this country called Istrea¡­ isn¡¯t it ?] [¡­..] Ares was lost for words at Irene¡¯s statement. Irene continued. [Istrea is a country with an old tradition alongside Byzeld on the eastern continent. I think it would be easier to govern if you could connect with either of those countries. Am I wrong?] [¡­..I don¡¯t understand what your Majesty wants to say. What did you want to say?] [What I mean is¡­] Irene said that she had taken a breath and decided. [If I give birth to your child¡­ it will be a strong bond, an unbreakable bond¡­ that¡¯s what I thought.] ===== ¡ô The next morning. Ares was awakened by the refreshing breeze and greeted the morning. Looking to the side, there was the happy sleeping face of Irene. Ares embraced her at Irene¡¯s suggestion. It is nothing but an agreement between Ares and Irene. If Irene gives birth to Ares¡¯ children, it becomes a strong bond between the Margrave and the Istrea Royal family. The child will become the center of national affairs as an assistant to the next King, Elliott, and with them as the flag, the eastern continent will be easier to rule. For Istrea, they can draw in the overwhelming force of Ares as another source and can become the leader of the eastern continent, albeit it is only a front. It¡¯s a win-win scenario. At the same time¡­ Ares thought: [For some reason, this person is also having a hard time.] Ares refused at first. Even if she didn¡¯t do that, he¡¯ll be on Istraea¡¯s side. However, he noticed it as he talked with her aside from the political matters. [Loneliness] The pain of those who stood at the top, which Ares has felt before. She couldn¡¯t communicate with the former King, who was a political marriage partner. And after he left early, she was the only one to defend the country of Istraea. [It¡¯s a strange story. No one has ever told such a story.] Seeing Irene laughing with tears saying that¡­ Ares¡¯s heart was decided. After that, they did it many times. He felt embarrassed when he thought about it. However, when he looked at her sleeping face, a thought ran across his mind: Be sure to protect it. [I have to explain this to Cornelia¡­ I wonder if she will get angry?] He¡¯s sure she will get angry. But¡­ she is also excellent as a politician and as a [person]. She will understand the circumstances behind it and, at the same time, she will understand her own feelings. [I wonder if I am being spoiled by her?] I think so. For some reason, Cornelias understood and accepted what they did. [But¡­ maybe Cornelia will have more powerful allies¡­?] While thinking about such a thing, Ares laughed bitterly. CH 173 Translator: Raizu Chapter 173: Eastern Expedition part 5 ¨C Dormages¡¯ move [Gaaaaa!] Dormages roared and threw the fruit that he had in his hand against the wall. The fruit splashed to the wall, making a rattling noise. The reason why he¡¯s frustrated¡­ It was a report of his army¡¯s defeat on each battlefield. After being defeated in Istrea, Dormages raised the army of demons to the border of the Kingdom of Horus. The Dormages army has won a series of battles until now and he doesn¡¯t think it will collapse with a single loss¡­ He will recover immediately and sortie again for Istrea¡­ Dormages was planning to do so, but the situation changed completely. After being defeated by Istrea, many nations under its control rebelled. The first thing that regained momentum was the Kingdom of Horus, which surrounded the Royal capital. It was the Demon General Gilvales who was hunting down the Royal capital to the point of its fall. Bad news was reported to him over there. Yes, it¡¯s the news of the Dormages defeat. Upon hearing this, Gilvales immediately united the army of demons to save the king, raised it to the border with Istrea and planned to join with Dormages. They stationed a minimum number of beasts and soldiers in the occupied areas in the Kingdom of Horus. And then they reorganized their decimated army and tried to invade Istrea again. However, the Kingdom of Horus did not overlook the movement of the Dormadia army. They took this opportunity to recapture the areas that had been suppressed. They got their hands on intel that the Dormadia forces only had a few garrisoned soldiers, so they reclaimed the area. With that, they were able to wipe out the Dormadia forces in the country. Reports of the defeat of the Dormadia army and the news of the recapture of his own country by the Kingdom of Horus; These news shook the whole of Dormadia¡¯s territory. The people, who could not stand the oppression of the demons, heard the news and decided to revolt all at once. In this way, Dormadia, who ruled one-third of the eastern continent with fear, was transformed into a war zone where humans and demons fought in various places¡­ ===== ¡ô Dormages was looking at the map of the eastern continent with a bitter face. The kingdom of Dormadia, which governed one-third of the eastern continent he had built in the last few years was¡­ cut in half in just a month. There are three causes. One is the invasion of the Istraea army. Yes, that army that appeared when he invaded his country. They now appeared in Dormadia, releasing the occupied territories one after another. No, to be exact, it might be different from the Istraea army. It is a famous story that Istraea had no soldiers. Therefore, someone outside of the country would have stepped in to help this country. An unidentified army¡­ Dormadia has not yet been able to win against that army. Dormages knows about [the power of numbers]. He built such a widespread plan in just a few years because he led an overwhelming number of demon beasts and dropped the city with the power of numbers. Therefore, Dormages gathered soldiers all over the place and instructed them to meet them, but¡­ the unidentified army swallowed their numbers and kicked them away. Dormadia¡¯s army was devastated on both battlefields and the number of his proud demon beast army had now become small. The second is the large scale revolt of the conquered countries. The people of the important bases in each area rebelled at the same time, as if they had been planned. Normally, he would crush it with force without difficulty¡­ but this time the situation is different. It is not possible to deploy enough troops to crush it. As many of his soldiers were tied down dealing with the Istrea army, there were only a few demon beasts and soldiers in each area. And¡­ as if in anticipation of that, each territory rebelled. Dormages didn¡¯t take this very seriously when he first received the news. For him, a person is no different from livestock that brings wealth. And they are robbing everything that can be their weapon. With his demon beast soldiers, there¡¯s nothing to fear from humans without weapons because they are the same as livestocks¡­.. But here too, his predictions were off. They had weapons and accurate information, and collaborated with each other to create a rebellion. This freed up many conquered territories, forcing Dormadia to reduce its scale. The last thing to mention is the absence of a [General] in the Dormadia army. The Dormadia army is an army of demon beasts. The power of numbers is very powerful, but¡­ there are only a few who are capable of controlling it. In order to command a demon beast, it is necessary to have enough [Power] to make the demon beast submit. And when it comes to those who have both command and intelligence as a general¡­ Their numbers are small among the demons. In that case, he had only a few people besides the Demon General Gilvalez. And some of his generals were also defeated during the invasion of Istraea. Therefore, his army of demon beasts had become a mob without any cooperation. [At least if there is another Gilvalez¡­] Gilvales is currently leading an army to suppress the rebellion. At that point, it was reported that the Istraea army had invaded Dormages¡¯ territory. [¡­Oi.] After worrying for a while, Dormages told his close aides: [Bring the [cat guy] who is being held in prison.] [¡­?] The aides couldn¡¯t understand Dormages¡¯ instructions and were just confused. Seeing that, Dormages shouted without hiding his frustration. [¡­Bring a man of [the True Beast Man] who has a lion¡¯s face!!] When he yelled, Dormages grinned and laughed. [Let¡¯s get that cat guy out¡­. It seems that true beasts value their [friends] more than anything else¡­] When I said that, Dormages started laughing out loud. CH 174 Chapter 174. Eastern Expedition 6 ¨C True Beast Man True beastman. It is said to be the ancestor of the beastmen currently throughout the Arcadia continent. Among the subhumans, those who are called beastmen are those who have human faces and bodies and some of them have the partials of beast blood. In other words, it has various characteristics such as tail, ears and thick body hair. And all of them have higher physical abilities than humans. Compared to the beastmen who have the appearance of such a human race, the appearance of the true beastman is even closer to the beast. Its face is a lion, a tiger, a leopard or a wolf¡­ its whole body is covered with hair. And the ability is even higher than the beastmen, and if they are active as warriors, they will all be warriors on par with thousands. There are some demons that look like beasts. The best examples are the orcs and werewolves. However, they are generally called [Demon Beastmen] rather than [True Beastmen] because of their differences The decisive difference between a true beast and a demon beast lies in its birth and growth. The demon beasts who were born from darkness and worshiped darkness generally do not have morality and their constitutions are similar to beasts. Many of them cannot speak the language and their intelligence is low. On the other hand, the true beast man is a venerable clan which descended from the Beast God from ancient times. They have high intelligence and a correspondingly high pride. Those true beasts¡­ They hate to stand out, and most of them live quietly in remote areas. There are several reasons for this. The first reason was to avoid being the target of persecution. The church advocates human supremacy. Therefore, demihumans, like beastmen and long-eared elves, are being persecuted. Among them, the true beastmen and the long-eared elves, looking very similar to demons, were believed to be the cause of evil. Both demon beasts and true beasts are still subject to exclusion. If you compete for the same number, you can win. No, I will definitely win. But their numbers are too few to confront that overwhelming number of humans. The second reason is that they themselves do not like conflict. Despite their great ability and appearance, there are many true beasts who want to live quietly. However, if you go out to the village, they cannot help but clash against people due to the influence of [the teachings of the church]. That is why they chose to live quietly in a remote area. And also¡­ the last reason is because they value that [Bloodline]. This may be the most important thing for a true beast. They take pride in being [True Beastmen] and do not like mixed races. If mixed, it will be no different from a beast man. Therefore, it¡¯s considered taboo to blend with other races and as such, they live in remote areas so as not to be affected by it. Also, for that reason, they value their fellow [True Beastmen] companions. To them, companions are synonymous with [Family]. And¡­ the King of Dormadea, Dormages¡­ had been using that weakness. ===== ¡ô [It¡¯s been a long time.] It was a true beast who was brought to Dormages. The face of a white and majestic lion, a huge body, golden mane, a dignified appearance¡­ Anyone can see that it is the style of a king. However. The arms are chained in layers and the body is full of scratches. His name is Regulus. He was the young leader of the true beasts who lived in the eastern continent. It is a direct descendant of [Beast King Lionel], who was said to have led all the beastmen of the continent. And he was born of the [White Lion], which is said to have the thickest blood. He has excellent courage and wisdom and had been expected by the elders of the true beasts since he was a child to be the [Return of the Beast King]. Certainly, because of his outstanding ability and gentle temperament among the true beastmen, he was definitely the best person to be a leader. But, he is now chained and kneeling in front of Dormages. [That proud true beastman¡¯s leader has fallen.] Dormages grinned at the appearance of Regulus whom his head pressed against the ground. [Gururururu.] Regulus growled with a squeezing voice. Watching the situation, Dormages continued to talk with a smile on his face. The true beast is close to the beast and they hate the demon beasts who move with desire. Being looked down by a demon beast, the pride of Regulus was greatly hurt. [Let¡¯s give you good news.] Are you aware of his thoughts? Dormages opened his mouth generously. The moment he heard the voice, Regulus barked. [Don¡¯t be a fool! I don¡¯t want to talk to pigs like you!] [¡­Hmm. I was thinking to release the captured true beast children though?] Upon hearing that, Regulus raised his face in surprise. The reason why Regulus can be captured by Dormages. It goes back more than a year ago. When Dormadia overran various parts of the eastern continent with an army of demon beasts. There was only one place that they could not be conquered. That is¡­ The True Beast Man¡¯s Village That¡¯s all. A true beast who boasts overwhelming courage, led by the leader Regulus. They also defeated numerous hordes of demon beasts, causing Dormadia to experience their first defeat. In particular, the heroism of Regulus was difficult to describe. It is no exaggeration to say that he is an old Hero who fought by swinging a huge battle axe. When you saw a group of demon beasts annihilated with just one warrior. Dormages has a desire to make this man surrender. Therefore, he decided not to attack with numbers but to use a cunning plan. The true beasts value their clan above all else. Especially¡­ they value their children the most. So, Dormages aimed there. He avoided fighting head-on with the beastmen, and focused on capturing the beastmen¡¯s children by using various tactics. The true beasts hid the women and children in a cave in the center of the village to prevent the occasional attack of the demon beasts. However¡­ they were deceived by a demon dressed as a true beast¡­ and one child was taken away. Dormages took this as a hostage and negotiated with Regulus¡­ This is the terrifying power of Dormages called Kaiser Oak¡­ it¡¯s because of the brain. There is only one condition he told Regulus. The leader, Regulus himself, surrendered as a hostage. Therefore Regulus was taken prisoner by himself. And the Dormadia army no longer attacks the True Beast Man¡¯s Village afterwards. It was only this man named Regulus that Dormages was interested in. Moreover, even if the leader Regulus was captured, the True Beastmen had not completely surrendered. It would be very damaging for him to give them a little bit of freedom, if at all. Without Regulus, he wouldn¡¯t give up a little bit from the other side. For that reason, Dormages was overdone and made an excessive decision. ===== ¡ô Dolmages captured Regulus and then tried to take him under his control. Honor, money, wealth and even the women in Dormadia¡­ But, when he offered them all, Regulus refused. He tried all sorts of submission magic and magical tools, but¡­every time, Regulus¡¯s strong willpower repels them. Seeing that, Dormages gave up to that stubbornness once. It doesn¡¯t matter after the eastern continent has conquered¡­ Now he¡¯s looking at continental domination rather than paying attention to him. Dormages changed his mind and locked Regulus in a prison at the bottom of Dormadia¡¯s homeland. ===== ¡ô It is the life of the captive true beast child that causes Regulus to stay here as a prisoner. [Well then¡­ I¡¯ve held you captive until now¡­ but I can¡¯t afford to spend so much time anymore.] Dolmages raised his right hand. Then, from the far right of him, a child of a true beast who was chained appeared. Regulus looked relieved for a moment when he saw it, and then changed to a suspicious expression when he saw it. The appearance of the child was strange. The eyes are hollow, and clear will cannot be seen in the eyes. [¡­you¡­what did you do to that child?] [What. I just cast submission magic.] Regulus clenched his teeth when he heard about it. [You, it¡¯s different from what we agreed!? Don¡¯t touch the child when I become your prisoner of war¡­ You should have said that!?] [Yeah. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t taken that [life].] Dormages replies and approaches Regulus. [Until now, I¡¯ve always kept it alive to make you submit, but it¡¯s impossible to say lenient things now.] [!?] [The situation is getting dangerous. The Istrea guys are rampaging and my territory is suffering. I can¡¯t afford to keep this brat right now.] That said, Dormages brings his face closer to Regulus. [So, I want to discuss something¡­] [¡­] [Well, I¡¯m thinking of killing you and this brat.] Regulus¡¯s eyes are glaring at Dormages¡¯ eyes as if searching for its meaning. Probably he is serious. He can see some impatience in his eyes. Probably he is in an unfavorable position. And it¡¯s not a threat and maybe he can¡¯t really afford to save him along with this child. It seems that he is a different person from the Orc king like before. [But¡­ I¡¯m thinking of negotiating with you at the end.] [What do you want?] [If you lead my army and can defeat this Istrean army¡­ I¡¯m going to release this brat.] Regulus is watching Dormages as he feels the surrounding. [If you refuse, we don¡¯t have to wait for you anymore. I¡¯ll kill you myself.] Regulus thinks. Dormages is definitely being cornered. To be honest, he can¡¯t afford to save the POWs. When it comes to that, there should be no hesitation in killing them. However, at the same time, he also requires the power of Regulus himself. Defeat the enemy with the power of the prisoner of war that cannot be managed. Only one prisoner of war will die if he is unable to kill them so he didn¡¯t lose anything. [Alright, let¡¯s obey.] Regulus raised his voice. He doesn¡¯t mind dying. However, the child needs to be saved by any means. If Dolmages had killed this child, the proud Regulus would have abandoned his own life and rampaged. It was because Dolmages knew about it that he kept this child alive. As long as he has the true beast child. Regulus will continue to be a prisoner of war, and the ones in the true beasts¡¯ village won¡¯t go against him. Hearing Regulus¡¯ words, Dolmages grinned. Yes, this is exactly what he was aiming for. It¡¯s a method that can only be used once, but it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that Dormages kept Regulus alive for this one time. If you can use Regulus to get rid of Istrea. And after that, you only have to obey Dolmages afterwards and if you don¡¯t, he just needs to kill them. With that in mind, Dormages was in a good mood. [Then it¡¯s decided. Get ready now.] After saying that, Dolmages returned to his seat with satisfaction and sat down again. [Unchain him right now, let him go to kill them.] [¡­Understood.] [I will entrust you with one of my demon armies¡­ I¡¯m hoping for good results.] Hmph, feeling like my Master, huh¡­ Regulus muttered in his heart, looking at the unraveling chains and then squeezed his teeth. However, he saw the child of the True Beast next to Dormages¡­ and decided right then and there. Will he keep his promise¡­ he doesn¡¯t know. He can¡¯t trust him either. However, he said that he would protect his brethren, which would be worth the risk to his life for the true beast. (In order to protect that child¡­ First, we must defeat the army called Istrea¡­) For the true beast warrior, Regulus Balhard. No, for all the true beasts on the Arcadia continent. That battle will be a turning point. At this time, no one could imagine such. CH 175 Translator: Raizu Chapter 175 ¨C Eastern Expedition. Part 7 ¨C Liberation Ares is currently stationed in the central part of the Kingdom of Dormadia¡­ in the former Canaan Kingdom, San-Veil. In the center of the San-Veil, stood the castle of San-Veil, which bears the name of the capital and was famous for its beauty in the eastern continent. The castle of San-Veil, which was ruined by Dormadia, is a shadow of what it used to be. In the corner, Ares is planning the future strategy with his vassals. Currently following him are Shu, Zekka, and Loran, who often follows Ares as a deputy general and the main members of the White Army. The information-gathering in each area is collected here for the time being while he was planning the next strategy. A large map is placed in front of Ares, which describes the current state of the eastern continent. It¡¯s been more than a month since Ares and his army invaded Dormadia, and Dormadia¡¯s territory had already shrunk about one-third compared to before the invasion of Istraea. Loran looked at the map¡­ and then turned his gaze to Ares, while imagining the battle with the Dormadia army up to this point. ===== ¡ô A few days after Ares¡¯s army marched from Istraea. A vast grassland extends south of the Royal Capital of Horus, Seran. After their defeat in the area, the Dormadia troops that had been scattered all over the place were concentrated here. The Dormadia army is an army of demon beasts. The source of its strength is the physical superiority operation that uses overwhelming numbers. They organized the demon beasts that normally act individually into an army. That is Dormadia¡¯s greatest weapon. Even all the demon beasts that are stationed in various towns and villages are also called to concentrate there. And the overwhelming army greeted Ares and others. Ares, on the other hand, set up on a small hill overlooking the meadow. [But well¡­ there are a considerable number of them. It seems the Dormadia army also got serious after the previous battle.] An army of demon beasts crowded the grasslands. But Ares laughed at it. [But they didn¡¯t get mad because [The Demon King¡¯s Relic]¡­ because they also have emotions, of course.] And this was exactly the situation that Ares was aiming for. A large number is a weapon. However, at the same time, mobility decreases. It¡¯s good for attacking, but when it comes to defense, it sometimes creates a disadvantage. [First of all, my magic¡­ Anti-strategic magic [Falling Star Meteor Strike] will disturb the opponent. And then I will thoroughly crush the shaken formation.] With that said, Ares used wind magic to instruct the [Army]. And when that¡¯s over, he begins to chant polite magical aria that he doesn¡¯t normally use. A long-spun chanting. At the end of that, Ares grinned and shouted. [Now, let¡¯s use this as the fire of the battle! [Falling Star Meteor Strike!]] The ancient magic that was used by Ares. It¡¯s non-attribute strategic magic that drops numerous meteorites. The herd of demon beasts was confused by countless meteorites. [¡­ If you have the magical power of [Oldeus], I might be able to cut about one-third of these numbers, but¡­ I can¡¯t do it right now.] Watching the frenzied flock of demon beasts, Ares murmured in a small voice that no one could hear. The magic of Ares made a gaping hole in the middle of the demon beast¡¯s army. However, it can be confirmed from the top of the hill that there are still countless numbers of enemies. It¡¯s super-strategic ancient magic, but¡­ it hasn¡¯t been reduced enough to move the battle situation. But¡­ the magic of Ares had made the demon army incapacitated It is clear that the demon beasts who tried to run away were panicking. They are crushing against each other and writhing. And this was exactly what Ares wanted most. Ares gave instructions to his entire army, using wind magic again. Along with that, the Army moving forward as if it¡¯s a living thing¡­ [Army of Destruction] began to move like the wind. The first to move was the heavy cavalry¡­ the Black Army. Utilizing their destructive power, they certainly trampled the confused demon beasts. The turmoil of the demon beasts is still going on. As a result, the army of demon beasts moves while changing various shapes. The Red Army carefully hunts them using its mobility. The blue army supporting from behind casts magic on the immobile monsters in the center like raindrops. And for the core of the demon beasts of this army¡­ [Ohoh. The left and right are full of prey.] [Baran! Leave them be!] [There will be nothing left later¡­ there are still many of them!] [Anyway¡­ the strategy is to crush their [Head]. Don¡¯t get left behind!] The White Army, the strongest unit of the [Army of Destruction], charges. The path they took was overtaken by their overwhelming power. In this way, the great decisive battle in Horus territory ends in one-sided slaughter by the inferior army of Ares. Although the battle lasted almost all day and night, after it was over, the grasslands were filled with countless corpses of demon beasts¡­ that was the situation. ===== ¡ô The Dormadia army in Horus territory was almost annihilated in this battle. The Dormadia Empire was greatly weakened. In conjunction with the movement of Ares, the Kingdom of Horus succeeded in driving the influence of Dormadia out of the country. At the same time, a mass uprising occurred as planned by the people of the Principality of Nakia and the Kingdom of Meian in the north. Starting with that movement, the people in various places of Dormadia, who had been oppressed, proclaimed their liberation from the demons and began to pick up their weapons. A mass uprising as if this was planned. This was also a strategy that had been secretly pursued before Ares entered Istraea. Ares provided funds and weapons to various parts of the country. He also dispatched several people from White Army to each of them, leading to the success of each uprising. Every single member of the White Army is not only full of courage but also highly adept at handling both people and politics. It¡¯s not strange for them to be an important figure of one country. As for the battle, the rebel army, which was nothing more than an amateur group, is being put together and executing the planned strategy. In addition to not only relying on their mouths, but they also put their bodies in the frontline and take the lead to inspire their allies. Eventually, the members of the White Army became an integral part of the rebel army. And for the rebel army that was led by them, it didn¡¯t take long to conquer the demon beast mobs who had been tormenting the people. Ares continues to move north even after liberating various places in the area. The countries are released from the oppression of the demon beasts by the mass uprisings one after another. Ares used this chance to place White Army members in each country as a leading figure. The people are familiar with what they have done for the country. The people did not complain and followed the instructions of the White Army. At the same time, those who worked hard to liberate the country were promoted for reconstruction. The reconstruction of the ruined countries started immediately. Liberating the land and then leaving them, Ares and his friends moving forward through Dormadia¡¯s territory again at a terrifying speed. And¡­ the central part of Dormadia. They reached the Royal Capital of the former Canaan Kingdom, San Veil. ===== ¡ô [The reconstruction of [Liberation Land] seems to have started smoothly.] In Zekka¡¯s report, Loran, who recalled the battle of the past month, was brought back to reality. Zekka continues. [I have discovered Prince Eldan, the third son of the King who was fighting for the liberation of the Principality of Nakia. He appears to be hiding in the suburbs of the city to escape the pursuit of the Dormadia army. Moreover, he also seems to have been injured in the war.] [For now, let¡¯s send a magician who can use healing recovery and medicine. As soon as his injury is healed and restored, I¡¯ll leave Nakia¡¯s politics to him.] [Understood. It seems that person is reliable and can be trusted.] Ares nods to those words. [Well, Nakia is good¡­ the problem is Meian.] [Yes¡­ We have found the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Meian, but¡­ it seems that the people haven¡¯t welcomed them so much. The king, after handing over the country to Dolmadia, has been hiding and disappearing.] [So, after Dormadia leaves, they want to buy our favor here¡­I see?] There was a letter in Ares¡¯s hand. It was written by the former King Meian that he wanted to guarantee his safety and return to his throne. [It¡¯s all about what¡¯s convenient to him¡­ Did he even consider how much the people have been oppressed by the demon beasts because of his unconditional surrender¡­ Did he not understand it?] Ares had already grasped the terms for Meian to surrender to Dormadia. The contents were¡­ It was a ridiculous thing that as long as the king¡¯s safety was guaranteed¡­ He doesn¡¯t care about what happens to the country, the people, and his vassals. [He is not qualified as king¡­ Capture him for the time being and leave the judgment to the people. If the people want to keep him alive, let¡¯s follow it. However if they want him to die, then so be it.] It¡¯s most likely the latter¡­ Ares didn¡¯t say it and went on to the next topic. [What happened to the Canaan¡¯s royal family?] [We have rescued the imprisoned King Canaan from prison. He was exhausted, but his life was saved. Moreover, the royal family had been rescued from their hideout. The people seem to have been hiding them.] [It¡¯s a good example of how the people protect the royal family. It¡¯s a big difference from Meian.] With that said, Ares shows a gentle smile. [Keep an eye on their health with haste. Eventually, I¡¯ll leave the national administration that the White Army is doing to them. When they have recovered enough, let them take over it.] With that said, Ares decided to stop his talk about the liberated land and then moved on to the topic¡­ ===== ¡ô [Then, let¡¯s talk about the plan together. There was something I was curious about with Zekka¡¯s information.] Ares then pointed to a point on the map that stretched out in front of him. In the land of wilderness, northeast of Canaan. There was information that a mob of demon beasts was gathering here. [¡­Well, there are still generals who can lead them.] Shu looked a little surprised. Dormadia is an army of demon beasts. Therefore it is difficult to take command unless they are high-ranking demons; they will not listen to instructions. Therefore, Ares sternly ordered Shu, Loran¡­ and the White Army to be sure and thoroughly kill the demons that become the generals. [After they lose their head, no matter how numerous they are, they are, in the end, still mobs. So you don¡¯t need to be afraid] was the word of Ares. I have never seen a large herd of demon beasts since the battle in Horus. This shows none can command them after that. [Since they came together again¡­ it means that someone is in command, right?] It was Zekka who answered Shu¡¯s question. [Yes, however, it seems that the demons are not in command.] [!? What does it mean?] Shu and Loran were surprised. Ares showed an expression that looked at something interesting and urged the explanation to continue. [The appearance is a majestic lion. It had white body hair and a golden mane. It had a transparent magical power that differed from a demon beast and its powerful power could be understood from a distance. And based on its appearance¡­ Probably¡­] [¡­ A true beast, huh.] [Affirmative. It¡¯s the one that the Lord was looking for.] Ares grinned at those words. [Regulus Balhard, the leader of the eastern true beasts. The bravery of this fierce man was said to be the return of Beast King by the true beasts¡­Huh. Back then, it was the person who was previously reported by Zekka.] [Yes. We still don¡¯t know why he¡¯s working under Dormages¡­ Dormages has likely grasped his weakness¡­] Ares hears the words and thinks about something for a while, and immediately gives instructions to Zecca. [Zekka. Look for that [weakness]. Depending on the circumstance, go obtain it. It¡¯s urgent.] [Yes!] Zekka bowed a little and disappeared like the wind. While watching it, Shu opened his mouth this time. [Master¡­ What is [True Beast]¡­? And who is this [Regulus] person¡­?] [[True Beast Man] is a subhuman¡­ a clan that is said to be the ancestor of the beast-man. It is said that their power surpasses that of the ordinary beast-man.] Ares smiled when he said that. [Since after I came to rule Grants as a Margrave, I¡¯ve been looking for its whereabouts. The [True Beastmen] and the [High Elves]. They are likely to be the target of persecution in [This World]¡­ At the same time, their power is powerful. If we can manage to protect them¡­ and can get their cooperation, you see.] Some clans have been called the ancestors of the demi-humans¡­ [True Beastmen], [High Elves], [True Dwarves]¡­ They are highly capable but have been persecuted by the teachings of the church. Ares had long wanted to protect them and create a place to make use of the best of their power for the sake of the country. At the same time, they have a very high ability. Therefore, he wants them to become a core player in this Margrave territory which has a lot of demi-humans on it¡­ that¡¯s what he thinks. [But¡­ I¡¯m interested in a person named Regulus who was said to be the reincarnation of the Beast King¡­ I want to have a match with him for once¡­ No, I still want him¡­] When he looked at Ares¡¯s expression when he said that, Shu showed a scared expression. Yes, he didn¡¯t know that this was the character of Ares. Perhaps if Sigurd was here, he would have said: [Ah, Ares-sama¡¯s usual bad habit (desire to collect human resources) has begun¡­] Like that. CH 176 Translator: Raizu Eastern Expedition 8 ¨C Regulus Barthart Regulus led the army of the demon beasts and headed toward the Royal Capital of Canan Kingdom, Saint-Veil. He saw the demon who followed behind him¡­ and sometimes let out a small sigh. [¡­Surely, I didn¡¯t expect to lead such lower creatures.] [Woops. I won¡¯t let that pass, you know.] The demon behind Regulus responded to his muttering. [You¡¯re just a puppet after all. Don¡¯t you remember that our King told you to not say something else?] [¡­Sorry. Please pretend that you haven¡¯t heard me say anything.] [¡­Kishashasha. Well, if you can get me something, I¡¯ll forgive you.] A man with a bat face who acted as his adjutant always asked for bribes (food) whenever something happened. Regulus looked back on the circumstances¡­ and he was annoyed by a sense of emptiness. ===== ¡ô It¡¯s been about a week since Regulus led the demon beast and passed through the territory of Dormages. Little by little, he began to understand how to lead the demons. There is only one way to make a demon beast obey you¡­ Take advantage of their instincts. (The demon beasts obey instinctively, that is, if there is a being that is stronger than itself, they will obey, but if they are weaker, they will not obey at all.) Regulus succeeded in subduing the group of demon beasts at once by showing strong magical power. After he is able to put together a flock of demon beasts that have fallen apart, he advances the army to the wilderness that stretches northeast of Saint-Veil. However, it is not easy to lead demon beasts. It¡¯s not that nothing happened along the way. They don¡¯t have any moral values because they are demon beasts. When the army stops by a village on the way, they will immediately try to plunder and slaughter everyone. Regulus tried to stop it several times. But they didn¡¯t stop at all because they couldn¡¯t win against their instincts. Therefore, Regulus decided not to stop at the villages and forced the march toward Saint-Veil at once. That is not all. The bat-faced demon beast next to him was a man who accompanied him as an adjutant, but this man is always the one who gives instructions in detail. Do it, enter the village and plunder it, and bring in the villagers who were taken prisoners as food¡­etc¡­ He always says to Regulus that it is the royal decree of King Dormages. However, Regulus had advanced the army, while pretending not to listen to his request. In this way, despite his dissatisfaction, emptiness, and fatigue, his army finally reached the Fortress of Saint-Veil. ===== ¡ô In front of the Fortress of Saint-Veil¡­ The First Army, led by Ares, and Regulus¡¯s demon beast army faced each other for about two weeks while doing a few skirmishes. Regulus has stationed the demon beasts in the wasteland in front of the Fortress. [It¡¯s too lax! Why don¡¯t you make a total attack?] The bat-face adjutant approached him while spitting saliva around. [There is little food left and the demon beasts have almost reached their limits of patience. We need to attack that castle because if you don¡¯t feed them, the demons will riot¡­] As he told his argument to Regulus, the truth was that this man¡¯s head was full of thoughts about eating humans. Regulus sighed again. What¡¯s good for him to be an adjutant, but for Regulus, he is just a nuisance. With a sigh in his mind, Regulus¡¯s gaze was toward the Fortress of Saint-Veil. There is a stunning magical barrier. His [Demon Eyes] noticed the meticulously kneaded barrier. From behind that barrier, long-ranged magic will probably be launched. And moreover the strength of the opponent¡¯s army¡­ The demons who couldn¡¯t stand the hunger made a few clashes with them¡­ and they were all annihilated. The cavalry rushed and trampled at an overwhelming speed. Those who survived are also crushed by the lightly dressed infantry that follows behind them. The strength that has overwhelmed the Dormadia army, which was superior in numbers up to now. Regulus can clearly feel it and he sighed deeply. [Oi! If you don¡¯t want to, then let me command the army. Let¡¯s get rid of them immediately¡­] Regulus thinks while listening to the words of the bat-face man. If he attacked normally, then annihilation is inevitable. The enemy¡¯s strength is extraordinary. I don¡¯t care nor regret if the demon beasts die. However, losing the battle is also a loss of life. I want to avoid it even for the hostage. If I want to make a plan¡­ I would need to spend a few days thinking about it¡­ [I will take the lead and annihilate them. Lend me some soldiers!] The bat-face man keeps on talking. This scene has been repeated for the past few days. Usually, Regulus ignored him, but this day was different. It is because the sound of horseshoes echoed on the battlefield. [What happened?] Regulus went to see the battlefield with his own eyes¡­ and he is amazed. The Istraea army, which had barricaded itself until now, had come out of the walls. (Is it a trap?) It would be easy to prevent the onslaught of this army of demon beasts if you were in such a solid fortress. And if you wait for the enemy to starve, it should be easy to repel the invasion. However, the enemy General has abandoned that advantage and is deploying an army on the plain in front of the fortress instead. (Or is it a match?) Sure, as long as you stay in the fortress, you may be able to repel the attack, but you can¡¯t annihilate your opponent. Therefore, even if the enemy retreats, they will just recover and make another attack again. However, from the current overwhelming difference in force, it should be effective to repel the attack for now. The recklessness of abandoning profit and proceeding to develop formations on this plain¡­ Regulus was very confused because he couldn¡¯t read the other person¡¯s thoughts. However¡­ (No, if they abandoned the fortress, this might also be an opportunity¡­) When he decided to do so, he turned to the adjutant, the bat man, who was next to him. ===== ¡ô Ares was listening to the report of [Dragon¡¯s Eye] at the Fortress of Saint-Veil. [It seems that the demon beasts have begun to move.] Shu, who was next to Ares, answered the report. [Did they catch the bait?] [Well, if you think about it normally, that¡¯s a natural tactic because there is such a difference in strength.] The number of demon beasts on the hill overlooking the fortress is innumerable. Certainly, with ordinary troops¡­ this difference in numbers cannot be overturned. Everything would be over after being defeated. Yes. ¡ºIf it is a normal force.¡» However. Ares continued his words. [The weakness of the demon beast army¡­ is the [General]. In other words, the army will collapse once the [General] is defeated.] A fearless smile is shown while he says that and he stands up. And he looks out from the window. [Zekka managed to reach us in time. It¡¯s about time to depart. Let¡¯s get out too.] With that said, Ares grinned with a fearless smile in front of Shu. ===== ¡ô The army of demon beasts attacked the whole enemy army deployed on the plain. On the other hand, Ares¡¯s army corps changed its formation like a living thing. The heavy cavalry of the Black Army and the light cavalry of the Red Army split into the left and right flanks and began to cut down the sides of the Dormadia army. And in the front and center are the infantry as well as the mighty warriors of the White Army placed to support them. They pushed back the onslaught of the demon beast army. [Oh! There are only enemies in the front, back, right, and left. Even if we close our eyes, we can still crush the enemy.] [Listen! Ares-sama told us to endure for a moment. That person never lied to me so far, right!? Endure. Don¡¯t die in a place like this! Luck on our side!] The strongest army of the Margrave Army, the [Middle Army]. Among them, the strongest is called [White Army]. How encouraging it is that there are still those who can laugh even in this situation. And by looking at them up close, the ordinary soldiers have the illusion that they are also fighting as if they have become heroes. The morale was high enough to climb to heaven. The blue army behind them is supporting them by releasing auxiliary support magic and long-distance magic. The demon beast army completely stalled and its numbers were steadily reduced. [Muu¡­.] From the top of the hill, Regulus looked at it¡­ and involuntarily let out a voice of admiration. From his eyes, he can see the demon beasts being slaughtered one-sidedly. [Strong¡­ too strong¡­ but¡­] They are certainly strong. The bat-face man, who was actually his adjutant, was swallowed by the black cavalry in no time and lost his life. [Our momentum collapsed instantly. The difference in troop strength is overwhelming. If you bring it into a battle of attrition, we will win.] [Yes, it¡¯s already too late.] Regulus surprised and turned back at the reply voice to his monologue. When he looked at it, there were two¡­ familiar human soldiers standing there. One of them continued to speak to the surprised Regulus. [The weakness of the demon army lies in the General. If we can defeat you at that moment, the demon army will lose command and collapse.] When the person in front of him said so¡­ Regulus understood what the man in front of him meant. That¡¯s true. The man in front of him must have steadily understood the weaknesses of the demon beast army and aimed at them. And¡­ they were able to reach this location by sneaking through this group of demon beasts. It can be said that both of them are considerable warriors. In other words¡­ These two are probably the ones who came for his own life. However¡­ [Fufufufufu.] Regulus laughs self-deprecatingly. [I see, it¡¯s funny that I got caught in your plan.] With that said, Regulus turned his eyes to the two of them, pulled out his big sword, and took a stance. Regulus¡¯s gaze wandered through the two warriors. One is a warrior dressed in exotic armor and the other is a young warrior in white armor. From the perspective of Regulus, both are small humans. However, his evil eye reflects their true form. The martial arts that overflow from that small body made him sweat profusely even if it is said that Regulus is the strongest of the true beasts. If he was asked if he can beat these two people, he would have no choice but to answer [No]. But Regulus understood that he was also more excited than ever. [My Lord. Please let me.] That said, the man with a foreign outfit¡­ Shu quietly stepped forward and pulled out his sword from the scabbard on his waist. [Hoo¡­ not by two people¡­?] [I am a warrior. I do not want such a mean thing.] When he said that, Shu¡¯s body glowed silvery white. [I¡¯m Shu, the warrior of Yashima. Let¡¯s fight!] Yes, after he said that, Shu attacked Regulus at an unusual speed. CH 177 Chapter 177. Eastern Expedition 9 ¨C Beast King [Nuuaaaaaaaaaaaa!] Regulus received Shu¡¯s surprise attack with his big sword and bounced it back. Shu blew backward. [As expected¡­ I should say that¡­ but!] That said, Shu released his fighting spirit and magical power. [Ahhhhhhh!] Along with his yell, Shu¡¯s body shines silver-white with the spirit. Murakumo-style combat technique [The Boundaries of the Warrior]. Also known as [Martial Arts Magic]. Regulus showed puzzled expressions for a moment while watching the changes in Shu and carefully looked at him. [What on earth¡­..?] [I want you to know it with your body!] That being said, Shu jumped into Regulus¡¯s rear at a terrifying speed. Regulus was surprised when Shu approached him at an overwhelming speed, which is different from before. [What!?] [Ahhhhhhh!] Gakin! The sound of iron colliding with each other echoes on the battlefield. He was upset but took on Regulus¡¯s sword. However¡­ [What!?] The martial arts-enhanced blow was enough to blow off the large body of Regulus. Regulus was blown backward and slammed into the ground. [Gaha!] [It¡¯s not over yet!] Shu attacked Regulus, who had his stance broken. However, even in such a situation, Regulus can still receive a blow from Shu. [Not bad but!] ===== ¡£ With that said, Shu performed his greatest skill in that position, even though at the moment both his sword and Regulus¡¯s blade were still clashing. [The Roar of the Dragon!] A huge amount of magical power gathers in Shu¡¯s favorite sword, [Raikiri]. [!?] However, Regulus is a formidable enemy. When he intuitively felt a strange sign, he immediately deflected Shu¡¯s sword and flew away sideways. At the same time, the dragon released by Shu slips past him and soars into heaven. [Kuh¡­ Did you manage to slip away¡­?] Shu who missed the golden opportunity ground his teeth. Regulus also clicked his tongue while looking sideways at the magical dragon that flew away. (This man¡­is not an ordinary person. I¡¯m horrified if I accept his attack as it is.) When he groaned in his heart, he turned a keen eye on Shu. [It doesn¡¯t seem like I can hide my strength anymore¡­?] When he muttered that, Regulus grabbed the bracelet on both of his upper arms and drops them on the ground. It was that moment. [What!? Both his magical power and fighting spirit increased!?] Different than a moment ago, Shu got upset this time. [Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!] A long roar of the beast¡¯s lion. At the same time, the appearance of Regulus changed. There is no white lion appearance like before. A golden lion, similar in color to the mane, was standing there instead. [I heard it from ancient times¡­ Beast King¡­?] Seeing that figure, Ares mutters unintentionally. It¡¯s unknown whether he heard it or not. Regulus also opened his mouth. [It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been in this appearance¡­ It will be either I can manage to maintain it or you manage to maintain yours¡­ Now it¡¯s a game against time.] That said, Regulus wielded the big sword. Along with that, strong pressure was released from the big sword. [Guaaa!!] Shu received it with his blade, but lost momentum and was blown backward. An overwhelming power different from before¡­ With that in front of him, Shu wrinkled his eyebrows while taking a stance again. [Beastification¡­I called it. Is this the final mystery of the descendants of Beast King Lionel¡­?] Regulus repositions his big sword. And this time, Regulus attacked Shu with vigorous momentum. The metallic sounds echo on the battlefield many times. The battle between the two was as beautiful and fierce as a dance. Regulus, who clashed with Shu¡¯s blade, saw a gap in his posture and tries to stab with his big sword. However, it is brilliantly warded off. When Shu moved to cut down again, Regulus received it¡­ Smiles appeared on their faces and they seemed delighted to see a rival with who they could use their full power. After several collisions, both of them kept a distance and adjusted their breathing. And when they tried to hit against each other again. Clap clap clap¡­ [Yes, that¡¯s enough.] Ares¡¯s laid-back voice echoed on the battlefield with the sound of dry clapping to pour cold water on the battle between them. Regulus draws wrinkles between his eyebrows. Meanwhile, Shu moved to return to Ares¡¯s side. [Shu. I¡¯m sorry, but I want you to stop this time. I know that you still want to fight¡­ However, if it keeps going like this, both you and he will fall down together.] [¡­ha.] That said, Shu subdued his slightly dissatisfied face and Shu released his martial arts magic. [I¡¯m sorry.] [No¡­ if it¡¯s as my Lord said.] Regulus is confused by the interaction between the two. [What do you mean?] Regulus was suspicious. However, Ares grinned without worrying about such a thing. [It¡¯s just like I said.] At the same time as those words, Ares¡¯s body glowed silver-white this time then moved his body lightly. Seeing that figure, Regulus showed an astonishing look. [Now then, I¡¯d like to finish it soon¡­ I think it will take a little longer. Should I be your opponent this time?] With that said, Ares turned his holy sword on his right hand toward his opponent. [Get out, Excalibur.] In accordance with Ares¡¯ words, a pale blade appears on Ares¡¯ right hand. [Now, I¡¯ll deal with you, the Beast King. I¡¯ll do my best not to bore you!] With that said, Ares attacked Regulus with vigorous momentum. ===== ¡ô Regulus felt flustered as he received Ares¡¯s sword. (This guy¡­ it¡¯s equal to the swordfighter earlier¡­ no, he is likely better¡­?) After meeting dozens of blades, both of them took a distance again and watched each other. (And¡­ he is tough¡­ he changes his stance many times to adapt to the way the fights are going at that moment¡­ it¡¯s really annoying¡­) While fighting, Ares changed the Seven Swords of the holy sword at key points. When clashing against each other, he uses the [Holy Sword] Excalibur. When he wants to keep a distance, he will use [God Sword] Oldeus. For clashes in power, he uses [Cursed Sword] Gram. And if there is a gap with his opponent, he used [Magic Sword] Murasame. However, Regulus is also cannot be taken lightly. He dodges sometimes and prevented those onslaughts while defending. After clashing together countless times with their swords¡­ the two moved away again. [¡­As expected, it¡¯s what I thought. If it¡¯s like this¡­ I cannot make a decisive move.] Ares grinned and smiled fearlessly. And when he saw it, a chill ran through Regulus¡¯s spine. (What are you going to do this time!?) Nothing is scarier than someone who doesn¡¯t know what to do. The skills that he had never dealt with. The weapons that he¡¯d never seen¡­ Regulus waited for Ares¡¯ next move with a keen eye. Without understanding such a thing. Ares took a big breath¡­ and repositioned the Seventh Heaven sword. And¡­ continued his words. [Now, if you are my opponent, then I will surely be able to use it!] With that said, Ares holds Seventh Heaven in front of his chest and spun his words. [Twin longswords. Two blades destined to dispel evil given from heaven.] At that moment, Ares¡¯s sword was split into two. [Come! Heavenly Sword Gemini!] At the same time as Ares¡¯ words, a slender blade shining white appeared in both of his hands. CH 178 Eastern Expedition 10 ¨C Heavenly Sword Gemini Regulus was glaring at Ares with sharp eyes. Another weapon that changes shape one after another from earlier¡­ And his power seems to change depending on the shape of the weapon. Those have long-range attacks, those that improve overall ability such as speed and power, Those that specialize in power, and those that have a shape that gives an ominous premonition¡­ and¡­ [This time¡­ two swords?] Responding to Regulus¡¯s muttering, Ares stared at the two swords seriously. [Gemini¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to put this out¡­ Have I used up most of my power¡­?] While muttering, Ares turned his gaze to Regulus. [He is that strong¡­ I see¡­ Well, I will probably understand after using it.] That said, Ares held the two longswords. [Well, I don¡¯t know how much power these swords can project¡­ Let¡¯s try it !!] When he said so¡­ that was the moment everything changed. From Regulus¡¯s view. No, even from Shu¡¯s sight, Ares who was there¡­ had disappeared And at that moment¡­.. Zokuri A chill runs through the spine of Regulus. He obeyed his instincts and twisted his body. However¡­ [Uuuoooo!] Regulus¡¯s voice echoed. When you take a look, blood is flying from his left arm. (Impossible, even I can¡¯t catch up with my evil eye?) I can¡¯t see Ares yet. But again¡­ Zokuri Chills run through Regulus. [Kuh!] Unavoidable. When he realized that, Regulus turned all his fighting spirit into power. However¡­ [Kuh!] Next Blood splashed from his right shoulder. (What¡¯s going on!? Why am I hurt?) Ares hasn¡¯t shown up and yet, for the third time, he was hurt. Zokuri The moment when Regulus got the chills like earlier¡­ [Gaaaaaaaaaaaa !!] After Regulus¡¯s roar, blood spewed out from Regulus¡¯s left flank. Regulus kneels with angry voices. But looking ahead¡­ [Huh, huh, huh.] Similar to him, there was Ares, who was the same, kneeling and breathing heavily. [I used Gemini, but¡­ as I thought, there are still some physical burdens¡­] While listening to such a muttering, Regulus had no choice but to question him. [¡­You¡­ what did you do¡­?] [These two swords¡­ the name is the heavenly sword [Gemini] and its ability is [Godspeed]?. However, the burden on the body is heavy due to that speed¡­] While saying that, Ares laughed fearlessly. [Well¡­ how about it? If it¡¯s possible, surrender yourself¡­] [Never!] While saying that, Regulus is dyed red and he hits Ares. (I can¡¯t see his attack at all¡­ but if he said that he cannot move, now is the chance!) [My Lord!] Shu shouted involuntarily and tried to jump out¡­ but when he saw Ares¡¯ expression, he stopped moving. Yes, his expression toward Regulus who jumped at him¡­ Even though he looked tired, but there¡¯s no sign of impatience. Being able to reach that level only means one thing. Margin. Regulus¡¯s great sword attacked Ares. However, Ares remained motionless and stayed on his knees. Then he used the twin swords to catch the blade. [How can you take it with such a thin sword!] Gakin! The sound of metal hitting echoed and¡­ [I-Impossible!] It was Regulus who was blown away in surprise. It must have been a blow from a great sword from a short distance. However, only one got blown away. With a rough breath, Ares opened his mouth. [And¡­ it has another ability. It is called [Iron Wall]. It¡¯s a defensive sword that repels all kinds of attacks.] Ares said with a fearless smile. However, his complexion is bad due to the fatigue of using Gemini. [As I expected, when I used Gemini, it took more magical power than necessary along with my physical strength¡­ I think it¡¯s about time to decide the game.] When he said so, Ares who had been in the Regulus¡¯s view¡­ had disappeared. At that moment, blood gushed out from Regulus¡¯s right foot. [Guuuuuu!] Unable to stand anymore, Regulus knelt on both knees. [Ugh! Haa haa haa.] At the same time, Ares also knelt and breathed wildly. [As I expected, the burden of [Castor] is heavy¡­ But¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s permitted?] When he said that, Ares looked far away. [And¡­ it looks like the [long-awaited reinforcements] has arrived for you.] Regulus, who had been deeply injured in both hands and feet is stuck, he turned his neck around and looked beyond Ares¡¯s line of sight. And there was¡­ [Why are you here?] His eyes were wide open and what was reflected in them¡­ was his brethren, the true beasts under him were approaching. CH 179 Eastern Expedition 11 ¨C Aid Regulus cannot hide his surprise with the appearance of the true beasts who have been left in the village. [You guys¡­ why are you here?] That question was answered by a young wolf-faced man. [Of course, to be together with you, Chief.] [Stupid! If you move, that pig king will aim for our infants¡­] [Please calm down, Chief.] The wolf-faced warrior said so and quietly placed his hand on Regulus¡¯s shoulder. Then, he gently looked to the back. A group of true beasts quietly divided into two. At the center of it was the figure of a true beastman¡¯s child held by a man. [N-no way¡­.] [Yes, it¡¯s as you think¡­] The wolf-faced man smiled while he said that. [That child was saved. Thanks to this human army¡­] ===== ¡ô The most important command that Ares had ordered was to Zekka. It was to obtain Regulus¡¯ weakness that was being held by Dormages and rescue it. In response to the instructions, the [Dragon¡¯s Eye] immediately began to act. In Dormages¡¯s castle, many demons are wandering around. At the same time, there is no well-established system for security. To rescue the hostages from that kind of castle is an easy task for [Dragon¡¯s Eye] which is probably the best in the continent in covert actions. They sneaked into Dormages¡¯ castle, and after they finished investigating the location, they successfully rescued the hostages. [That¡­ something like this¡­] [Chief¡­ There is no need for you to suffer any longer. We¡­ have been saved¡­] The wolf-faced man was moved to tears. Regulus looked at the true beast infant. He thought that his eyes were imagining things, but there seems to be no difference in his life. [I¡¯m glad you were able to make it on time.] Suddenly, he can hear a voice from his back. When he turned his face to that side, the person that had been exchanging blows with our lives as a wager earlier stretched his legs out and sat on the ground while showing a gentle smile. [¡­ Do you know these men?] [They are my subordinates¡­ As so to speak, my counterintelligence force.] After that, the man stood up slowly. However, his whole body seems worn out. He found that the man was staggered a little in the short distance from his place. In a hurry, the human who seemed to be his subordinate supported his shoulders. [Now, Chief of the True Beastmen. Let¡¯s end this battle for the time being. That¡¯s why¡­ First of all, why don¡¯t you release the [Fighting spirit] at the monsters?] ===== ¡ô As soon as the fighting spirit that Regulus used to command the demon beast was released, the demon beasts began to move apart. [As expected, when this happens, they become a flock of beasts.] Ares borrowed Shu¡¯s shoulders and watched the situation from a small hill. [So, what will you do? Even if we cut down the leadership, their numbers will not decrease at all.] Ares laughed and answered the question. [If they already lost their leadership, we won¡¯t need to be afraid of demons. There¡¯s something you can do about it.] Ares turned his gaze toward the flock of demon beasts. [Well then¡­ Shall we launch the last fireworks for them? First, let¡¯s confuse them.] [¡­Master, don¡¯t overdo yourself.] Shu looked a little worried. [Thank you for your worries¡­ Well, if you don¡¯t do this, this battle won¡¯t be ended. So, I¡¯ll overdo it just a little¡­Well, as a Master, I¡¯m disqualified from making my subordinates worry about me too much¡­] Then Ares quietly began to chant magic. (What the hell is going on!?) Regulus silently looked at the situation along with other true beastmen. Ares keeps chanting with his eyes closed. (Because it¡¯s difficult to control it this time¡­ If I don¡¯t do it carefully, it might affect the city.) Ares opened his eyes while muttering inside his heart and unleashing the ultimate spell of non-attribute magic. [Go! Meteor bombing (Meteor Strike)!] With his words, the cloudless sky suddenly darkened, and then¡­ Gogogogogogogogogogogogo With a strange noise, the meteorites began to fall like a rainstorm. At first, meteorites begin to fall behind the empty battlefield. With that as a signal, Ares¡¯s army evacuated to the inside of the castle gate. Regulus was amazed when he saw the army¡¯s smooth movement. On the contrary, the flock of demons heard the roar and began to go into a frenzy. Gradually, the meteorite began to move in the direction of the demons. And one by one, meteorites poured down again. [Gishaaaaaaaa!] The demons fell into chaos. The meteorite continues to fall for a while. The situation is exactly a picture of hell. The demons were crushed and blown away, breathless. A fleeing demon beast trampled the other demon beast. The demon beasts which were flying in the sky were flying around and colliding with each other to avoid meteorites before falling to the ground. The turmoil caused turmoil, and some demon beasts began to fight each other to save their own lives. Yes¡­ the battlefield has reached perfect chaos. However, the demons are not the only ones in a difficult situation. [Guh!] [My Lord!] [It¡¯s okay, I can keep going a little longer¡­] Ares has a pale blue face that he has never seen before and he was also gasping for breath. Meteor Strike is not intended to be used for a long time. It¡¯s an [Anti-strategic magic] spell written in ancient documents Therefore, its consumption magic power is tremendous, and in some cases, it can even take the life of the caster. Shu was looking at the appearance of his Master who was in pain. (Damn, if Sigurd-dono is here¡­) He would surely have stopped Ares. But I still can¡¯t do that¡­ I¡¯m so miserable. It was the moment when I thought so. Ares kneeled. At this point, Shu ran up and called out to him. [My Lord, please stop. Let us do the rest.] [¡­It¡¯s such an unfortunate thing¡­ until now¡­ Well, the role of this magic is¡­ the fighting spirit of the demon beast, the loss and confusion, so¡­ the rest of it went as planned if our cavalry charged right now¡­] [It¡¯s alright, my Lord. Please take a rest now! Zecca!] [I know! Leave it to me!] Zecca also appeared in a rush when Shu shouted. Zecca also had an unusually impatient color on his face. [Hahaha¡­ Zecca, your impatient appearance¡­ We¡¯ve had a long relationship, but it¡¯s like it was my first time seeing it¡­] [Please stop playing around. It¡¯s okay for you to take a day off.] [Well, there are true beasts over there¡­ So, I can¡¯t take a long rest yet¡­] While saying that, Ares slowly collapsed. Zecca took his figure in a hurry. Shu ran up in the same way. [It¡¯s okay, there is no abnormality in his breathing. He will just sleep a little. You must act your role.] When he called out to Shu, who was looking anxiously, Zecca held Ares in his arms. Then slowly start walking in the opposite direction of the battlefield. On the other hand, Shu stood up as if he had determined his mind, as soon as he heard Zekka¡¯s voice, and slowly headed toward Regulus. [Lord of the True Beastmen.] [Y-yes.] Regulus, who was watching all the time, was confused when he was suddenly called out. [From now on, I will annihilate that demon beast. What will you do?] [¡­We¡­] The true beasts were watching the current exchange. Regulus was watching the appearance of Ares who fell after using his magic, even though he was already worn out because of the fighting against Regulus. Is there a beastman warrior who doesn¡¯t get excited about this appearance? No, there is none. [We¡¯re also going, Chief!] The wolf-faced warrior replied. [He¡­ That man saved our brothers. Shall we pay him back? ] [¡­Is that all right¡­?] When he was asked by Regulus, the other true beasts silently held their weapons firmly and showed their willingness to fight. [Understood. O¡¯ human warrior. We, the true beasts, will cooperate with you more than this. Now, let us go!] Oooooooooooooh! The roar of the true beastman echoes. Upon hearing that, Shu kept his expression and opened his mouth. [If so, then don¡¯t be late! My comrade, a true beast warrior!] [Ha ha ha! Right back at you!] When Shu and Regulus smiled at each other¡¯s words, they rushed out with lightning speed; the true beast warrior followed after them. It was only shortly after this that more screams of demons echoed on the frenzied battlefield. CH 180 Eastern Expedition 12 ¨C Dormada [I wasn¡¯t surprised when I saw it like this.] [My master¡¯s magic power is big. With just that, He can cause such confusion. So if he keeps continuing, he will collapse.] [¡­Certainly,it¡¯s my first time seeing that kind of magic.] Two men stood in a murderous wilderness with the smell of blood. One is a man with a foreign appearance. The other is a demi human warrior with the appearance of a white lion. Shu, the Commander of the Arcadia army, and Regulus, the head of the True Beastman tribe. Shu and Regulus, each of them led their troops into the demon beasts, who were in panic because of Ares¡¯ magic. The battlefield turned into a one-sided slaughter during this chaos. The army led by the two of them drastically annihilated the hordes of demon beasts. However¡­ Regulus and Shu were looking at distance while thinking of one person. He¡­ no, the strength of his master, Ares, is too unusual¡­ A cavalry like that black heavy tank. Red-colored light cavalry. A magic soldier in a blue robe. and more than anything¡­ (What¡¯s with the strength of the infantry who wore a white bracelet on their arm?) It is already known to them that their master has used too much magic and lost consciousness. At that moment. It felt like the temperature of the air around them had dropped. His respected master has collapsed. Even if it is fatigue and tiredness. The army under the direct control of Ares, [Destruction]. What they commonly recognized. That is Master¡¯s [Trust] And [Hate] against the enemy Ares probably used his magic to the limit, thinking they would do something even if he wasn¡¯t around. Yes, they cannot call themselves his [Army] without responding to that trust. And the other is¡­ Hatred for what they let their master do so far. Don¡¯t miss even one enemy. That spirit was transmitted to everyone who belonged to the [Army]. Shu, who was commanding them on his behalf, agreed with them too. Being entrusted with everything. And like the army¡­ no, he had more hatred. Shu who held in high esteem for his ancestors, traveled from a distant place to look for a master, and found him in this foreign land. His heart was in rage as he witnessed his master fall and worn-out. The appearance of Shu who is the general, and the [Destruction Army], which is famous as the strongest of the Margrave Army, naturally infects even the other soldiers at the end. No, all the soldiers have the same respect for Ares as they do. With the morale that could reach the heavens, the Margrave army thoroughly destroyed the demon beasts. (These soldiers are strong¡­who was the man named Ares who made them so far¡­) Regulus was looking at the land in which the mountain of corpses and a river of blood spread in front of him¡­ and he thought of his benefactor who helped his kins. ===== After the war is over, several hours have passed. Ares woke up. As soon as he woke up, he dismissed the advice of his subordinates begging him to rest, and without any delay, held a military congress. His subordinates such as Shu and Zecca, as well as Regulus, who is treated as a guest general, are also attending. Ares¡¯ instructions are straightforward. [The Dormadia¡¯s troops were almost destroyed in this battle. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity. Immediately we will head to the home country of Dolmadia. Our aim is Dormada, the Royal capital of Dormadia.] And Ares said with a laugh, a little tired. [I want this fight to be the last fight against Dormadia. We have to surround Dormada, and make sure to not miss that pig. That¡¯s why¡­] After taking a breath, Ares overlooked the whole and opened his mouth. [All troops sortie. Destroy them, and bring peace and stability to the west of the eastern continent.] ===== Dormada, the Royal Capital of Dormadia. It was once the Capital of the Kingdom of Samantha in the northwestern part of the eastern continent. In the eastern continent where small nations are crowded, the Kingdom of Samantha was as big as the Beiseld Kingdom¡­ There is a history that it was destroyed overnight without any means to fight a flock of demon beasts that suddenly appeared. Dormages, who changed the Capital name of the Kingdom of Samantha to Dormada, which bears his name, set it as the center of his kingdom, and ruined the eastern part of the eastern continent. Ares and his army stormed Dormada, a city dominated by the demon beast. However, instead of invading the city, the city is restrained by surrounding it with the First Army and the Fourth Army, which are centered on the [Destructive army]. And for how Ares and the others invaded this city behind them¡­ they were holding a military congress. Below Ares, Shu, the 4th Corps Commander, Loran, the Deputy Corps Commander, Regulus, who has been invited as a guest general, the main members of the White Army, and even the captains who led thousand units are gathered. [The information from Zecca says that there are only a few demon beasts left in the city. We should make a total attack!] [¡­However, the former inhabitants of the city who are enslaved. The possibility of involving them during a total attack would be¡­] The discussion became complicated. The conclusion is still uncertain. Ares listened to their opinions one by one and went through silence without speaking anything. At that time. Oooooooooo I heard a screaming voice from a distance. [What?] [What happened??] The Generals in the room became noisy. But Ares, Shu, Zecca, and Regulus knew who the scream belonged to. Ares smiled bitterly at Zekka and Shu, who were nearby. [It looks like that pig is about to reach its limit¡­ So are we going to slaughter?] It¡¯s a laid-back comment. And a word with a strong will. Ares looks around the Generals, and makes the final decision. [Thank you for everyone¡¯s opinions.] When he said that, everything on the spot, including Shu, closed their mouths. [It seems that there are few demons and demon beasts on the area, but there are many people who are captured as slaves. Therefore, this time I will try to send only a small number of elite people at once.] After he said that Ares looked at everyone. [All members of the White Army will wipe out the demon beasts in the field. This time, we will annihilate them with all our might. Yes, don¡¯t let any of them live.] Ares looked at the White Army representatives and commanded them. Their eyes shined and nodded. [The First Army¡­ The [Destruction], the Red Army and the Black Army will continue to move as a reserve force while going around the outside. The remaining First and Fourth Armies will surround the city and defeat the fleeing demons and demon beasts. I have said it many times, but don¡¯t miss even one alive.] When he said that, everyone who was there nodded uniformly with a serious expression. [I, Shu, and Regulus will go toward the Pig King. Both of you, be ready.] Shu laughed a little, and Regulus also nodded powerfully as a matter of course. [Now everyone. Let¡¯s end this turmoil in the western part of the eastern continent. Make a name for yourself in history.] All the people in that place, responding in the words of Ares, stood up loudly. Everyone can¡¯t control their excitement because they feel as if they were the characters in the story. It has been around 2 months since they left the Istrea Kingdom. The clash with Dormadia will finally reach its final stage. CH 181 Eastern Expedition 13 ¨C The Death of Pig King King Dormadia Dormages. He was born a demon called an orc, he is a demon that is followed by many demon beasts due to his high intelligence and ability. Among the demon kinds, he was classified as a low-ranked demon. However, by using various sorceries and medicines, and by being able to obtain a cursed sword, he made the history of transforming into [Kaiser Orc], which has gained him more power than the normal demonic aristocrats. In the forest where demon beasts live in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Samantha. He took control of all the demon beasts here, and seized the Goblin settlement as a foothold. Next, with that power, he succeeded in destroying the Kingdom of Samantha and obtaining the entire land. Dormages, who acquired the technology and food by acquiring a [Country] of the human race, gathered more demon beasts and devastated the entire eastern continent. The west side of the eastern continent was almost in his hands, and it was just turning into hell¡­ Yeah¡­until that guy comes. ===== Dormages is now quietly waiting between the thrones for his opponent to come. Many female bodies are lying nearby. These females are the ones that Dormages used to satiate his overflowing libido. He killed all of them after copulating with them. You may feel his anomaly as a demon beast here. [He came¡­] Dormages mutters and pulls out the big sword stuck to the right of the throne. The moment it fits in his hand. A pattern that looks like blood is drawn on the black blade. While looking at the pattern¡­Dormages was looking back on the time he had come so far. Yes, it¡¯s all because of him. The one who has an enormous magical power that is heading toward this room now. The pure and the greatest magical power among them. That would be the man who made the cause of his defeats so far. Dormages¡¯s head is full of hatred for this man. If this man didn¡¯t come. The western part of the eastern continent would have already fallen into his hands. That Istrea woman would be his. It should have been possible to decide the eastern continent against Beiseld by obtaining the wealth of that rich country. How is it now? This country is about to end. There are only a few demon beasts here, and they will be annihilated as well. From the outside of the royal castle, the dying voice of the demon beasts are echoing. But, he doesn¡¯t have mercy for them. For him, his subordinates are nothing but his own pieces. Right now in Dormages¡¯s head: ¡®How do you split your hated opponent into eight pieces?¡¯ That¡¯s all there is. Dormages strengthened the power of the hand that held the sword. The cursed sword shines suspiciously as if in response to it. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill¡­ Dormages cannot control his feelings any longer. And¡­ at the same time as the door between the thrones opened¡­ [Guaoaaaaaaaaaaaa!!] Dormages jumped while shouting. ===== Ares and the others jumped to the side as soon as they opened the door. At that moment¡­ [Guaoaaaaaaaaaaaa!!] Dormages jumped at them while shouting. [To launch a surprise attack after letting out such an ugly magical power¡­ What an improper pig.] With that said, Ares laughed scornfully. Dormages listened to the voice and looked back. However, He did not react to that word. What he reacted to was¡­ Ares. Yes, this man. This man and his army ¡­ No, he is the leader of that [crowd]. This guy. Without this guy ¡®If I can kill this man, my chances will appear again!!¡¯ [Guaoaaaaaaaaaaaa!!] Dormages screamed again. His body is covered with a black fighting spirit, and his whole body begins to be covered with a red-black pattern similar to the magic sword in his hand. [What¡¯s going on¡­?] [This is¡­!?] Both Shu and Regulus looked at the situation with suspicion. [¡­Is it the last bet? You¡¯ve taken in the power of the cursed sword¡­ Is that your trump card?] There is no reply. However, he growled, roared, and turned his shining red eyes toward him. [There is no reason anymore¡­? More importantly, that sword, I remember seeing it somewhere¡­?] That magic sword with a snake engraved on the handle. He remembered seeing it somewhere¡­? When I was thinking about that. Dormages roared again and attacked Ares. [Gram!] Ares summoned [Demonic Sword Gram], which specialized in strength among the seven Heavenly Swords, and clashed with him. [Wha!?] However, the moment their sword clashed, Dormages pushed through with his strength. Ares determined the opponent¡¯s power, when the sword pressure was released, and the power was averted, he jumped backward and prepared himself. [My Lord!] [I¡¯ll help you!!] The moment Ares descended backwards. This time Shu and Regulus jumped towards him at the same time, but Dormages avoided their attack at a terrifying speed. And he didn¡¯t look at them and jumped toward Ares again. [What!?] [Do you mean to ignore us!?] Shu and Regulus looked at each other. While watching such a situation, Ares muttered a little when he finished breathing. [That sword amplified his grudges, huh¡­ and what he saw as his opponent¡­is me? It is because he saw me as the one who hindered his supremacy, I guess.] And Ares stored back the demonic sword Gram, and took out a new sword. [Holy Sword Excalibur!] A pale blade appeared in his hand. At the same time, Ares himself used [Fighting Aura] and began to shine golden. [Okay, let me be your opponent. Now, die!] Without any hesitation, Ares also jumped at Dormages. ===== The battle was exhausting. Dormages attacked Ares with his strong arm. On the other hand, Ares, who is inferior in power, played with Dormages with his body-enhanced speed and technique. Both Shu and Regulus can only see it. They tried to join the fight, but¡­ both of them had to lower their swords. That is¡­ [Muu¡­ the battle between warriors¡­ it¡¯s inappropriate to disturb it.] [I despised that pig king, when I saw it this much¡­] What surprised them was the bravery of Dormages. Someone who managed to climb from being a normal orc to the top; a feat thought to be impossible. That spirit. That strong arm. That technique. It takes a lot of time to master these three, and Dormages clearly did. Both Shu and Regulus are warriors. Those who find beauty in the battle between warriors. That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t have the intention of ruining such a battle. Ares also thought so in his mind. (He has evolved from the orc, which is a demon beast, to this point¡­ It shouldn¡¯t be possible with any ordinary resolution ¡­) Then. After clashing hundreds of times, Ares flew back and put himself at a distance. Ares is looking at Dormages with a rough breath. Dormages, on the other hand, also took a rough breath, sweating like a waterfall and turning his red eyes toward Ares. While watching the situation, Ares opened his mouth. [Wonderful, King of Pigs. No, King Dormadia Dormages. You are¡­not an orc. You are the Hero of the time.] It¡¯s a compliment. Even though he is a demon beast that has done all the violence, he gave his respect as a warrior for the opponent who showed such a martial art. Ares quietly put away the Excalibur. [Because you¡¯re such a Hero¡­Then, I¡¯ll do my best!] In Ares¡¯s hand, a sword with a sinister color appears. And he took the stance of Iai. [Mmm!? That is¡­] Shu saw it and was amazed. Dormages, on the other hand, attacked again with excitement without changing his expression even after listening to Ares¡¯s words. Dormages approached Ares at a tremendous speed. However, Ares is not impatient. [Farewell. Dormages.] Ares said so, and took a breath. And¡­ [Murakumo Secret Style ¨C Dragon Extinction Flash!!] He muttered. It¡¯s like a flash of light. It was a momentary event. Shu too. Regulus too. And maybe Dormages himself. They couldn¡¯t keep track of what happened. [It¡¯s a flash that annihilating the dragon] Ares¡¯ attitude hasn¡¯t changed. However, Ares muttered in a small voice. At that moment. Dormages¡¯s body began to shift from side to side¡­ it split into two. Both Shu and Regulus hold their breath. The body was divided into two before it collapsed on the floor and made a loud noise. While listening to the sound, Ares quietly saying something. [I¡¯ll say it again. Dormages, you¡¯re the Hero of the time. You¡¯ve become a King from a demon beast¡­ I¡¯m sure someone like you won¡¯t ever show up again.] Ares¡¯ words will surely not reach Dormages. But he continues. Because that is something important as a warrior. [I don¡¯t feel pity for you who have done all of the violence, but¡­ I¡¯ll admit that you¡¯re brave. You were a splendid enemy¡­] ===== King Dormages, King of Atrocity. From a mere orc to the King of the great powers of the eastern continent, the man who did his best for cruelty, thus scattered his life in front of the throne. CH 182 Eastern Expedition 14 ¨C Dormadia Liberation afterwards [Send the relief supplies immediately.] [Not yet. There are some people who haven¡¯t been rescued yet. To make sure such people exist, don¡¯t neglect searching for them.] [To the civil officers from the Margrave: give top priority to recovering this devastated country.] Under the command of Ares, Dormadia immediately¡­ No, the reconstruction of the former Kingdom of Samantha began. The fact that the demon beast ruled over for several years. The emotional scars were big and the people, who were supposed to cheer and rejoice because they were freed and released, had lifeless expressions. They got used to being oppressed too much. And for that kind of people, their spirits have been uniformly destroyed. Their care needs to be prioritized and ensured that all people can return to live positively. Ares decided that after looking at them. === Ares¡¯ instructions from there were swift. First of all, he changed Dormada¡¯s name, the capital of Dormadia, to Salmar immediately after defeating Dormages. He returned to the name of the Royal Capital of the former Samantha Kingdom. At the same time as the restoration, Ares thoroughly destroyed the demons in the demon forest where Dormages was born near Salmar using his [Army]. His strict order this time is to completely eliminate the influence of Dormages here. Don¡¯t make them remember Dormages again. Return the peace and stability again in this land. That was Ares¡¯s wish. At the same time, an active support system¡­ Guaranteeing food, clothing, and shelter, maintaining security, and [return civilization] in this devastated country ¡­ The former Kingdom of Samantha slowly began to steer towards a new future. ===== ¡ô [I can¡¯t take it easy yet. After finishing these things, I need to head towards Beiseld.] Yes, Ares made a complaint when there are still people nearby. Sigurd and Darius are heading towards Beiseld. I heard that the war situation is going well, and the invaded land is being steadily released one after another. Perhaps, they are approaching the Capital of Beiseld right now. [We must urgently defeat Beiseld, end the war on this eastern continent, and urgently strive to restore the devastated continent¡­ To do so, It¡¯s important to liberate all nations of the eastern continent as soon as possible. If you are one day late, it will take more time to recover. Therefore we cannot waste time¡­] Yes, Ares muttered and looked into the distance from the outside of the window. ===== ¡ô Ares emphasized the importance, at the same time as the restoration of the devastated Kingdom of Samantha. It was a system to unite the western part of the eastern continent, including other liberated areas. Even though it has been released from the oppression of Dormadia, they cannot be left alone. In fact, there are some countries without leaders. In that case, there is a possibility that some thieves will conquer the city and identify themselves as a [Country] or there will be countries that have great ambitions and they will do anything to become the second Dormadia. Therefore, Ares immediately summoned the leaders of each country after defeating Dormadia. It¡¯s for the countries who don¡¯t have Royal Families and the leader that has yet been determined. The White Army is currently acting as the leader on their behalf. In this discussion, Ares decided on the future, albeit tentatively. The Samantha¡¯s Royal family has already been extinguished by Dormages and is now under the direct control of Istrea. In addition, it has been decided that all other areas where the Royal Family is absent, will be under the direct control of Istrea. As for other countries, Istrea will be their ally, making them as vassal countries, and in exchange, Istrea will bear the burden of reconstruction. Of course, there were some dissenting opinions about this. Istraea isn¡¯t doing anything, why should they become its vassal state? To meet opposition and dissenting objections to follow Istrea, Ares had already expected it.. Ares laughed and answered the representatives. [This is only for temporary. Now, if someone didn¡¯t become the leader and unite the country with leadership, the road to reconstruction will be steep. Therefore, if you think of it as a national power, Istraea would be suitable as the leader.] To put it in a nutshell, each country is not financially powerful enough to restore their devastated land. There is no choice but to rely on the economic power of the Margrave and Istraea. But, Ares has another idea. He said [Temporary] to each country. But what if we continued this Istraea-centric system? Naturally, each country will be dependent on Istraea. It is not long before the western part of the eastern continent will fall into the hands of Istraea. And that Istraea, albeit through a secret agreement, will swear absolute loyalty to the Margrave. Istraea holding down the western part of the continent is equivalent to Ares holding down the western part of the eastern continent. [And, I also want to obtain the east side too.] While saying that, he gently reaches out his hand quietly. Still, this is just a [Secret Agreement]. But, when he obtained all this eastern continent, completed the reconstruction and gained its former strength. Who will go against him when he announces it? Ares thought about that, and when he holds his fist, he smiled quietly. ===== ¡ô In those busy days, Regulus was called by Ares. Regulus is still there for the past few days and he has been discussing the future of the True Beasts. Now that the threat of Dormadia has disappeared, no one would have any objection to returning to the true beastmen¡¯s village. However, there were many requests from young true beastmen to come here and remain in the Margrave Army. For them, the Margrave Army was an astounding existence. Originally, the human race is a race that highly discriminates against other races. The teachings of the church also encourage it. The true beasts know this and their relationship with the human race is already sporadic as much as possible. But¡­ this is not the case. There are various races from soldier to generals, including the [Destruction Army], which reports directly to Margrave Ares Schwarzer. Including the human race, beastmen, elves, dwarves, and the demi-human. There are also demon races such as dark elves, kobolds, and lizardfolk. Even the non-humans are serving as commanding officers. They were very surprised when they were informed that this is a place where abilities and daily efforts are recognized regardless of birth and race. .. For young people who had thoughts¡­ that they would always have to live quietly in the countryside from now on. And with that in mind, for the young people who had too much hope and ambition¡­ This place was very attractive. When Regulus approached Ares for a consultation¡­ [Of course I would appreciate it if everyone would join me. Your clan¡¯s ability is very high. I will welcome you all.] Ares laughed when he said that. [But¡­ you guys might have different opinions. Therefore, I want you to check them first before making a decision. Don¡¯t regret each other¡­alright?] While pondering Ares¡¯ words¡­ Regulus knocked the door of the office. ===== ¡ô [I¡¯m sorry to disturb you when you were busy.] After he entered the office, he looked around restlessly and he suddenly heard a voice from the pile of documents. When he turned his eyes to it, Ares, who was handling a mountain of documents, raised his hand and stared back at him. [No, I didn¡¯t have enough time because I had too much work to do. I¡¯m sorry.] That said, Ares stood and stretched his body. [Rather than talking in a place like this, I think I want to change my mood¡­ Should we go out for a while?] ===== ¡ô Ares and Regulus went to the balcony of the Royal castle overlooking the city of Salmar. From that place, they looked at the city. Regulus muttered while looking at the scenery. [Scenery like this¡­ I have never seen it.] This kind of scenery¡­ There were scenes of humans and demi-humans laughing wiht each other. Racial prejudice also exists in the eastern continent, which is located far from the central continent. The human race who looked down on demi-humans. The beast race who hated the human race. The long eared elves and dwarves who despise humans and the beastmen race. Since the true beasts dislike such discrimination, they decided to settle in remote areas. [What are you aiming for¡­?] Regulus asked Ares. Ares went silent for a while. His gaze has always been on the people of the castle. Then he laughed and slowly turned to Regulus. [Coexistence.] [¡­Coexistence?] [The Human races, Beastmen, Dwarves, Long-eared Elves, Demons¡­ Continental people, foreign different groups¡­ All of them are irrelevant. A world where all creatures are living equal under the law. I dream of such a world.] Ares laughed at Regulus. [Do you think it¡¯s stupid dream?] [¡­Yeah, that¡¯s stupid. That kind of thing, I doubt anyone can do that.] Regulus also grinned when he said that. [But¡­ I don¡¯t hate it. I wish to look forward to that unreasonable dream to happen.] Then he knelt on one knee and he gently dedicated his sword from his hips to Ares. It¡¯s proof of obedience. It¡¯s a vow to be a sword. [I, Regulus Barbatos. I swear here on behalf of the true beastmen. We, the true beastmen, want to see the dream of my Lord together. Will you receive my sword?] Regulus lifted up his large sword. And then, Ares also grabbed the handle of the dedicated sword and opened his mouth in response. [I received the decision of the true beast, and I swear to this dedicated sword that I will surely grant it. [Coexistence].] ===== ¡ô This act is one of the most famous acts in the play when talking about the Hero King. [Hero King] Ares Schwarzer and the true beast hero Regulus Barbatos, who was said to be [The Return of the Beast King]. That was the beginning of the act. From this day, all the true beasts will join Ares as his subordinate along with Regulus. The true beasts aimed for [coexistence] that Ares told Regulus and they will demonstrate their power for that dream. They will give great power to the Margrave Army with a power far exceeding that of beastmen and they will unite the beastmen together under same banner. And¡­ the head of the true beast. [Heavenly Beast Commander] Regulus Barbatos. His heroism was comparable to Sigurd, Darius, and Shu. He was one of the best warriors in the Margrave Army,and as one of the [Six Heavenly Generals], he will become the person who will support Ares and [Arestia] in the future. CH 183 Weekly chapters (2/2) Sad news, no new update for this novel from the author. Last month, the author made his first status update after months without news. He said that he is an irregular author with busy job, but he will try to work for new chapter whenever he have free time. I¡¯ll check the author page regularly if there will be new update in the future. Let¡¯s hope this will be another long hiatus. In another note in case you missed it, I¡¯m re-posting this novel to Travis Translations from beginning. (Rechecking if there is any mistranslation and edited the typo while re-reading them). Enjoy the chapter. Translator: Raizu Editor: Shirayuki Chapter 183 ¨C Dragon Claw Mark While Ares was attacking Dormadia¡­ Sigurd and Darius led the 2nd and 3rd armies respectively, and headed towards the Byzerd region. The Principality of Byzerd spread across the eastern part of the continent. Sigurd would strike from the north while Darius planned to invade from the south. And, after liberating all the countries, the strategy was to rendezvous in the Duchy of Byzerd, Garian. This group of small countries in the eastern part of the continent are said to have originally started when Arcadian nobles and Royal families escaped from the Central Continent and proclaimed themselves kings in various places. They pioneered this uninhabited wasteland and laid the foundation for their prosperity. The number of countries that surrendered to Byzerd¡¯s military annexation was about eight. Sigurd was in charge of liberating the four northern countries and Darius was in charge of the remaining four southern countries. They marched with thunderous speed, taking one city after another and liberating it. ===== ¡ô In the northern part of the east continent, there existed a country the same size as the Kingdom of Istrea. The name is called Lieve Kingdom. Adjacent to Byzerd, they were allies since the founding of the country. This country was also called the Kingdom of Lieve Knights, because noble knights protected the country. However, when Zachard became King of Byzerd, it was to this Lieve Kingdom that he first bared his fangs. When he became king, the Lieve Kingdom was the most vocal in denouncing his legitimacy. And he resented them for it. Although Lieve Kingdom was smaller in comparison to Byzerd, their military prowess was actually quite comparable. No matter how strong Byzerd¡¯s military was, the Lieve Knights would not fall that easily¡­ or at least that was what everyone in Lieve thought. Simon, the King of Knights, was extremely talented, and his mighty knights will stop Zachard¡¯s madness. Protecting us¡­all the people recognized it, and wished for it. However, the result was contrary to expectations and crushed people¡¯s wishes. The power of the invading Principality of Byzerd was overwhelming. It was only through one battle. Taking all kinds of retaliation head on, eating through them¡­ it can be said that the current method of fighting that Byzerd employed¡­ Yes, there¡¯s no strategy at all as it was just a¡­ ¡ºForceful Push¡» But, it¡¯s like the army Zachard led was no longer human. They were more ferocious than monsters. The Byzerd army pretty much annihilated the Lieve Knights in the very first battle. At first, Lieve Kingdom fought well under the leadership of the King of Knights Simon. [Don¡¯t think of them as people! Think of them as beasts!] With that order, he changed his tactics one after another like hunting wild beasts. The strategy worked and the Byzerd army took severe losses. The Lieve Kingdom¡¯s forces believed that their victory was nigh. However, Zachard¡¯s solo charge turned the situation around. He slew any knights in his path like he¡¯s stamping on ants. Thanks to the sight of his brutal charge, Byzerd army regained their momentum and ferocity. With their strategy failing, Lieve Knights gradually crumbled under the pressure of the beast-like Byzerd army. [Is he¡­a monster?] All of the Lieve Knights who were there¡­ no, everyone, including the Byzerd soldiers trembled in fear upon witnessing the power that surpasses common sense. As if running through an uninhabited field, Zachard plowed through Lieve forces, quickly reaching Simon, the King of Knights. [Usurper King! I, Simon the King of Knight, hereby cha¡­] Simon never managed to finish his sentence. Without batting an eye, Zachard beheaded Simon in a single swing of his prized halberd. When Simon fell under Zachard¡¯s hand, the Lieve Knights almost immediately fell into confusion. In just a few days, the entire Lieve Kingdom was conquered by the momentum of Byzerd army. Thus Lieve Kingdom became a vassal state to Byzerd Principality. What awaited them was unimaginable tyranny. As a start, the entire royal bloodline was slaughtered. And for the people, destruction, torture, looting, slaughter, rape¡­ it¡¯s pretty much a one sided free for all. The out of control Byzerd army ravaged the Lieve Kingdom. Turning the once virtuous and peaceful country into hell on earth in but a few days. ===== Gaston Grievous, who was active as a knight under Zachard¡¯s direct command in Byzerd, was entrusted with such Lieve Kingdom. He was originally a man who ransacked Baizerd as a leader of bandits. However, by chance, he saw the bravery and cruelty of Zachard, who was still one of the princes on the battlefield, and was captivated by him. He wants to have that kind of valor himself. And he wants to rampage as he pleases¡­ It may have been a natural course of events for him to run to Zachard. Gaston, who distinguished himself under Zachard, has had many military exploits. He also possessed the valor of a bandit leader, and a cruelty on par with Zachard. And that was exactly why Zachard liked him and gave him an important position. Due to such circumstances, he rose from a mere bandit to one of the generals of Zachard¡¯s army, and finally to the governor of the occupied land of Lieve. Even after Zachard left, Gaston took over his policy and unleashed further tyranny on the people of the Kingdom of Lieve. ===== ¡ô [Here they are¡­] After receiving information that the enemy was about to invade, Gaston chose to wall himself up in the Royal Capital of Lieve Archia. Archia is also famous as a fortified city. In particular, the castle wall, which is said to be an iron wall, has a history of preventing the enemy¡¯s momentum even in the previous invasion of Byzerd. At that time, the castle gate on the west side couldn¡¯t withstand the fierce attack, allowing the enemy to enter from there but since then, the castle gate has been renovated and turned into a stronger fortress than before. Moreover¡­ [Oy, is the¡ºMeat Wall¡»ready yet?] [Yessir! We¡¯ve tied up the residents and forced them to line up at the wall!] Yes, what he referred to as¡ºMeat Wall¡»was lining up Archia¡¯s citizens on top of the rampart. [Our army is stationed in front of the ramparts. Even if it is breached, this¡ºMeatwall¡»will block their progress. In the meantime¡­] [Umu. We should wait for reinforcements and sandwich them¡­ huh.] Gaston grinned when he said that. But as he was about to continue talking with his confidant¡­ [General! The battle situation has changed!] Came the report. Inspecting the situation, he realized that the enemy army had clashed with his own army. [Strong¡­our army is no match for them.] Gaston murmured as he inspected the situation. The training and morale are different between the Byzerd army and the Margrave¡¯s army. The results were striking. [But even with that many soldiers, this castle wall won¡¯t crumble.] Just right after he said that¡­ He saw something approaching from the sky. [What¡­is that?] Gaston squinted his eyes¡­and was at a loss for words. [Reporting! From the western sky¡­dragons¡­!] Yes, indeed. Flying dragons [Why are there a group of dragons here¡­?] A horde of dragons approaches Archia citadel in a unified movement. That¡¯s from far above the castle walls. From a height where you can¡¯t even attack with a bow and arrow. Gaston confirmed the flock of dragons with his own naked eyes. Then realized there were soldiers straddling the backs of the dragons. [Is that¡­the enemy army?] The dragons ignored and flew past the¡ºmeat wall¡», crossing Archia¡¯s streets, and directly toward the castle. [Impossible¡­this is impossible¡­the castle walls are useless against that!] Gaston, who was listening to the battle situation on the balcony of the castle, fled into the castle in a hurry. that moment. GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGO An explosion roared through the castle and Gaston was caught in it and blown away. [W-what¡­?] When Gaston looked in that direction, there was a dragon that was different from salamanders and wyverns. A knight in black was riding on the dragon¡¯s back. [¡­..are you the commander?] The knight dismounted from the dragon as he asked so. But, Gaston remained silent, keeping his mouth shut. [I¡¯ll take your silence as a yes.] The black knight drew the sword on his waist. ¡ºDragonic Sword Dragonia¡» Crafted by Gardor, the best blacksmith among the true dwarves, it is comparable to holy sword or magic sword. With that sword in hand, the black knight approached Gaston. [Nuu¡­..UGAAaaaaaaaAAA!!] Gaston became frantic and attacked the knight. While directing a ruthless gaze at Gaston, the knight in black swung down his sword. Only the sound of cutting through the air was faintly audible. Nothing else but silence could be heard. However¡­ At the same time, Gaston had stopped moving. And¡­ [Huh¡­w-what¡­?] Blood flowed from Gaston¡¯s mouth. At the same time, his torso, along with his armor, began to shift diagonally across his body. [Huh? My body¡­has been cut?] When he muttered that, Gaston, who was split in half, made a loud noise and collapsed from the spot. While turning a cold gaze to such a situation¡­ The knight in black¡­ Margrave Second Army commandant Sigurd muttered. [You should feel honored that you get to be cut down by this sword, scum] ===== ¡ô With Gaston killed, Lieve effectively had fallen under the Margrave army¡¯s occupation. Sigurd took the rest of the defeated soldiers prisoner, rescued the vassals of the former Kingdom of Lieve who had been imprisoned, and arranged for them to start working on government affairs as soon as they recovered. He himself continued to march toward Byzerd capital with the second army. [If we don¡¯t hurry, Darius will beat us to it. I don¡¯t want to hear his gloating if it comes to happen.] Sigurd began to advance again while groaning.