《I Become a Rogue Lord in a World Where Only I Level Up》


 CH 1

    Chapter 1: Rogue Lords (1)


    [Level 99 attained!]


    [Unification successful]


    The in-game message sparkled. This game, which I¡¯ve been hooked on lately, is set in an alternate universe during the Warring States period.


    I¡¯ve been playing it like crazy since the day it was released, and I¡¯ve finally succeeded in unifying the world.


    [Management message received]


    The moment I entirely conquered the game, a message window that I had never seen before appeared. Did the management ever send me a direct message?


    It¡¯s a solo-player game, but the strategy rankings are aggregated in real-time to create player rankings. Because of that, you¡¯re connected to the internet and, well, you can receive messages, that¡¯s for sure.


    Do I get any perks? A coupon or something?


    Curiosity piqued, I clicked on the message window first. Then another series of messages appeared on the screen in rapid succession.


    [Game Management appreciates your strategy]


    [Challenge for glory. This is a benefit only for you, number one in the rankings]


    [Special Offer]


    [When you¡¯re ready to accept the challenge of glory, you¡¯ll earn the rewards first. Perks can be obtained through exploration from the beginning MAP]


    Glory?


    No way, there is even a sequel? The game was completely conquered. In chaotic and war-torn times, he became king from a small-town hero and realized his country¡¯s unification.


    I¡¯m not inclined to play without a sequel story, but the word ¡°perks¡± appealed to me a bit.


    It seems like there is a hidden story.


    Where is the beginning MAP?


    My curiosity exploded, so I looked around for perks.


    However, no matter how much I scoured the in-game MAP, I could not find any perks.


    Management prank?


    That¡¯s all I can think of at this point. I entered the developer¡¯s website from my computer. As the contact form was set up, I sent an email asking about the meaning of the message that appeared.


    I looked at the clock; the management¡¯s message had wiped out my sense of accomplishment and left me with only exhaustion. It was already 3 am, a reply to my inquiry mail had not yet arrived.


    ¡°Whew!¡±


    I had no choice but to turn off the game because I was yawning. No, I tried to turn it off. At that moment, I suddenly lost consciousness; around me was darkness, and I was dizzy.


    *


    *


    I woke up.


    The day began, as usual; I stretched and yawned; it¡¯s a habit of mine. If I do this, I feel a little refreshed when I wake up.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The scenery in front of me was utterly unfamiliar. I closed my eyes, wondering if I was sleep-deprived, then I rubbed my eyes and opened them again. But it was still an unfamiliar sight, someone¡¯s house?


    It¡¯s the first bedroom I¡¯ve ever seen. It looks like a luxurious medieval European-style bedroom.


    I¡¯m not drunk, not that I¡¯m drunk.


    Ah!


    That¡¯s when I remembered. I remembered that when I tried to turn off the game, my eyes went black, I was terribly dizzy and lost consciousness!


    What? It¡¯s this a dream?


    Not being able to wake up from a dream. I immediately pinched my cheek; it hurts!


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    It was painful. I pinched too hard, but one thing is sure, it¡¯s not a dream.


    There was no way I would feel pain in my dream; I was probably moved to this place after I passed out.


    I looked around again, horrified. Was I abducted? Where the hell am I?


    I walked to the window in front of the bed and opened the curtain; then I looked at the landscape.


    The outside scenery. It is. It¡¯s.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    A hollow voice was heard. I couldn¡¯t keep my mouth shut; this is not the city I know. It wasn¡¯t a city with a forest of buildings but a collection of one to two-story buildings. A castle wall surrounded such a city.


    The morning sun was shining on the walls, and the scenery itself was somehow exotic and breathtaking.


    But this was not the time to marvel at the beauty. What unfolds in front of me is a real landscape, not a screen. It was not a situation I could even understand.


    I¡¯ve heard that some cities in Europe are left in their medieval state, but it¡¯s not like that. There was no modern atmosphere at all; the same was true for the people¡¯s clothes. On the streets, instead of cars, horses and carriages are driven.


    What¡¯s more, the place I was in was a castle. It¡¯s the tallest building in the city; the entire city can be seen at a glance.


    I was in the bedroom of such a castle with the window opened.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    Just as my mind fell into chaos, I heard a knock from outside the door.


    Thinking that he might be the one who created this situation, I hurriedly ran to the door and opened it quickly.


    There was an old man with white hair standing there. He was dressed like a butler.


    ¡°What do you mean? A person living in a place like this!?¡±


    When I asked him, he started to look at me strangely.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Besides, this old man suddenly called me master.


    ¡°Who the hell am I, master? Besides, who are you?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand it any better, so I asked back. The old man and the two women in maid outfits standing behind him looked at each other with a look of complete trepidation at my question.


    ¡°I am Landers, the chamberlain. Isn¡¯t master the Lord of Aintorian, Master Erhin? What is this joke?¡±


    The chamberlain¡¯s eyes glazed over; he looks puzzled, but I¡¯m the confused one; this is no time to play around.


    No, wait. Erhin Aintorian?


    If it¡¯s Aintorian, it¡¯s the name of the game I was playing until just before I fell asleep, I believe.


    No, no way?


    Aintorian was a region where many events of considerable importance happen in the latter part of the game. Come to think of it; I think the name of the Aintorian lord in the early game was Aintorian Erhin.


    I¡¯m that Aintorian Erhin?


    ¡°You don¡¯t think this is the kingdom of Lunan, and this is Aintorian territory?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. We are in Aintorian, a territory of the Lunan Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m that lord¡¯s Aintorian?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master. Master. Today you can visit ¡­¡­.What do you intend to do?¡±


    The chamberlain asked me with a frightened face as usual. I¡¯m so serious that I¡¯m dying, what did you say earlier? No, it doesn¡¯t matter.


    Does that mean that to them, I¡¯m the character Aintorian Erhin from the game?


    Does that mean I¡¯ve entered the game as well?


    Impossible.


    It¡¯s certainly not possible, but the surrounding landscape and the appearance of the chamberlain and maids. Such things indeed give a sense of reality to the current situation.


    It¡¯s not at all dumbfounding to talk about, though.


    ¡°Mirror¡­¡­.Is there a full-length mirror anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Downstairs. Master!¡±


    It was the maids who responded.


    There was no mirror in the room. However, I don¡¯t even know if there is a mirror in this era.


    ¡°Where downstairs?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll bring it right away!¡±


    The maids ran somewhere else, perhaps misinterpreting the question of where to find it to bring it right away.


    I didn¡¯t stop them because I wanted to see my appearance right away.


    Why in the world do I look like Aintorian Erhin?


    ¡°And the map! How about a map of this country?¡±


    ¡°Map? Of course, there is a map. Please wait a minute.¡±


    The chamberlain also responded immediately and disappeared somewhere. He was very agile in his movements. Well, he calls me master, and that¡¯s only natural.


    I went back to the bedroom and sat down on the bed for a while.


    I was stunned, but clearly, I was in the world of the game I was playing.


    The maids soon returned, holding a full-length mirror in a pair, looking as frightened as ever.


    But now is not the time to ease their fears.


    I stared in the mirror; my body froze in shock; I couldn¡¯t speak or hide my confusion.


    The reflection of myself in the mirror bore a striking resemblance to an illustration of Aintorian Erhin, a game character.


    Now I looked like Aintorian Erhin, Lord Erhin in his early 20s. The cool illustration had become reality, and the mirror reflected a handsome man I had never seen before.


    ¡°This is me¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°I need to be left alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    The maids obediently followed my words and withdrew in a hurry. Soon after, the chamberlain returned with a large map in hand.


    ¡°Master, please take a look at the map of¡­¡­.¡±


    Wanting to be alone, I interrupted the chamberlain¡¯s words.


    ¡°Put it there. And don¡¯t come into the room until I call you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The chamberlain also reacted the same way as the maids and disappeared in a hurry. The big door to the bedroom closed, and I was alone again.


    I¡¯m 25 years old, and my hobby is gaming.


    I don¡¯t know if I was punished for my daily life or not, but I found myself in a scene from the game. Moreover, I was one of the characters in the game.


    It¡¯s hard to believe, but this situation was real, no matter how I look at it. No way, this is what the opportunity to challenge the glory was all about?


    The developers of this game are gods?


    Otherwise, the situation was absolutely impossible in reality, unless the game developer is an omniscient and omnipotent God.


    What unfolds in front of me is not a game that runs in 2D or 3D graphics, but the real world.


    The chamberlain¡¯s expressions and actions, the maids¡¯ frightened faces; everything was like they were living persons.


    Do you think this is glorious? This situation where the game became reality?


    If this had been a typical game, as a game lover, I might not have been able to help but rejoice because I¡¯m not that attached to real life.


    But there is a problem. This game is about war. In other words, it¡¯s a deadly game. The fact that such a world has become reality means that I have to live in a time of warfare. My head was starting to hurt.


    I scratched my head and unfolded the map that the chamberlain had left behind.


    The place names on the map, and the country, are still the same as in the game setting.


    ¡°Wait, that means¡­¡­!¡±


    And then.


    I noticed the biggest problem. This is the setting in the game, and if I was Aintorian Erhin¡­


    Aintorian Erhin was not the main character; he¡¯s someone who dies right at the start of the game. He¡¯s not even a supporting character.


    Am I, of all people, that Aintorian Erhin?


    The game tells how a civil war hundreds of years ago united a kingdom divided like the warring states period.


    That¡¯s the problem.


    The Aintorian region is one of the most critical areas in the game. It is the one with the most conflicts started by those who want to occupy it. Above all, Aintorian Erhin, in the setting, dies at the beginning of the game, from the Narja Kingdom¡¯s surprise attack.

 CH 2

    Chapter 2: Rogue Lords (2)


    It was the death that signaled the start of the game.


    In the game¡¯s setting, the kings of the nations, fearing that they would fall together in a war that would last for hundreds of years, signed a truce, resulting in about twenty years of peace.


    Just as they began to get used to that peace, the ambitious young king of Narja Kingdom started a war. Warfare begins again, and the sacrifice is Aintorian Erhin.


    Aintorian Erhin was a tyrant; he was a drunkard and a womanizer, killing innocent people without a second thought.


    That¡¯s precisely why the chamberlain and the maids are so scared of my actions.


    No, why of all those many characters, I¡¯m the one who dies right at the start?


    What if I die in this world?


    Do I die in real life?


    That¡¯s the biggest question.


    Will I be able to return to my usual routine when I die?


    The odds of dying would be higher because even in this world, I feel pain.


    If this has nothing to do with death, then I should not feel pain.


    That¡¯s normal.


    The pain I feel when I hit my cheek or pinch myself is real.


    If it happens, I might really die.


    Even more so if God intervened?


    But that¡¯s if my soul has been transferred to the world of the game they created.


    Huh¡­¡­.


    The headache just kept getting worse; I¡¯m really going crazy.


    That means I have to get out of my death sentence, though.


    Could the system work, by any chance?


    In the game world, the system was only available to the main character.


    Of course, the NPCs did not have the system.


    What if the game world became real, but only I, the player, could use the system?


    Then I can expect a little more. Yes, if only I have the system!


    The player has levels. This level system allows the protagonist to grow by leaps and bounds, which no other character can do.


    If only I had the system, I could survive!


    I looked for a system in my head to quickly confirm such a guess, which would make my headache disappear a bit.


    The system. The system.


    Well, I don¡¯t really know how to use it.


    How would I use it if it were really there?


    Usually, I would just use a gamepad, but I don¡¯t have one in my hand right now.


    This is reality.


    The system¡­¡­.


    You¡¯re supposed to give me a system to fight for glory!


    System!


    [Ryuichi Hasegawa / Aintorian Erhin]


    Age: 25 years]


    [Lv.1]


    [Status]


    [Skills]


    [Items]


    As I shouted that in my head, amazingly enough, the system really appeared.


    The moment I saw the system window, I felt as if I was reunited with an old friend, a feeling that almost brought tears to my eyes.


    That¡¯s how happy I was; furthermore, it looked just like the system window on the screen. No, it was the same.


    It was unmistakably the system window I knew.


    I quickly moved my finger to Status.


    [Martial Force: 58]


    [Intelligence: ?]


    [Command: ?]


    [Affiliation: Lords of Aintorian]


    [People¡¯s spirit: 10]


    Then my status was displayed; it¡¯s still the same.


    Thanks to this, I was able to confirm Erhin¡¯s ability value.


    Erhin¡¯s initial martial force was 58. Although he is a tyrant, he is still a lord. Thanks to coming from a high-noble house and learning swordsmanship since childhood, he was more powerful than an ordinary soldier.


    People¡¯s spirit: 10.


    The people¡¯s spirit as a lord includes all the soldiers, vassals, and territories, that is to say, horrible.


    Famous for the name evil lord, it¡¯s not surprising.


    With the system, you level up. The points received each time you level up can be used to upgrade martial force, buy items and skills.


    Using the system, only I can raise my level and become stronger and stronger.


    It looked the same now that I started as Aintorian Erhin; that¡¯s the way the game was designed!


    Intelligence and command are evaluated on performance. The better the strategy used in war, the more intelligence is ranked accordingly. Command is the ability to lead soldiers and vassals. The higher the value, the more obedient the soldiers and vassals will be.


    If it were any other person, wouldn¡¯t the intelligence and command values appear normal?


    As I recall, it was so in the game, I opened the door of the room to confirm it.


    A maid is always waiting outside the door. She¡¯s probably the lord¡¯s maid of honor.


    I used the basic skill [Information Confirmation] without hesitation since I¡¯m Lv.1 I don¡¯t have any other skills yet.


    Although [Information Confirmation] is my only skill right now, it¡¯s also a pretty useful skill.


    [Gaen]


    Age: 18 years]


    Martial force: 5]


    Intelligence: 31]


    [Conducting: 10]


    [Affiliation: maids of the Aintorian lord¡¯s castle]


    [People¡¯s spirit: 50]


    If you use [Information Confirmation], the person¡¯s ability value is displayed like this; after all, it¡¯s just like the game I used to play.


    The opportunity to challenge glory, then, is not the story of a small-town protagonist rising to the top of the ladder, but rather a story that asks you to start as a villainous lord and use the system to conquer the world.


    ¡°Pfffffffffff. Kuh-ha-ha!¡±


    So that¡¯s it; this is just an opportunity to challenge that glory, right? I have no idea what that glory is, though.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    The maid started shaking as she watched me laughing like a madman. In the eyes of the maid, I would look like a crazy person. Even more so because Erhin is a lord who kills people without a care in the world.


    ¡°Never mind.¡±


    After replying in the tone of a lord to not make her feel uncomfortable, I closed the door and returned to my bedroom.


    That¡¯s right. There was one more thing to check; I quickly opened the door again to ask what I had forgotten.


    The maid, who had been wiping sweat from her forehead, stiffened again when she saw me reappear.


    Seeing such a reaction really makes me feel even more aware of Erhin¡¯s notoriety.


    How many evil deeds do you need to do to make people so frightened?


    ¡°What day is today?¡±


    ¡°Gee, today?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s February 1!¡±


    ¡°February 1?¡±


    ¡°Ha, yes!¡±


    ¡°What year?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, We¡¯ve been in the Lunan Kingdom for 202 years!¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What¡­..?¡±


    I left the maid with a puzzled look on her face as if the word ¡°thank you¡± was surprising, and returned to my room. As soon as I closed the door of the room, I sat down on the floor.


    The kingdom has been in existence for 202 years, February 1?


    Then it¡¯s tomorrow, the attack of the Narja Royal Army will trample the Aintorian lands and behead the lords just tomorrow!


    There was no time to prepare for battle.


    Trying to calm the notoriety of the lord, train the soldiers, raise my level. I would worry about my chances of survival if I had more time, and now it¡¯s tomorrow?


    Really unlucky! This sucks! Shit! Shit!


    If this happens, how will I survive¡­..?


    The only way to enjoy the glory of it is to survive, right? Let¡¯s think.


    This game became popular as it allowed players to test their own strategies in war.


    It was a solo-player game rather than a multiplayer game in which you play the game with other players in real-time. Still, it was also a game in which each player was ranked according to the points generated while progressing.


    That¡¯s right, a ranking is created based on points.


    Anyway, the first place in such a game was me.


    So I had to come up with a strategy worthy of the number one spot!


    I have to figure out how to survive.


    Because the most important thing is not to die before I can enjoy it.


    So how shall I strategize?


    I returned my gaze to the map I unfolded. A few synopsis lines about the beginning of the war in which Aintorian Erhin dies were all I could remember.


    I know that Narja¡¯s Royal Army started the war and Elhin was beheaded, but I don¡¯t know the detailed story at all.


    I know it from the original protagonist¡¯s perspective, not Erhin¡¯s.


    Besides, if Erhin actually survives, the story will change completely, so what I know now will be meaningless.


    Still, knowing a few lines of the synopsis is a great privilege in itself; if I understand the enemy, I can plan countermeasures.


    Let¡¯s remember the synopsis. I racked my memory to recall the synopsis that appeared at the beginning of the game.


    According to my memory, the Narja Kingdom Army attacked the Lunan Kingdom from two directions.


    The real main force would emerge from the north of the Lunan Kingdom. Aintorian is the western border of the Lunan Kingdom; in other words, this place was a decoy.


    The Narja Kingdom would first send a spearhead force to Aintorian territory. Then, the main force will invade the northern border.


    The Aintorian territory is invaded, and the kingdom forces are attracted to the west, this was the method used because the northern border was quite close to the Lunan Kingdom¡¯s capital.


    The Lunan Kingdom was hit by this strategy when the Aintorian region fell to the enemy without any resistance; the surprised Lunan kingdom hurriedly prepared for war.


    The surrounding territories concentrated their forces to the west, unaware that the real main force, which was moving entirely out of sight, emerged in the north.


    The Narja Kingdom showed how terrible the Lunan Kingdom¡¯s spy technology was and how good their strategy of covertly sending its main force to the north. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to find out more about this in the future.


    These issues arose because the King of Lunan, like Erhin, was tyrannical and corrupt. So, there is a way to survive here.


    That means that the real war takes place in the north, so if I can repel this decoy squad, I will have time to catch my breath. Yes, time to raise the standard and prepare for battle.


    If I survive tomorrow¡¯s battle, the future is open; that much was certain.

 CH 3

    Chapter 3: Rogue Lords (3)


    The question is how to survive, and I have several ideas.


    The most important of them is that the Narja Kingdom Army doesn¡¯t know about my existence at all. That means they don¡¯t know the fact that I¡¯m aware of the surprise attack.


    I have to make the most of this; the only thing that worries me is my army¡¯s current state.


    How can the army underneath them be decent when the lords are in such bad shape?


    In fact, in the game¡¯s history, they were defeated without any resistance, so their condition must be terrible.


    The first thing I need to do is to check my army. Because knowing yourself is even more important than knowing your enemy, it is the foundation of the art of war.


    ¡°Chamberlain, I¡¯m going to the barracks.¡±


    ¡°The barracks? If you need anything, I¡¯ll call the commander.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go directly to him.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have the carriage waiting for you soon.¡±


    The chamberlain ran out the door in a hurry.


    The notoriety of the lord is very useful at times like this. Several people seem to have lost their lives over a mistake.


    The atmosphere is such that they don¡¯t even ask if there¡¯s anything I¡¯m concerned about. I¡¯m not in a position to explain every single thing I¡¯m going to do, so that helped a lot.


    The chamberlain returned, when I followed him, I found a carriage ready outside the lord¡¯s castle. It¡¯s a luxurious covered carriage. I was curious, but I didn¡¯t show it on my face as I climbed into the carriage.


    The inside of the carriage was not so spacious, probably enough for four people.


    The chamberlain didn¡¯t come inside, perhaps intending to drive the carriage himself. I looked around inside the carriage without a care in the world.


    Immediately, the carriage started to move. I felt my body float with a clattering sound. Yes, the ride is the worst¡ªthis level of motion sickness.


    Oops.


    Every time it rattled, I felt like throwing up. It¡¯s a terrible shaking as expected, and it is incomparable to a car. Well, there¡¯s a big difference in technology.


    As I was leaning against the wall, desperately trying to hold back nausea, the carriage came to a halt.


    ¡°Master. We are here.¡±


    What good news, I quickly ran out and got my feet on the ground. The wind calmed my nausea a bit. It will take some time to get used to this; I took a quick deep breath and looked around.


    The wooden barracks caught my eye. As far as I know, in the game, the city¡¯s barracks are responsible for the security of the city. Besides, it was also where the command of the territorial army is located. Perhaps Aintorian should be the same.


    I checked the information with my skills for now.


    [Aintorian barracks]


    [Troop strength: 1200 men]


    [Morale: 20]


    When I saw the information, I quickly held my head with one hand. The headache came over me again.


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, the morale of the troops is only 20. The maximum is 100, so 20 is almost the worst figure.


    This is indeed Lord Erhin¡¯s army. That¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t put up any resistance and got wiped out by the decoy forces.


    This troop is not the entire Aintorian army, but the number of soldiers in charge of the city¡¯s defense. It¡¯s not too much, not too little, a good number.


    In addition to this, there are multiple barracks in various parts of Aintorian territory. The city is the center of the territory where the lord¡¯s castle is located. There are large territories with agriculture around it. Well, it¡¯s the age of agrarian society.


    The morale of the other barracks did not seem any higher. I managed to stave off the dizziness of this reality as I walked into the barracks. The soldiers were gathering here and there. I thought they were in the middle of training but soon realized it was a silly idea.


    Soldiers were swarming all over the training grounds and holding gambling halls. All sorts of gambling were going on, starting with a simple sugoroku.


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. Is this the real state of the barracks?


    It¡¯s a big thing that the lord has entered the military drill ground, but no one has noticed anything.


    ¡°What the hell!¡±


    The soldier who was pulled turned around angrily, holding the dice, and then his eyes met mine.


    ¡°Heeeeehee! Ryuu, lord! Sorry. I¡¯m sorry when you visit ¡­¡­!¡±


    Erhin¡¯s face is famous here, too, or he wouldn¡¯t immediately prostrate himself on the ground at first sight. The notoriety of the lord is also very useful among the soldiers.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Forget it; I want you to go get the commander right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, cool! Ohhhh!¡±


    The soldier immediately stood up and ran off in a frenzy. Thanks to him screaming like that, everyone around me was surprised to see me and stood up and took a cautionary stance. Some of the soldiers looked scared and frightened. At this point, isn¡¯t the lord himself almost on the level of disaster?


    Well, what matters now is the commander. I went to the building in the middle of the military camp or the military command center. It is also the place where the soldier I just saw ran into.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with all the excitement?¡±


    ¡°That ¡­¡­.The lord¡­¡­ The lord¡­¡­is here to see you!¡±


    The commander also played poker; it was a considerable amount of money here, much more so than the outside gambling. The soldiers indulge in gambling from the morning because their commander is like this; there is no hope.


    ¡°His Excellency is here? Ha! Sir!¡±


    When the commander noticed me, he pushed past the soldiers and ran to me. The soldiers who were gambling with the man also stood up and straightened up when they saw me.


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    This is how the high nobility from the duke to earl was called. It was also a term used by the nobility to refer to each other. Commoners call me lord, not sir. Aintorian Erhin is a high-ranking nobleman with a fief. Yes, now I was an earl.


    And when it comes to the military commander, he¡¯s also an aristocrat. Of course, lower nobility, probably only a baron. Besides, he is a vassal of the Aintorian family.


    [Burke Gordon]


    Age: 38 years]


    [Martial force: 33]


    [Intelligence: 23]


    [Command: 20]


    [Affiliation: commander of the Aintorian Territorial Army]


    [People¡¯s spirit: 10]


    I verified the information. I knew it, the sheer incompetence itself. Even though he is a commander, his stats are lower than those of a soldier. He became a commander because he was a nobleman, well, that¡¯s about it.


    However, even though he may employ incompetent noblemen as his vassals, he had this kind of person as his military commander? No matter how incompetent Erhin is, this is terrible.


    ¡°What can I do for you this morning?¡±


    Burke walked up to me and started laughing, rubbing his palms together. I could tell from the way he smiled. It seems that Erhin had appointed him as commander out of familiarity. It¡¯s like he cared for his close vassals, not worrying about wrecking the army.


    ¡°Outside gambling is your call?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, because Your Excellency has allowed it. The gamblers are obliged to pay a gambling tax to me. Hahaha.¡±


    Gambling tax? Ridiculous! I shook my head and whispered in the ear of the chamberlain.


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been the commander of the army all these years?¡±


    ¡°No. At the time of the previous lord, another person was¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I change it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    So that¡¯s it, former lord, Erhin¡¯s father died of illness a few years ago. Erhin has only been in charge for a short time as a lord.


    After his father, who was controlling him, died, he began to do all kinds of evil deeds like a fish in the water.


    ¡°So, where is the former commander now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking where is your former commander?¡±


    If Erhin replaced him, he would at least be better than the man in front of him. It¡¯s an immutable truth that tyrants try to keep their loyal subjects away.


    ¡°Baron Haddin is in prison.¡±


    ¡°Ho, I see.¡±


    Fortunately, he seems to be alive because he¡¯s a nobleman. I¡¯m glad to hear that searching for the right person for the commander position in a day is challenging. Still, when you have a strong candidate, it¡¯s a different story.


    Of course, I have to decide on that candidate after careful examination.


    ¡°I see. So you let the soldiers gamble during training time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right?¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t hear me and the chamberlain¡¯s whispering, the man noticed that the atmosphere was somewhat suspicious and got a strange look on his face.


    ¡°Throw Commander Burke in jail now! Charge him with disrupting military discipline!¡±


    Right in front of him, I gave a stern order. Burke jumped up and down in surprise.


    ¡°Ta, your honor! What does that mean!¡­¡­ Erhin Sir! I¡¯m Gordon!¡±


    So what do you want me to do? I don¡¯t have to answer.


    He was a man who didn¡¯t deserve to be dealt with anymore.


    ***


    The prison was bleak; it was built underground, barely lit by candlelight. If I had been locked up for a long time, I would suffer from mental illness.


    ¡°Hey, let go! Your Excellency! Your Excellency! Why do you do this! Sir!¡±


    I ignored Gordon, who made a lot of noise about being thrown in jail and headed for my former commanding officer. Perhaps nervous about the military commander¡¯s confinement, the head warden guided me with robotic movements.


    ¡°Here, here ¡­¡­ Baron Haddin is locked up!¡±


    ¡°Okay, just shut up and open the cell door.¡±


    The head warden hurriedly covered his mouth with his hands at my words. Then, snapping back, he opened the door to the prison and stepped back.


    As I stepped into the cell, I saw a man leaning against the wall; he looked worn.


    ¡°Your¡­¡­?¡±


    I immediately used [Information Confirmation].


    My life depended on tomorrow¡¯s battle, so I eagerly checked the information.


    [Merja Haddin]


    [Age: 45 years]


    [Martial force: 60]


    [Intelligence: 57]


    [Command: 70]


    [Affiliation: no current affiliation]


    [People¡¯s spirit: 75]


    Heh. Well, this level is not bad. After seeing Burke Gordon¡¯s ability value, I felt like my eyes were purified when I saw his stats.


    The average martial force of a soldier is about 30 to 40.


    Although 60 is not a great value, it is a relief to know that there are some adequate people in the decaying Aintorian territories who can command an army.


    It¡¯s rare to find someone with an A-class ability value in this game; an S-class one is even more valuable.


    Besides, it¡¯s the command value that matters anyway. The immediate need for a commander is to lead a troop, but it was perfect with a command of 70.


    ¡°Your Honor! How can I help you?¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Baron Haddin. Have you ever been in a war?¡±


    I interrupted him. Now is not the time to convince people to follow me soo it would be quicker to appoint them with the lord¡¯s authority. It¡¯s enough to survive tomorrow¡¯s battle to get him to follow me completely.


    ¡°War? Of course. Twenty years ago, there were frequent battles of all sizes, and I was in the military then, too¡­¡­¡±


    I see he¡¯s 45 years old now, so even though it was twenty years ago, he was 25 years old then. Even in the aristocracy, lower nobles often serve in the military, so it was expected.


    ¡°Baron Haddin I will now reinstate you as commander of the Aintorian Territorial Army!¡±


    ¡°What¡­..? Is it true, your honor!?¡±


    ¡°The first thing you need to do upon your return is to summon all the Aintorian forces, except for the border guards, to the south gate of the castle.¡±


    I came out of the prison after I gave that order to Haddin, who just blinked his eyes in surprise.


    The lord¡¯s orders are absolute; the difference in status in a hierarchical society is indisputable.


    I am a high-ranking noble earl.


    Any uprising or rebellion would result in being hunted as a criminal throughout the kingdom.


    It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that no one can resist the lord¡¯s order.


    Therefore, I will use this authority and notoriety to the fullest extent to develop a strategy for survival.


    To survive!

 CH 4

    Chapter 4: Rogue Lords (4)


    A copper-skinned man threw down a soldier.


    ¡°Come on, next! Next!¡±


    The man throws down one soldier after another. The faces of the soldiers distorted.


    ¡°Captain, let¡¯s not do this anymore. Why are we always doing the training that no one else does¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t waste your breath, take a shot at me!¡±


    The tenth captain Bente bent his forefinger and signaled to the sorrowful soldiers. His face is smiling, but the spotted soldier looked like he is about to start crying. Immediately Bente put his arms around the neck of the soldier and strangled him.


    ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡­.Captain, surrender¡­¡­is surrender¡­..¡±


    ¡°I told you not to say those words.¡±


    ¡°Why do we always train¡­¡­ while everyone else is resting? There¡¯s even a gambling den open over there¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly we¡¯ll train on our own. It¡¯s training time, right? Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­..¡±


    The soldier cried again when Bente questioned him, Bente chuckled.


    One by one, the soldiers had no choice but to confront Bente but of them were defeated easily.


    All of Bente¡¯s men more or less owed him a debt of gratitude. Besides, since they looked up to Bente as if he were their own brother, they came to train even though they were complaining.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about gambling, drinking or any of that stuff. I¡¯m a soldier and I train for it. You are a soldier defending your land no for going into the town every day, taking the same people¡¯s money under the guise of a nobleman¡¯s order, all that¡¯s bullshit, right?


    Okay, so we¡¯ll keep training and have a drink at night! That¡¯s how I¡¯m going to live! That¡¯s what life is all about! Hey, guys! Where do you look when people are talking!¡±


    The soldiers opened their eyes wide and pointed into the distance, shaking their heads.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Deputy Garnet?


    ¡°You want to get hit, huh? I¡¯m not going to be fooled by that lie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, but ¡­..¡±


    Finally, Bente turned toward the soldiers pointing. Deputy Garnet, who was his immediate superior, was walking towards them. The two of them were at their worst, as Bente was unhappy with everything including the training policy.


    Bente couldn¡¯t ignore his superior and walked to him.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Assemble. Stop playing and move on.¡±


    Bente¡¯s head tilted as he was racking his brain to see what kind of fate he would have today.


    ¡°What? How can we assemble at training time? This is why the soldiers are so unprepared and can¡¯t even fight properly. Even during this time¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up. The former commander, Baron Haddin, has been reinstated. All the forces of the territory have been ordered to assemble in front of the south gate. Move quickly!¡±


    Deputy Garnet interrupted Bente¡¯s words.


    Bente turned his attention back to the soldiers.


    ¡°What did he mean? The former commander? Anybody know anything about that?¡±


    The soldiers only stared at each other.


    * * *


    In front of the south gate, the main gate of the city wall built towards the border. This wall was also the last line of defense between the city and the lord¡¯s castle.


    Walls surrounded the city.


    I gave the order to gather them all together, but it was hard to believe that this was an army. I can¡¯t look at them but there¡¯s no more time. We have to get to work right away, if we prepare now we¡¯ll be ready for the battle.


    The strength of the army could be determined at a glance. The total force is 5,200 men, morale is at 20.


    The first thing to do is to check the officers. The next step is a simulated battle to verify the combat system. Then I¡¯ll know the right strategy to use.


    The enemy will cross the border tomorrow, and we have about 20 hours left. Considering the time to set traps, there wasn¡¯t much time to spare.


    I first checked from the information of the centurions, of course, I was utterly disappointed.


    The most important thing, given the current state of the military, is to be able to [command] a decent number of soldiers. Only then, when that centurion is thrown into the battlefield, the soldiers will do as they are instructed.


    However, the reality in front of me was a disaster. No one had the [command] value to be entrusted with soldiers.


    Command 30. 40. 28.


    It¡¯s terrible.


    I do not want strength. Because there is no way that a soldier with great martial force is buried in this place. There are many people whose commanding values are higher than their martial force. I¡¯m not going to be able to use anyone with this level of command.


    At least, it helps that Haddin¡¯s old troops are much better people than the centurions under Burke. So, soon after Haddin¡¯s his men  were reinstated as well.


    Except for them, there were no useful people at all.


    I needed more people to be sure of victory in the upcoming battle. Even so, it was inefficient to check all 5,200 troops.


    So, I was going to have the soldiers conduct a mock battle before the deployment for the real battle. Maybe, just maybe, there really might be some good people out there. If there is a good soldier who can be used I will promote him. Besides, this mock battle also had the purpose of combat practice.


    ¡°Now we will conduct a mock battle!¡±


    No one complained, they were aware that they were going to die if they did. I didn¡¯t offer a reward, I wanted to check if there are soldiers desperate to engage in meaningless mock battles, those were the kind of men I needed.


    From the looks of it, they were all in a terrible situation. No soldier seemed to have the desire to show off his abilities.


    About two hours later, five soldiers were chosen. I didn¡¯t dare to check their information.


    ¡°Your Honor! These five people were chosen. Shall we start the battle?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯ll check them out myself.¡±


    My martial force is 58.


    It would be good if someone beats me in this confrontation.


    I began to confront the soldiers, who as usual did not see the point in having a mock battle.


    ¡°Come on, one at a time!¡±


    I hold the sword and the command Attack appeared, it¡¯s just like in the game. It feels strange to see the word [Attack] in front of me in real life, but as a person who is ignorant of actual combat, the fact that this system was embodied as it was helped me a lot. It is extremely important to familiarize myself with the combat system for tomorrow¡¯s battle.


    When I typed [Attack], the attack continued according to my force value. Swordsmanship that I can¡¯t use was unleashed to overwhelm the soldier. In other words, all I had to do was keep typing [Attack].


    Of course, if I had a [skill], I could launch a more powerful strike, but right now I don¡¯t have a [skill]. The basic command [Attack] is all I need.


    My sword swung down to split the soldier¡¯s head in half. The startled soldier reacted quickly to the attack, but his sword was overwhelmed by the force of the attack and went flying. I stopped the sword in front of the soldier¡¯s face. On the battlefield, I would just cut his head in one fell swoop, but right now its just practice.


    The soldier prostrated himself and started shaking, he had no intention to fight desperately.


    ¡°Next!¡±


    Swords intersect again, this time the soldier was overwhelmed by my [attack] and was flung away without further ado. He immediately announced his surrender. I kicked him with my foot in disgust.


    ¡°Do the best you can! You have to put your life on the line in practice. Can you go into battle like this?¡±


    I shouted at the soldiers, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.


    The confrontation continued, but as soon as they were hit by my [attack], they declared defeat one by one. They seemed to be frightened by my words; all of them have the eyes of a dead fish.


    All I could do was sigh, all four men withdrew and the last soldier came forward.


    I don¡¯t have any expectations. Once again, my sword and the soldier¡¯s sword intersected. Like the soldiers before, his sword was flicked away by the power of the [attack]. In my emptiness, I raised my leg again, time to kick the soldier away.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    But my foot kicked just air, the soldier curled up and rolled on the ground and picked up his dropped sword. A brilliant move, then he immediately jumped at me.


    I launched another [attack]. The soldier¡¯s sword shot up high into the sky and stabbed into the ground far away.


    This one is different from the previous soldiers. He rushed forward without giving me time to look at his face. As a result of trying to evade the [Attack] his arm was splattered with blood from the power of the sword I swung. I stopped [Attack] so as not to kill him.


    However the soldier grabbed my leg and used all his strength to take me down. I was honestly surprised.


    I¡¯m not a man of exceptional ability but his perseverance was unusual. If it were a battlefield he would have jumped at the enemy even if he lost a limb.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    I shouted, because it is possible that he was hit by the attack and was unable to control his rage and jumped at me in a half-crazed rage. There is no need for a soldier that can¡¯t maintain reason, but this soldier was not like that.


    ¡°Sorry, my lord, it¡¯s embarrassing!¡±


    The man clings to my arm and screams valiantly. Yes, this was a real fight, this was real fighting spirit.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Bente! Lord I am honored that you would confront a fool like me!¡±


    I immediately checked his [information].


    Numbers aren¡¯t everything, but they don¡¯t lie.


    [Bente]


    Age: 25 years]


    [Martial force: 49]


    [Intelligence: 38]


    [Command: 82]


    [Affiliation: Ten captains of the Aintorian territorial army]


    [People¡¯s spirit: 94]


    What is this!? 82 for command and 94 for people¡¯s spirit!?


    It was an eye-opening number; the martial force is not high but a B-grade [command]!


    Given that A and S-class generals are rare, someone with a B-class ability value is absolutely critical.


    ¡°Kukukukukku, puh-uh-uh-uh!¡±


    When I suddenly started laughing, the soldiers around me and even the chamberlain looked at each other with frightened faces. When the lord laughs something terrible inevitably happens.


    ¡°Bente!


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a centurion from today!¡±


    The lord has absolute authority in the territory. Furthermore, no one would outright oppose the orders of the lord who behaved selfishly. No matter how much of an unconventional promotion it was.

 CH 5

    Chapter 5: Rogue Lords (5)


    The combat system was the same as in that game, this means that I won¡¯t die at the hands of soldiers below my martial force value. In this war-torn world the only thing that can guarantee my life is martial force.


    Of course, the amount of experience I can gain in a non-lethal battle is minimal. It¡¯s only natural that when I kill an enemy in actual combat the experience gain is more significant. So it¡¯s impossible to level up in such a confrontation. This was just an experiment to see how much the experience increases. Of course, as a result, I got Bente.


    Haddin reinstated all of his old men and Bente appointed ten of his men to the captain position, that¡¯s how the army was reorganized.


    No matter how high your command numbers are, you need time to take control of your army with a sudden promotion or return. So, you have to keep your existing subordinates. There may be some disgruntled people, but I can suppress such things with the lord¡¯s bad name. I don¡¯t have time for a peaceful solution, the battle is just around the corner.


    Standing in front of the assembled soldiers, I explained in detail the strategy for tomorrow¡¯s battle and then gave the commander his orders. The faces of the soldiers changed but no one blatantly complained, this is truly the power of the lord.


    Following my orders, the entire army immediately began to move in a hurry. The soldiers would all be thinking the same thing, that the lord had started playing war games. I didn¡¯t want to correct the soldiers thinking.


    In the current situation, it might be better to do that instead. If I can make them believe that the enemy is really coming to attack they would rather flee, their morale is only 20.


    It¡¯s much better to let them dig a pit and set up an ambush while thinking it¡¯s a game than to let them escape. Anyway, as long as they started moving as ordered, that¡¯s all that matters.


    The plan I devised was like this.


    The main force of the Narja Kingdom will move north. A decoy unit to conceal its movement would appear in the Aintorian territory, the western border of the Lunan Kingdom. The path of this decoy force was visible.


    A vast mountain range looms over the Narja Kingdom and Aintorian territory. In the first place, the reason why the country was divided on the border of Aintorian due to the civil war was also because of this mountain range between Aintorian territory and the Narja Kingdom.


    This mountain range is steep and extremely difficult to cross. Only the road between the mountains was guarded by a barrier. So, the fastest way to cross the border would be at this very barrier.


    They could choose to cross the steep mountains, like General Hannibal, who crossed the Alps in the Second Punic War.


    Or, they could attack us via a detour. But there is no such record in the history of the game. The Narja¡¯s Royal Army attacked across the barrier.


    The purpose of the decoy squad is to gather attention. So there¡¯s no need to go out of their way to avoid the public eye. I¡¯m sure that Erhin¡¯s incompetence is already well known among the Narja Kingdom Army.


    So naturally, they will come from this path where they can attack the fastest. Since I know the history, I don¡¯t have to think about anything else.


    I just have to keep an eye on this path. Usually, a battle would break out at the barrier, but this barrier had collapsed due to an earthquake during the time of the previous lord.


    According to what I heard from the chamberlain, it seems that the money for repairs provided by the kingdom was spent elsewhere by Erhin. Even if the barrier is damaged it is wise to take advantage of this mountainous area, looking at the soldiers¡¯ morale and training, it would be much better to ambush the enemy than attack them head-on.


    After the barrier, there was a rather long narrow road to the Aintorian plains. The narrow path beneath the cliffs would be the perfect place for an ambush. I know when and where the enemy is coming from; it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.


    At the entrance, I should set up a pitfall, This was just the beginning.


    ***


    ¡°What the is this?¡±


    Soldiers blurted out while digging a hole.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the lord¡¯s game, he wants to play war.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, making war a game.¡±


    A soldier shakes his head with a look of incomprehension at the words of the centurion.


    ¡°Hey, you heard me! If it happens to fall into the ears of the lord, we¡¯re all finished. The lord hates those who disobey orders the most, so get to work!¡±


    ¡°Huh. I had good luck with my gambling today, and now I have to do something like this. What¡¯s going on? Damn it!¡±


    The soldiers complained, but followed orders to dig out the pit. Of course, none of them imagined that a real battle would happen. They just thought it was only another one of the tyrant lord whimsical games. Even so, the reason why their bodies naturally moved quickly was that if they did this lazily and the lord found them, they would be dead on the spot.


    If you disobey I¡¯ll kill you, that¡¯s the lord. A fact that every Aintorian knows. The soldiers had no choice but to dig the pit while complaining.


    Of course, the situation is different in some places. The scene where Bente¡¯s unit was digging was very different from the rest of the troops.


    Bente was a straightforward man, and he hadn¡¯t even heard of his lord¡¯s bad name in the first place. On the contrary, he was rather grateful to his lord for recognizing him and giving him the extraordinary role of a centurion, that¡¯s why he was doing his best to admonish the soldiers. No, he was so busy taking the lead.


    ¡°Dig a hole and stretch a rope into a large mesh and cover it with straw. Okay? Hey, watch out! Don¡¯t hurt your hand!¡±


    Fear of the lord on one side, loyalty to the lord on the other side. Each person¡¯s mind was different, but the troops were busy anyway.


    ***


    Haddin, who was leading the ambush operation, witnessed an unbelievable sight. It really was the Narja Kingdom Army!


    The soldiers couldn¡¯t hide their turmoil either. They all thought it was just a game of the lord, so no one should have expected that the Narja Kingdom Army would really attack.


    Of course, the lord had said that he would prepare for an attack by the Narja Kingdom Army. However, no one believed that it would happen in reality, though.


    ¡°You knew about the surprise attack of the Royal Army of Narja?¡±


    Everyone thought it was just a game. That said, it¡¯s good that the lord took an interest in the army. That¡¯s why he led this operation as soon as he returned; he preferred to think of it as ambush training.


    Anyway, it was Haddin¡¯s opinion that if he could change the lord¡¯s mind by continuing to insist on the importance of the training, he would be willing to be taken back to prison.


    But real war?


    The soldiers, who were not well trained, had no problem with the ambush in the absence of the enemy. Still, when they actually saw the enemy, they began to panic. Some of them even tried to shoot arrows prematurely.


    ¡°Commander! This¡­¡­There are too many enemies!¡±


    ¡°Everybody shut up!¡±


    When Haddin saw this, he was surprised, but he quickly changed his expression and rallied the soldiers. There is nothing good in making a fuss. Being a war veteran, Haddin knew that he had to maintain his calm in this situation.


    He kept an eye on the Royal Army of Narja hanging under the precipice, looking out for his old subordinates who were back as centurions.


    The more he looked at them, the more serious he became.


    ¡°Commander¡­¡­is okay?¡±


    Centurion Northstine, an old subordinate commissioned as second-in-command soon after his return, heard a low voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. By the way, you don¡¯t think you can go to¡­¡­?¡±


    Memories of fighting the Narja Kingdom Army twenty years ago flashed through Haddin¡¯s mind.


    ¡°No way, strong spear Randall?¡±


    There was once an enemy he knew in the war. He was relatively young at the time, but he was a man of such prowess that he could justifiably be called a warlord.


    ¡°Is that Randall, one of the Ten Warlords of Narja?¡±


    When Northstine asked back, Haddin nodded his head.


    ¡°Yes, this guy is trouble. We don¡¯t stand a chance in this battle¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Commander¡­¡­!¡±


    Haddin came to reason at the cry of Northstine.


    ¡°Wait for the smoke to rise according to the lord¡¯s order. Until then, do not move!¡±


    Haddin calmly gave the order while breaking out in a cold sweat. He had no idea what¡¯s going on up to this point. Still, now that he thought about it, this ambush strategy, which seemed as a game for the lord, was the only way to target the enemy¡¯s weakness.


    Haddin clenched his sword. The enemy¡¯s army and the enemy¡¯s commander, everything is overwhelming. On the other hand, the training level of our army is horrible


    Moreover, the people following Burke cannot say anything in front of their lord, but they are rebelling behind the scenes. Even if the ambush operation is successful, it¡¯s unlikely that we would be able to stop Randall under these conditions. Still, he was consumed with the need to do as much damage to the enemy forces as possible for his country¡¯s sake.


    As he waited, the smoke finally went up. At the same time, the march of the enemy army suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Okay, now. Let go! Kill as many as you can!¡±


    Haddin quickly shouted; simultaneously, arrows were released, and rocks were rolled down as if a cliff collapse had occurred.


    The Narja Kingdom troops began to turn right and left while receiving a baptism of arrows and rocks.


    However, the thing that Haddin was worried about happened. Some centurions under former commander Burke had been hiding behind the scenes as soon as the Royal Army of Narja appeared. They stood there and trembled, that¡¯s why the troop was unable to make simultaneous attacks. In addition, there was a centurion who lost his reasoning and gave orders recklessly.


    ¡°Attack! They¡¯re confused.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Lord said absolutely refrain from direct attacks!¡±


    The captains next to him tried to stop him, but the centurion Shane, who lost his reasoning, did not listen to them.


    ¡°It depends on the situation! Attack!¡±


    The second-in-command leaped down the incline, the soldiers had no choice but to follow.


    Convinced that the enemy was utterly oblivious to the movement of our troops that had taken them by surprise across the border, the Royal Army of Narja began to take damage, falling right into our ambush. However, the damage was kept in check, thanks to the discord in the Aintorian army.

 CH 6

    Chapter 6: Rogue Lords (6)


    Ethan Randall, one of the ten Narja warlords, continued his march with a bored look on his face. The second-in-command, Gethan, also looked bored.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just put a warlord in charge of a decoy squad instead of the main army.¡±


    Randall did not respond to Gethan¡¯s words, he did not even stoped him from speaking.


    ¡°More importantly. Is the Aintorian territory like in the report?¡±


    ¡°Yes, commander. According to the agent, the Territorial Army is no better than trash and the lord is incompetent.¡±


    ¡°Kukukukukuku. He¡¯s probably playing with a bunch of women right now, right?¡±


    ¡°Probably something like that. He¡¯s addicted to alcohol and women.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear to have my spear stained with the blood of such scum. It¡¯s the king¡¯s order, so I have no choice but to go¡­¡­. I¡¯m not going to be able to do anything about it. I¡¯ll destroy Aintorian as soon as possible that should prove my greatness!¡±


    ***


    [Narja¡¯s Royal Army: 12241 men]


    [Aintorian Territorial Army: 4,914 men]


    I scanned the troop strength through [Information Check]. If only they had followed my orders, they wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much damage. My army¡¯s numbers were rapidly decreasing.


    [Aintorian Territorial Army: 4,414 men]


    Just as I feared. There¡¯s no way these people, who are as good as a bunch of fools, would do exactly as I told them to do. I couldn¡¯t train them perfectly in just one day and I had no choice. I was steadily losing soldier, it was clear that the enemy¡¯s force had changed.


    So far it¡¯s working; In fact, the ambush strategy had a greater purpose than reducing the enemy¡¯s numbers. I didn¡¯t know if it would work, but I was betting the battle on it.


    For that reason, the moment the commander of the enemy came out of the mountain and got stuck in a pit I launched a volley of attacks. This would create a situation where arrows would rain down on the enemies, making it difficult for the rest of their troops to get out of the mountains.


    It would be meaningless if I can¡¯t defeat them here. A siege battle with the enemy¡¯s total military strength fully assembled is impossible to win. The best strategy was to kill the enemy commander in a situation where the enemy¡¯s forces were dispersed.


    I appeared in front of the pit leading a troop of more than 1.000 men, excluding the 4.000 ambushers. Of course, I have no intention of fighting here. Even though they were caught in the ambush, there were still far too many enemies to fight here.


    What if the enemy commander appeared away from the main force in this situation? The chances of killing him are greatly increased.


    A unit of 1,000 men killing a commander hiding among 1,000 enemy troops it¡¯s different from a unit of 1,000 men killing a commander hiding among 10,000 enemy troops. So I had to lure the enemy commander.


    As far as I know, one of the most famous warlords in the Kingdom of Narja is the one who leads the decoy force. The more famous a warlord is the more pride he has.


    The commander takes the lead for smaller units, which is standard practice in military law. It was the enemy¡¯s cavalry that fell into the trap. I was sure that the commander was among them, so I shouted.


    ¡°How dare you invade my land? Narja Royal Army listen carefully you will be held accountable for your stupidity!¡±


    After shouting this I looked for the commander¡¯s flag. Underneath the banner, I noticed a man equipped with extraordinary armor.


    [Ethan Randall]


    [Age: 37 years]


    [Martial force: 85]


    [Intelligence: 59]


    [Command: 70]


    [Affiliation: Narja Kingdom Second Army Commander]


    [People¡¯s spirit: 62]


    ¡°Kuhuhahahaha! How dare you underestimate me? The cavalry that can move follow me!¡±


    The enemy¡¯s commander was well aware of my provocation, the problem that his martial force is a whopping 85.


    He is a famous military commander. I had expected this to be the case to some extent, but I was a little surprised by the figure of 85. However, there is no time to get flustered. I have to move forward with my strategy now.


    ¡°Bente! We¡¯re pulling out!¡±


    I fled with Bente from the commander¡¯s charge.


    [Narja Kingdom Army: 1221 men]


    As I ran away, I saw that about 1200 cavalrymen were in pursuit, with more than 10,000 men being blocked in the mountains, there was no better opportunity than this.


    ¡°Activate the trap!¡±


    Since my army¡¯s direct warfare was utterly unreliable, I set a trap in advance.


    The trap went off, the scene soon turned into chaos as the horses of the cavalry running behind us were stabbed by bamboo spears, and they fell from the horses while trying to avoid the spears.


    ¡°Okay, now! Shoot all the arrows at once!¡±


    Bente shouted as he rushed the soldiers. He also shot a few cavalrymen coming towards him then drew his sword and ran to cut down soldiers one by one.


    The number of cavalry rushing in began to decrease rapidly due to the effect of the bamboo spears and rain of arrows. In the blink of an eye, the morale of my army increased.


    [Aintorian Territorial Army: 902 men]


    The number of enemy troops was significantly reduced, but the problem was still the enemy commander. He rushed forward, blindly brandishing his spear. Both arrows and bamboo spears were destroyed at every turn by his spear.


    [Aintorian Territorial Army: 700 men]


    Due to the enemy forces struggle around the commander the number of our troops began to shrink rapidly.


    He was indeed strong, a warlord that strong must have unique skills. But at my current level, those unique skills do not appear in the system. I have to defeat such a strong enemy; that¡¯s the condition for victory. Of all things, that enemy is a monster with a martial force of over 85!


    ¡°Hey, there! Are you the lord? Die!¡±


    He threw a spear at me, screaming from the top of his lungs. The spear was spinning at high speed as if he had used some kind of skill! Indeed, the difference in force, which is 27 in this case, is absolute.


    To defeat a general with such a high martial force in a war, I need to have enough troops to overwhelm the enemy.


    If the current enemy is about 700 men, I need at least five times as many troops to gain the advantage.


    A strong general in this game is essential but I think I can do it. I¡¯ve prepared a method. The moment I thought that, unfortunately, Bente blocked Randall¡¯s spear.


    ¡°Out of the way, Bente! It¡¯s an order! Trust me!¡±


    Protecting your lord at all costs that is a loyalty worthy of respect. But in the current situation, it was clearly a liability.


    My martial force is in a terrible state right now, but I knew how to fight Randall! I quickly prepared the item. This item was the reason why I was able to leap recklessly into the battle. The best weapon and insurance I have!


    [Do you want to use the bonus item Daitouren?]


    The message twinkled in front of me, I nodded, and the item was activated.


    ***


    The lord¡¯s castle the day before.


    After ordering the soldiers to set up a pit and ambush, I came back to the lord¡¯s castle because I remembered an important thing. The system said it would give me a chance to challenge for the glory.


    When I woke, I was already into this world. The night before the transition, the word ¡°perk¡± confused me, and I played the game just before I went to bed.


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t find the perk, no matter how hard I looked for it. But if the perk was something that could be obtained after transferring to this world, it was only natural that I couldn¡¯t find it in the game.


    As I recall, the message said that perks should be acquired through exploration from the beginning MAP. That means there must be a perk hidden somewhere.


    So what the heck is the beginning MAP?


    The MAP of the beginning, so¡­¡­.


    The place where I first opened your eyes? The bedroom of the lord¡¯s castle?


    I went into the bedroom and looked around the room, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any space to hide anything there.


    Since it¡¯s called a map, doesn¡¯t that mean the entire lord¡¯s castle, not just the bedroom?


    Soon I searched everywhere in the lord¡¯s castle. I looked in every room, including the bedrooms, the study, the maidservants¡¯ and maids quarters, and even the kitchen. But I couldn¡¯t find anything that could be called a ¡®perk.¡¯

 CH 7

    Chapter 7: Rogue Lords (7)


    ¡°Are there any special places in the castle, chamberlain?¡±


    Since I couldn¡¯t find it no matter how hard I looked for it, I asked the chamberlain who knew the castle best. It seemed that it was hidden in some historical place, an old building or something like that.


    ¡°A special place¡­¡­.There are tablets of the previous lords in the basement, and there are even tablets from the kingdom era, so it¡¯s special¡­..¡±


    The tablets from the kingdom era, that¡¯s certainly special. I got a hint from the chamberlain.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    I heard the voice of the chamberlain in the distance, but all I could think of was the word ¡°perks¡±. Runing like a madman to the basement a large iron door. I opened the door and went inside, where I found a large space. In that space, as the chamberlain had said, many tablets were stored. Not only are there tablets from the time of the lords, but also from the time when the Aintorian family was the ruler of the kingdom.


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    While looking at the tablets, I found something a little strange. The box placed in the center of the tablets was conspicuous. It was a long and narrow box that made me feel something special, I put my hand on it without hesitation. The moment I touched it, a message appeared.


    [Perks Earned]


    [Daitouren]


    [Martial force +30]


    [Effect time: 30 minutes / Cooldown: 5 hours].


    [Weapon skill: [Crush] available once every 30 minutes]


    Daitouren? A divine sword from Japanese mythology.


    Because the administrator is a god I got Daitouren, a divine sword? Well, aside from the name, the ability of the item was a perk itself. I¡¯ve never seen an item with a +30 martial force bonus. Even a Special S-class item has at most +10 martial force.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile; of course, there was cooldown time. But if used in the right circumstances, this is clearly a cheat.


    If it is +30, my current martial force which is 58 will become 88, that means I¡¯ll exceed 90 just by leveling up a bit. Then there will be almost no enemies in this world that I can¡¯t compete with!


    After I level up my martial force to 70, I¡¯ll get 100 martial force for 30 minutes, this item is so good that I can¡¯t stop smiling.

 CH 8

    Chapter 8: Rogue Lords (8)


    With Randall in front of me, I equip [Daitouren]. The effect duration is 30 minutes!


    [Ryuichi Hasegawa / Aintorian Erhin]


    [Age: 25 years]


    [Martial force: 58+30 (88)]


    [Intelligence: ?]


    [Command: ?]


    The martial force figures jumped; a lower-grade martial force of 58 turned into a top-tier B-class instantly!


    I shoved Bente away and executed the [Attack] command towards the flying enemy spear. My hand with the Datouren moved by itself, shaking off the enemy¡¯s spears.


    I felt a slight numbness in my fingertips; it was a rather pleasant sensation: it was so easy to thwart an enemy¡¯s attacks with 88 martial force.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Naturally, Randall tilted his head in disbelief. Then, in a half-crazed frenzy, he ran toward me while slaughtering my soldiers. There is no soldier in Aintorian that can rival an enraged warlord with 85 martial force; I¡¯m the only one.


    ¡°Uhhhhh! Monster. Help me!¡±


    Although he only threw a spear at them, some of the soldiers were killed at once when the spear pierced through them like a skewer as they were fleeing. Finally, some of the soldiers even peed their pants and ran away in fear.


    ¡°Lord! Please run! He is Randall, one of the ten warlords of Narja! He¡¯s a brutal guy, please run!¡±


    Then I heard a centurion under Haddin¡¯s command shouting at me from behind the trap. It seemed that Haddin had noticed Randall¡¯s presence. As I suspected, he was a renowned warlord. Then it¡¯s even better. It¡¯s time for the lord¡¯s majesty to be engraved in the minds of my fleeing troops.


    ¡°Ten warlords or not, I¡¯ll take care of him!¡±


    I rode my horse to Randall, the moment when everyone who witnessed Randall¡¯s bravery and thought I was reckless we collided.


    ¡°Sneaky move. Kuh-hahahahaha!¡±


    Randall brandished his spear with all his might, sneering at me. That¡¯s a lot of confidence, I¡¯m sure he has the ability to be confident, but there is no way he can be a match for me right now.


    As I grabbed my Daitouren and executed the [Attack] command, Randall¡¯s massive spear and my sword crossed paths.


    Randall, who swung his spear aiming to kill me with a single blow, attacked again with a disbelieving expression. Of course, I used the [Attack] command to repel all of his attacks.


    The longer the weapon, the more advantageous it is in hand-to-hand combat. But my martial force value is higher than his, and my weapon is super-special. As a result, Randall is slowly being pushed by my attacks. The puzzled look on his face was evident as he spiritedly swung his spear.


    ¡°Die, die, die, die! How dare a mere lord stop me!¡±


    That attack was also blocked with the [Attack] command. I was sure I had the upper hand, but for now, we were even. If the 30-minute time limit expired and I was unable to stop him, I would die.


    [Crush]


    [Slice through everything you touch when used.]


    [You can apply a one-hit kill or stun only to enemies with up to +5 more martial force than you.]


    [Can be used once every 30 minutes]


    Now that I have a skill, I¡¯ll have to use it. It¡¯s a weapon skill that can only be used with Daitouren.


    A skill that allows me to kill enemies with up to +5 more martial force than me in a single shot. Furthermore, it even had a function that allowed me to choose whether to kill or stun the enemy.


    Initially, one-hit-kill kind of skills could only kill enemies. Still, there is a reason why the stun feature was included. The ultimate goal of this game is world domination.


    That¡¯s precisely what this feature is for, as a result of gamers demanding to game¡¯s management to take their favorite enemies alive, or in other words, to recruit talents. This demand was also accurately reflected in the real world.


    What was frightening about [Crush] was that it could kill an enemy with a martial force value of +5 higher than mine with a single hit.


    Of course, it could only be used once in 30 minutes. So it would be useless if there were two strong enemies. But thanks to this skill, I was able to parade around the battlefield. It¡¯s the protective barrier that holds me alive.


    It¡¯s a privilege, and that¡¯s why I can survive the battle. Otherwise, I would have been dead long ago.


    Randall¡¯s recruitment was not in my mind, so I used [Crush] with a single thought in mind.


    At that moment, the flying Daitouren cut through the enemy¡¯s spear with a white flash, and then it went straight into Randall.


    ¡°Nah, Nah!¡±


    Carelessness on the battlefield is a grave issue, and pride is even more of a no-no.


    With a scream, blood sprayed from his head like a fountain. This is a world where the game has become reality, and on a battlefield, there is nothing more reckless than hesitance to kill your enemy.


    Randall¡¯s body immediately tumbled off the horse. As his body fell to the ground, silence fell over our surroundings. My troops, and even the enemy¡¯s troops, stopped fighting and looked at us with open mouths as if they hadn¡¯t expected to see this. No one would have expected Randall to die like this.


    Now¡¯s the time to break the enemy¡¯s spirits.


    ¡°What are you doing! The commander is dead! Clear out the enemy forces!¡±


    ¡°Whooooooooooooo!¡±


    Our morale went up.


    [Morale at 90]


    My troops, whose morale reached 90, rushed toward the enemy soldiers with a loud battle cry. Engulfed in shock, the enemy troops lost their commander and began to retreat left and right, not knowing what to do.


    I was waiting for this retreat. I¡¯m not going to let them leave quietly.


    ¡°Bente, raise the smoke again. Second ambush!¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    Bente raised the smoke with a satisfied look on his face. Soon the smoke could be seen in the sky. The moment Haddin saw this smoke, the fleeing enemy forces should be even more confused.


    There was help from the system, but this was a moment of victory in a real battle!


    The most precious loot of all was my life; I had survived and changed my fate. I began to get excited about that.


    The pressure was incomparable to a game consisting of mere graphics, and the excitement of winning filled me with the feeling that world domination was not a dream because of the perks and the system.


    * * *


    The enemy forces, whose morale and line of battle had collapsed, were badly damaged as they began to retreat instead of advancing in the mountains. I allowed my troops to pursue them to the end. By the time the enemy troops had fled entirely across the border, it was morning.


    I gave the order to withdraw to the barracks. It was noon when I returned to the lord¡¯s castle after ordering the soldiers to rest.


    After ordering the maids and the chamberlain not to wake me up, I went into my bedroom to see if I could level up.


    [You have won a battle.]


    [You have gained experience for victory].


    [Experience gained]


    [Strategy Grade C x1]


    [Victory against an enemy army three times larger x3]


    [Defeat a B-class opponent with E-Class strength x4]


    Strategy grade means how efficiently I executed a tactic in combat. I only got a C? Was there a better strategy than this? This is reality there¡¯s no way to start over, so I¡¯m happy.


    Winning against an enemy army that was three times larger than mine and killing Randall were the multipliers for my experience this time.


    That means that when calculating the experience value needed to level up, it will be calculated at my original martial force of 58, not the martial force that was increased to +30 after using Daitouren.


    The game¡¯s basic rule is that you can only earn more experience by defeating a stronger opponent than you. Thanks to the perks, I was able to earn quite a bit of experience.


    [Now at level 2.]


    .


    .


    .


    [Now at level 8.]


    My level went up to 8.


    Author note: There is a heroine. As in my previous novel, my heroine will appear later in the story. If you continue reading, she will come out eventually.

 CH 9

    Chapter 9: Rogue Lords (9)


    [You have earned level-up points.]


    [Points owned: 700]


    Every time you level up, you get level-up points. This time, I was able to earn a whopping 700 points by leveling up to level 8 at once.


    These points are precious, I have a lot of things to do with them.


    [Buy Skills]


    [Martial Force Enhancement]


    [Item Enhancement]


    Points can be used for these three categories. Not only that, but you also need points to activate purchased skills. Without points, you can¡¯t use a skill, even if you have it. Of course, this is the case for general skills, and weapon skills have specific limitations, regardless of points.


    Leveling up from 90 to 91 will give you a significant amount of points so you don¡¯t need to worry about points at that point. But at a lower level, like now I have to spend my points well.


    What I need to do now is to enhance my martial force, the stronger I am, the less risk of death I have. Because in war, being strong is justice.


    [Martial Force Enhancement]


    [Strengthen martial force? 200 points]


    My martial force is 58; beyond 60, the points required for enhancement increase. So, the strengthening of martial force is not as easy as it sounds, it takes quite a few points. I have only one life so martial force is the most important, this was the top priority anyway.


    [Martial force is now 59.]


    Immediately my martial force went up by one. My goal is 60, so I tried to strengthen it again.


    [Martial force is now 60.]


    I spent a total of 400 points and increased my martial force by 2. The reason why it should be over 59 is simple. By keeping my martial strength at 60, I¡¯ll be at exactly 90 when I use the perk, which means I¡¯ll be at A-class, which is way stronger than B-class.


    After raising my martial force to 60, I chose the martial force enhancement again.


    [Strengthen martial force? 300 points]


    It had gone up from 200 to 300 points, probably because I reached D-class. Now I have 300 points left.


    Hmmm, what to do¡­¡­


    I¡¯ve achieved 60 points in martial force, should I try to buy some skills? Skills are another essential part of the battlefield. It allows you to perform special abilities, so if you have a few, you can use them to get out of a dangerous situation.


    Of course, strengthening weapons is not a bad idea either because the stronger the weapon, the lower the risk of death. Naturally, enhancing Daitouren is going to consume a lot of points.


    [Daitouren Lv.10/10]


    [Enhance item? 5000 points]


    I just checked to make sure, all I could do was laugh. Without bothering with it, I quickly moved to [Buy Skills]. People in this world use skills by utilizing a unique energy called mana.


    A stronger general has many unique skills. Of course, there are cases where they are just strong and have no skills. I can¡¯t use mana since I¡¯m not from this world. But in my case, I can embody skills in the system instead.


    [Buy Skills]


    [Attack Skills]


    [Defensive Skills]


    [Special Skills]


    There are three types of skills.


    Now all I need was an attack skill, attack is the best defense.


    [Buy attack skill? 200 points]


    As soon as I bought a skill, the message was updated.


    [skill acquired]


    [Wipeout] [Lv.1]


    [For enemies with armor value from 0 to 40]


    [Kill all enemies within a 2-meter radius]


    [50 points per use]


    A basic skill that can kill a large number of enemy soldiers at once has been generated.


    It is a very useful skill on the battlefield but it consumes 50 points.


    I had just 100 points left, so I could use the skill twice.


    Just two times is no guarantee of survival. So, leveling up is extremely important.


    Anyway, I¡¯m the only one in the world who can level up and can increase his martial force.

 CH 10

    Chapter 10: Rogue Lords (10)


    The enemy forces retreated, we were victorious.


    The number of enemy troops who returned home alive was less than 2,000. We were able to eradicate many soldiers on the mountain roads.


    Bente was ecstatic, he poured the alcohol into his mouth without stopping. He had drunk so much already that his face was bright red.


    ¡°Centurion! Enough with the alcohol!¡±


    A subordinate next to him shook Bente¡¯s shoulder while stopping him.


    ¡°Hey, you can drink on a day like today! Uhahahahaha!¡±


    Laughing broadly Bente binged on more alcohol. Finally, he completely stripped off his clothes and went on a rampage.


    ¡°Hey, old man. Listen to me. The lord has killed all of them. They¡¯re all Narja¡¯s men. He¡¯s not like any other lords you¡¯ve ever known. Ten warlords of Narja? He beated that guy with one strike! Kuh-ha-ha!¡±


    Bente began to put on a nude show, his men rushed over and tried to stop him. These actions of Bente spread all kinds of rumors in Aintorian.


    I hear it was a big deal?


    The Narja¡¯s have invaded again, right?


    They say the lord stopped more than 10,000 soldiers.


    My son actually saw him in action. I didn¡¯t think the lord would¡­¡­


    I heard it was 50,000 men, not 10,000.


    50,000 men versus 5,000?


    It was mainly Bente who embellished the story. Thanks to this, the achievements of the lord quickly spread throughout Aintorian.


    The lord, who was playful and could only torment people with his vassals, was such a strong man that he could stop the enemy from entering the city.


    If we lost to Narja, all the cities and towns in the territory would be sacked by the Narja kingdom army. Men are murdered and women are raped, I¡¯ve experienced that vicious cycle many times already.


    Even if he was famous for being a rogue lord, thwarting, the enemy¡¯s invasion was certainly a catalyst for the people¡¯s growing fondness for the lord.


    ***


    Martial force: 60]


    [Intelligence: ?]


    [Command: ?]


    [Affiliation: the Lord of Aintorian]


    [People¡¯s spirit: 40]


    I¡¯m a very ordinary person. I can use the system and perks to increase my martial force, but not my physical strength. When I returned to the lord castle exhausted from fighting all night I fell straight into bed.I passed out and by the time I woke up the whole day had passed.


    When I woke up after sleeping like that, somehow my [People¡¯s spirit] had risen from 20 to 40, and I couldn¡¯t remember doing anything in particular.No, we won the war.


    Does this mean that no matter how bad my reputation as a rogue lord is, if I prevent an enemy invasion, I¡¯ll be more or less well-received? However, if the territory is invaded by an enemy army, the people will either die or be taken, prisoner. With that in mind, the people¡¯s spirits may rise somewhat. Anyway, the important thing is the fact that Aintorian did not fall.


    I survived. From now on, I have to live as Erhin. History has been rewritten, and even I don¡¯t know what the future holds for the Kingdom of Narja.


    Will the Kingdom of Narja Kingdom force an invasion from the Lunan Kingdom¡¯s northern borders, as history has shown?


    I had to wait and see.


    The butterfly effect of the changes I made would not be immediately apparent. Until the situation is confirmed, I¡¯ll wait to see what¡¯s going on in the territory.


    ¡°Chamberlain.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°Can you bring me all the documents on the territory¡¯s financial status and tax rates?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about finances, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll have to do some studying. What are you waiting for? Get going.¡±


    When I urged the unmoving chamberlain, he stared at me.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m going!¡±


    He quickly turned away and disappeared. It was obvious that something was bothering him, but what was it? I was curious and eventually asked when he came back with the materials.


    ¡°What do you want to say, chamberlain?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, sir.¡±


    The chamberlain put down the papers and left after bowing his head. He wanted to tell me something? Was it my imagination?


    Well, now it doesn¡¯t matter. I turned away and began to read the tax books and other materials of the lord¡¯s castle. For now, this was the first thing I had to do.


    To restore the territory that the rogue lord Erhin had rotted back to normal it was necessary to properly know the current situation.


    Strangely enough, I could easily read characters that were not even in Japanese. Perhaps this was also the power of the system.


    ¡°Totally¡­¡­. It¡¯s totally disgusting.¡±


    I shook my head as I looked at the ledger.


    The setting of this times is the agricultural era. It¡¯s an era in which agriculture is life. The taxes collected from farmland in such a territory were close to 80%.


    It was too much. At the very least, the citizens should be able to make a living. Taking away 80% of the harvested crops is not normal.


    According to the regulations of the Lunan Kingdom, the tax collected from the territory is 50%. And of this 50% collected, 20% is dedicated to the king. However, instead of 50%, the present-day Aintorians collected more than 80% taxes under different pretexts.


    This was spearheaded by the tax officer in charge of collecting taxes on the territory¡ªnaturally, one of my vassals.


    Viscount Den Boldt.


    He is the leading figure who is depriving the people of the territory along with Erhin. It¡¯s undoubtedly a vassal that should be eliminated first and foremost.


    For now, it would be better to meet him once to find out what kind of person he is.


    ¡°Chamberlain.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    I called for the chamberlain again. He¡¯s just trying to curry favor with me. Well, I don¡¯t mind that he¡¯s quick and competent at his job.


    ¡°Can you call Viscount Boldt? I have questions for him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    The chamberlain turned away, still showing no doubts. Soon after, Viscount Boldt arrived in my study. The first time I saw Viscount Boldt, he was just a fat old man. His basic ability value is also, well, terrible.


    ¡°You wanted to see me, sir?¡±


    Is this old man the core of the problem plaguing the fiefdom?


    Was it really Erhin¡¯s order, or did that man instigated him? Is Erhin the only bad guy, or are they both evil?


    ¡°I hear you won the battle; the lord is a blessing to his people!¡±


    Viscount Boldt suddenly began to compliment me.


    ¡°And the lord personally fought! Really¡­¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bear to listen, so I interrupted him and immediately got down to business.


    ¡°Oh well. More importantly, the taxes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. What about taxes?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we raise taxes a little more? Lobbying in the capital is something that costs a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­.But lord, I thought it would be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Heh. Do you disagree?¡±

 CH 11

    Chapter 11: Rogue Lords (11)


    ¡°You¡¯ve been exploiting the taxpayers under every guise you¡¯ve ever created. What does it matter if it¡¯s one more thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Viscount Boldt, please.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s already a huge tax write-off, so I don¡¯t know if we can create more pretexts¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll have to rethink it. We¡¯ll have to rethink it.¡±


    ¡°You are very quick to understand! I am indebted to you!¡±


    Viscount Boldt is not a bad guy? Is Erhin is the only bad guy?


    ¡°You can go now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get right to it.¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t draw any conclusions just yet, I need more evidence. I¡¯ve been going through the documents for a while now. As I suspected, these taxes are all the result of a conspiracy between Viscount Boldt and Erhin. It was precisely Viscount Boldt who created the various pretexts for taxes.


    It doesn¡¯t make sense that he would be a good person because he cooperated with me so much and then stopped trying to raise taxes even more. It¡¯s a mistake to have cooperated from the beginning.


    Isn¡¯t that precisely what makes someone like Haddin, who was imprisoned for saying the right thing, a good person? I began to get confused, because it¡¯s possible that he¡¯s just a worldly person.


    I¡¯m getting a headache, maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been looking at papers all day, but it feels more painful than usual.


    ¡°Chamberlain! Prepare a bath!¡±


    So, I decided to take a bath, after all a bath is the best. The warm water soothed my fatigue for a while. I felt a little better, and by the time I finished my dinner, my headache had subsided.


    I came back to the bedroom in such a state. If it were just a game, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it so much. After all, if it¡¯s a game, I can start over. But now, if I press the wrong button, I can¡¯t take it back. That¡¯s why my head hurts so much from worrying about it.


    I walked over to the bed and sat down with that frame of mind. At that moment, I felt something very soft in my hand. I couldn¡¯t help but pull my hand away.


    ¡°What¡­¡­?¡±


    I looked over at the bed in surprise, there was someone there. This was the feeling of touching someone. It was also a rather soft and chunky part of the body, I flipped up the covers.


    I was about to hurriedly enter the command [attack] when I froze, under the covers two naked women were sleeping in my bed.


    Two beautiful women lying in my bed, they both had massive breasts. I backed away, my nose was about to bleed and I couldn¡¯t look at them.


    ¡°Lord?¡±


    The women looked at me, they seemed somewhat surprised at my reaction. The bouncing of their plump breasts as they got up nearly drove me crazy. Fortunately, the two women seemed embarrassed and hid their bodies under the covers. That hid their breasts, but the sight of them was also erotic. I mean, no, no, no!


    ¡°Chamberlain!¡±


    ¡°Yes, master!¡±


    I called the chamberlain again. I¡¯ve been calling for the chamberlain all day, but I needed him now. I¡¯ve never been as desperate for the chamberlain as I am now.


    ¡°You wanted to see me?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are these women?¡±


    ¡°Prepared, as usual, everything is as it should be. Of course, Viscount Boldt has prepared the women for you today. He laughed vigorously as he left, saying he thought the master would like it¡­¡­¡±


    As usual? Ah¡­¡­.I had forgotten all about it. Yes, I was Erhin.


    Erhin was a woman-crazed man. The day Aintorian fell, he was caught playing with women and had his head chopped off.


    So it¡¯s not surprising. But even though he was drowning in women, he was still doing this at night? With women on both sides?


    No, that¡¯s not important. I¡¯m sure if it¡¯s just a matter of time before I¡¯ll be able to find a woman after I take off the mask of a rogue lord


    So Viscount Boldt had sent them, it¡¯s proof that Viscount Boldt is not a decent person after all.


    ¡°Chamberlain. You can step back for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Something to say?¡±


    I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever heard of this before. I¡¯m not going to be able to say that I¡¯m a good person. He also looked a little disappointed, only for a moment though, he quickly regained his poker face.


    ¡°No, no, nothing!¡±


    And then he rushed out of the room. What was that? Well, that¡¯s not the point now. I turned my attention back to the two women again. The unexpected nudity calmed my excitement and I looked at them calmly, their bodies shivering under the covers.


    I asked questions from a little distance so as not to provoke them by approaching.


    ¡°Calm down first. Who are you two?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re¡­¡­¡±


    The two women looked at each other and opened their mouths almost simultaneously.


    ¡°I¡¯m Nella from the village of Meran.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Nala from the village of Yulta.¡±


    Then they each said their names and started crying. Perhaps the original Erhin would have been even more delighted to see them cry.


    ¡°It was Viscount Boldt who sent you, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°And you followed it to the letter. Do you know what it¡¯s like here?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Why are you crying? What I got back was not the answer I was looking for, I guess I should change my ways a bit. I moved closer to the bed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have heard the rumors, do you?¡±


    I walked up to them, and they started to shake more.


    ¡°Ugh, rumors?¡±


    ¡°Rumor has it that Lord Erhin likes to bully women who cry. The more they cry, the fiercer he gets.¡±


    I sat down on the bed and gently grabbed the woman in front of me by the head.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty brutal too. He¡¯s going to rape you in front of your parents and then kill you all. How¡¯s that for a bad taste?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡±


    ¡°God, no¡­¡­.! Please help! Please, please!¡±


    No, no, no, and the women begin to cry again.


    ¡°Tell me honestly all about what Viscount Boldt said to you that made you sacrifice yourself in this way. Otherwise, I¡¯ll get your parents right away. I hope you realize that I¡¯m a more horrible person than Viscount Boldt, right?¡±


    The bad reputation of the lord must have spread throughout the territory. Gripped by fear, the two women looked at each other, sinking into tears and muttering to each other.


    ¡°Duh, but¡­¡­.But¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of threats you received, but I could save your life, if you tell the truth. Or maybe you¡¯d like to have a nice evening?¡±


    ¡°Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee. No!¡±


    ¡°If we talk you ¡­¡­ really, really help us, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my word. But you can choose me, or you can choose Viscount Boldt. Your chance is now, even a child would know who has more power.¡±


    They looked at each other with scowling eyes, but eventually, one of them started to confess the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡­Viscount Boldt said he would kill my parents¡­¡­if I didn¡¯t do as he said. And, when the lord is asleep, this¡­¡­is what I will give him to drink.¡±


    Huh?


    The woman took out a small elixir from somewhere on her body and prostrated herself on the spot.


    What is this?¡­¡­Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a poison pill?


    ¡°Help me, please. Please¡­¡­.I don¡¯t want to be in that hell. I¡¯d rather be killed like this. No, please help me¡­¡­.I don¡¯t want to die!


    I¡¯m disgusted.


    Honestly, I¡¯m not going to hold these women. That¡¯s why I wouldn¡¯t have taken those pills, though, I almost didn¡¯t notice.


    I was just going to use them to investigate Viscount Boldt, hoping to learn more about him. Instead of sending a woman to try to flirt with me, you were plotting to poison me from the start?


    ¡°No way, is it a poison potion?¡±


    ¡°Please help me, I¡¯m not¡­¡­.He said it¡¯s not a poison pill. He said it¡¯s just a nutrient that will only let you sleep for a few days¡­¡­.And he said he would help us when he became the lord¡­¡­.¡±


    It¡¯s ridiculous that he will help you. It¡¯s not a sleeping potion, it¡¯s a poison. If I die, these two women will probably be the first to be killed as assassins so that they can¡¯t find out who is behind it.


    ¡°Chamberlain!¡±


    Eventually, once again, I had to call the chamberlain.


    ¡°Master! How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Protect them. It appears that Viscount Boldt has plotted to assassinate me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡±


    The chamberlain had an astonished look on his face.


    ¡°In the meantime, I want their parents to be with them, and no more women in the bedroom. So much for the womanizing Erhin, if I¡¯m going to be like that, my dream of rebuilding the territory will never come true.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­yes?¡±


    The chamberlain asked again when he heard those words.


    ¡°Philandering is not the way a lord should be. You know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­. No, um, I¡¯ll get it right away!¡±


    ¡°One more thing, send people immediately and tell Haddin to gather in front of the castle with the army!¡±


    It¡¯s good that I changed the barracks commander; Haddin¡¯s a stark contrast compared to Burke and Viscount Boldt. In a way, the reason why Viscount Boldt did such a despicable thing is that the military authority has suddenly fallen into my hands, isn¡¯t it?


    Well, no one can compete with me when the military authority is in my hands.

 CH 12

    Chapter 12: Rogue Lords (12)


    Viscount Boldt¡¯s mansion was besieged by the territorial army, thanks to which his private army was quickly overrun. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a good idea or not.


    ¡°Sir, what the hell is this! How could you do this!¡±


    ¡°Do you still play dumb? The two women you sent have already confessed to everything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡±


    Viscount, Boldt instantly turned pale.


    ¡°Misunderstanding! You can¡¯t believe I tried to poison your Excellency! It¡¯s a conspiracy!¡±


    ¡°Poison me? I¡¯m sure I only said they confessed, but how did you know that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Viscount Boldt fell silent.


    It was not my intention to blow this up, but I¡¯m glad that it has resulted in getting rid of a cancerous presence in my territory.


    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s¡­¡­Ugh, I¡¯ve heard the rumors!¡±


    ¡°Well, I was feeling something fishy. I¡¯m going to investigate and you¡¯ll be quiet.¡±


    ¡°This is tyranny! Hey, let go!¡±


    Naturally, he began to lash out instead of being docile.


    ¡°Check the books and papers in the mansion. Haddin take the soldiers search the Viscount¡¯s property and make a tally!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    I ordered a search of the mansion, as the soldiers and vassals hurriedly began to search Viscount Boldt¡¯s house, he became paler and paler.


    ¡°Stop messing around! Get out of my house now!¡±


    Proportionately to the scrambling, many gold bars and treasures, as well as land titles were soon found. Besides, a warehouse full of grain and unspeakable luxuries.


    And when the ledgers of the lord¡¯s castle were cross-checked with those seized from Viscount Boldt¡¯s house there were many discrepancies. In other words, the Viscount had been embezzling a considerable amount of taxes.


    There was a reason for Viscount Boldt¡¯s refusal to raise taxes when I suggested doing so. He increased the taxes to 80% and collected almost 100% of the tax money from his fellow countrymen by robbing them behind the scenes. The additional money he took from them went directly into his own pocket.


    However, despite the heavy taxation, there was no rebellion among the fiefdoms.


    The reason for this is precisely the fear that a powerful status-based society brings.


    Whether they revolt and kill their lords, eventually, the kingdom will intervene. At any rate, the end result is death.


    Still, if so much taxation had been imposed for so long, something would have already happened. However, since Erhin had only been a lord for a short time, the fiefdoms¡¯ discontent was still beginning to pile up now, or so it seemed.


    Erhin¡¯s father just died, so it¡¯s only recently that Viscount Boldt began to expropriate the fiefdoms.


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    Haddin came rushing to me, he looked at me differently after the war, I could feel his respect.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Look at this letter. Viscount Boldt had been in contact with the Kingdom of Narja!¡±


    I see. It¡¯s certainly something to make a fuss about. Of course, it was somewhat predictable. To kill me and become a lord, he¡¯ll need the help of outside forces.


    So, you were using the money you stole on to lay the groundwork for the Narja Kingdom and not the Lunan Kingdom, right? If you kill me, you¡¯re going to offer up this territory to the Kingdom of Narja and became the lord?


    ¡°In other words, Viscount Boldt raised taxes up to 80% and was not satisfied with that; he was also robbing the people behind the scenes, and was even communicating in secret with the enemy?¡±


    Haddin nodded vigorously as I said this while looking at the letter.


    ¡°Kukku. I see. The assassination of the lord, conspiracy, and tax robbery, put Viscount Boldt in jail!¡±


    What makes me angry is that even a guy like that is still a nobleman. It¡¯s not my country yet, but the territory of the Lunan Kingdom, so any punishment worthy of the death penalty, such as conspiracy, according to kingdom law requires the permission of the king.


    ¡°All the property he has acquired under the laws of the Kingdom will be restored to the territory!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°The entire territory should be informed that all the vassals who torment the people will be punished in this way in the future. And tell the whole country that Viscount Boldt, who has been plotting against us, will be receiving the death penalty!¡±


    Thus, I got rid of Viscount Boldt and seized all of his property.


    [The territory¡¯s assets have increased.]


    [+15.000.000 Renan]


    The assets of the fiefdom have risen dramatically.


    The cost of running the fiefdom for a year is 10 million Renan, which means that he had embezzled more money than I could spend on running the territory for a year.


    Today, Aintorian¡¯s assets are about 30 million Renan, combined with Viscount Boldt¡¯s fortune, that¡¯s.


    [45.000.000 Renan]


    This is the kind of figure I came up with.


    Of course, it¡¯s a considerable amount of money for a personal fortune, but not a lot of money to fund the operation of a fiefdom. It¡¯s enough money to run the territory, but it¡¯s incredibly scarce if I also want to raise an army for future wars.


    It costs money just to conscript and there are limits to conscription. If the territory¡¯s population is small, to begin with, you can¡¯t increase the number of conscripts. If you build a livable territory, word will spread and there will be an influx of population, so it is necessary to spend a lot of money to settle the farmland. In other words, the preparation for war is all about money.


    Of course, the money added now would help a lot because what the territory needs the most now is troops. The battle with the Narja Kingdom has reduced the army strength. The current size of the territory¡¯s army is about 3,000 men. It¡¯s insufficient to defend the territory.


    [Do you want to do a conscription round?]


    [Current conscription limit: 15.000]


    First, I activated the system to see what the cost of the conscription would be, then I set the number of people to be conscripted to 1.000.


    [ 2.000.000 Renan]


    2 million Renan for 1,000 people is 20 million Renan for 10.000 people, it¡¯s ridiculously expensive.


    But this was money that should be invested. To create an elite army, at least 10.000 people would be needed. Given the limits of the money and population that we have now, a realistic figure is also precisely 10.000 people.


    However, the moment I do the conscription, the people¡¯s spirit will go down, I have to be prepared for that.


    ¡°Haddin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°The invasion of the Narja Kingdom forces us to increase our troops.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too.¡±


    Haddin nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of drafting about 10.000 men, and I need you to train them.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, 10.000 all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°We can get enough food from the property we have seized here. Our priority is to protect this territory somehow. We can¡¯t let the people become slaves of the Narja Kingdom, can we?¡±¡±


    ¡°Of course. If you leave it to me, I will build a strong army, even if it costs me¡­¡­¡­¡­, which is what I was saying before I was relieved of the commanding officer¡¯s position¡­¡­


    As I was about to say something, Haddin suddenly fell silent and began to observe me. He seemed to think that he had spoken for nothing.


    Well, Haddin¡¯s command ability. I¡¯ll just have to trust that figure.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll trust you. Now conscript 10.000 men and make sure they are thoroughly trained. The same goes for the training of the 3.000 men in the original territory army!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    If so, I won¡¯t hesitate to conscript them.


    [Use 2.,000.000 Renan?]


    [Aintorian territory army increased +10.000.]


    [Territorial Army Training Level has been reduced to 10.]


    [Morale in the Territorial Army has been reduced to 20.]


    [Territory¡¯s morale has been reduced to 20.]


    This way, the entire force became 13.000 men.


    The people¡¯s spirit, which has been rising somewhat, dropped at once.


    A war with the Narja Kingdom was unavoidable because of the sudden and large scale recruitment.


    I¡¯m sure that the sudden rise in people¡¯s spirit is due to the hope that I prevented the war, and even more so because it means that they have changed their view of the rogue lord.


    In an instant, the territory¡¯s funds were reduced by half. Money is still necessary in this world, it¡¯s extremely important, but I can¡¯t remain as a rogue lord.


    If the taxes are adjusted to 50%, the funding source will also be reduced. It¡¯s good to get rid of Viscount Boldt, but there¡¯s still no end to the problems. The issue of raising the people¡¯s spirit is next.


    * * *


    In fact, 10.000 is a small number of people to unify the country. But for now, I have to be content with this.


    There are various restrictions. Even if I wanted to increase the population, it would not be possible because I do not have enough people, to begin with. The current population of Aintorian, with its dangerous borders, is not that large. To achieve world domination, there is more than one thing I need to do.


    I don¡¯t even know where to start. I don¡¯t have enough manpower, money, or levels. In order to grow the territory, I have to raise my level first. There is a lot of work to be done.


    Since there is no set route, it is rather unnecessary to find the answer.


    When I returned to the lord¡¯s castle in a daze, I immediately went to my bedroom. I felt like I was going to fall asleep as soon as I lay down, thanks to the fact that I had been so busy throughout the night without a break.


    Then, the chamberlain, who was walking behind me, suddenly stepped in front of me and got down on his knees.


    ¡°Master¡­¡­¡±


    The chamberlain acted unexpectedly. Why did you suddenly get down on your knees?

 CH 13

    Chapter 13: Rogue Lords (13)


    ¡°What the hell are you doing chamberlain?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡­.I heard that you will dismiss Viscount Boldt and fix the tax system!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to. What does that have to do with you getting on your knees?¡±


    Don¡¯t tell me, is there some kind of relationship between the chamberlain and Viscount Boldt? So you¡¯re going to turn yourself in when your conscience tells you to?


    ¡°As I recall, you said earlier that you would stop playing with women and work to restore the territory¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    The chamberlain did not answer my question but instead looked up at me.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve suddenly changed, but you still doubt me?¡±


    Indeed, the chamberlain would have noticed the difference between the real Erhin and me and would¡¯ve felt uncomfortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this since I was a kid. I should experience a lot of things, only by being vicious can I dream of reviving the territory. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve endured so far. If word gets out that I¡¯m incompetent, people will underestimate me. That¡¯s why I was able to win the battle against the Kingdom of Narja. I¡¯ve revealed my true form in this war, so I¡¯m done pretending!¡±


    ¡°I was well aware of the change in master¡¯s mind recently. I am truly thrilled¡­¡­.If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to know master¡¯s aspirations?¡±


    The chamberlain asked this without even trying to get up from his kneeling position. I don¡¯t think he has anything to do with Viscount Boldt, not only that, but he also comes from a highly loyal family that has served the Aintorian family for a long time, since his ancestors.


    ¡°Aspirations¡­¡­That would be, well, the restoration of Aintorian. I¡¯m going to make it into a territory where all the people can live in abundance.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, master! That¡¯s exactly what the previous lord said! ¡®He is my son, so he will one day obey my wishes¡¯¡­¡­¡±


    You don¡¯t have to cry like that.


    ¡°Stand up now. What if you kneel like that and the other servants see you?¡±


    I propped up the chamberlain¡¯s body. He staggered to his feet and when he bowed to me again.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, I have something that the previous lord instructed me to give to you master when you become a man capable of carrying on the thoughts of the ancestors. I¡¯ve been wondering about that for a long time¡­¡­.I have been waiting for the day when I can give it to you as soon as possible!¡±


    The former lord has left something for his son Erhin? Apparently, the former lord also knew that his son was a devil. That¡¯s probably why he told his chamberlain to hand it over to him when he became sensible and then left the world.


    ¡°You said my father left me something?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This way, finally, this burden is lifted from my shoulders.¡±


    The chamberlain urged me, so I followed him downstairs. Without stopping on the first floor, we went further down. I could see a large iron door that led to the space where the tablets were, and I earned the perk. However, the chamberlain did not stop there either. It seems that the destination is not behind the iron door.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dead-end chamberlain?¡±


    The chamberlain shook his head.


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a dead-end, but there are secrets here that only I and the previous lord know.¡±


    After saying this, the chamberlain held the pendant he was wearing to the wall at the end of the hall.


    Suddenly, a huge mana formation, like a magic circle, was drawn on the wall. It mainly appears when you activate a skill in this world.


    As soon as the mana formation vanished, the wall disappeared and there was a staircase leading down.


    ¡°Master, this way.¡±


    The chamberlain calmly descended the stairs. I didn¡¯t know there was this kind of space hidden in the lord¡¯s castle. I looked at the space that suddenly appeared for a while and then hurriedly followed the chamberlain.


    It was quite a long staircase. The surroundings were dark, un this space, only the stairs emitted light. There seemed to be no doubt that this was a place related to mana.


    The chamberlain who was walking in front of me finally stopped. It seemed the stairs were finally over, so I picked up my pace. As I stood next to the chamberlain at the end of the stairs, he pointed forward.


    ¡°Over there, master. These are the jewels that I have been collected for the restoration of the country from the days of the Aintorian Kingdom until now when master became a border earl!¡±


    When I looked in that direction, I was blinded by the brightness and couldn¡¯t open my eyes. I squinted my eyes and gradually got used to the blinding light, in front of me was a plethora of gold bars.


    ¡°You mean¡­¡­.Is this the war chest¡­¡­that the Aintorians have been raising for generations for the dream of restoring their country?¡±


    ¡°Master, please sympathize with the former lord¡¯s heart. If you do so, I will have no regrets when I die now!¡±


    What¡¯s with this kind of money? I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    This changes a lot of things. It¡¯s as if one of the things that have been bothering me has been resolved¡ªthe management of the territory, preparation for war, and the reserves of power.

 CH 14

    Chapter 14: Rogue Lords (end)


    I looked at the gold for a while then I received the pendant from the chamberlain and became the new owner of the riches.


    The advantage of this secret place is that even if the territory is taken by another country, only I, with my pendant, can enter.


    If I had my attendants move the gold, the location would become public knowledge. Still, only I, the pendant holder, would be able to enter the place where the gold is hidden.


    I let them carry a tenth of the gold through the night. The amount is about one billion Renan. When combined with the original funds of the territory, it¡¯s [1,025,000,000 Renan].


    Improving the fiefdom with this would allow the population to grow and I¡¯ll be able to recruit more troops, eventually becoming a powerful military force.


    Initially, the Aintorians were a royal family. Therefore, they had a war chest prepared for generations their descendants to recover their glory.


    So the day after I got my hands on the gold, I made an announcement in the territory. I had strategy to win the hearts and minds of the people!


    ¡°Citizens who have suffered from Viscount Boldt tyranny, I pretended to agree with him to get the proof of all his evil deeds. Now that he was caught, as an apology for all these years, I¡¯m exempting the territory from all taxes for one year!¡±


    Blaming Viscount Boldt for all my sins would improve my reputation. This is what bad lords do, but oh well, I have to use what I¡¯ve got to raise the people¡¯s spirits.


    For a while, the terrified territorial residents could not understand what I was saying because they were afraid that I would enforce another outrageous policy, but it wasn¡¯t long before they cheered.


    The one-year tax exemption was such a tremendous windfall that it resonated the most with the citizens. Previously, they had been deprived of more than 95% of their crops even if they farmed, but now they could keep 100% to themselves. That should have been enough to change their impression of the rogue lord in an instant.


    [People¡¯s spirit rose to 70.]


    And it really showed up in the numbers in front of my eyes.


    ***


    Tutanka, King of the Lunan Kingdom, was in a bad mood. He looked terrified amidst the gazes of the nobles.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Deran region, and even Luon territory are¡­¡­¡±


    Duke Ronen, who was the general-in-chief of the army, opened his mouth.


    ¡°The enemy army is coming! How long are you guys going to keep getting beaten up?¡±


    The invasion of the Narja Kingdom, which began in the north, had caught the Lunan Kingdom unprepared. It had been losing a series of battles.


    Of course, the territory on the northern border fell in vain. Now, the conquering army of the Narja Kingdom was advancing to the very edge of the capital. The incompetent King Tutanka, whose priority was his own safety, blamed the nobles, who were about to run out of patience.


    ¡°Speaking of which, was Aintorian territory invaded as well?¡±


    Tutanka recalled the report of the other day with his bad memory. This was very surprising to him, as he usually forgets the report he received even an hour ago.


    ¡°Yes, sir. But Aintorian is safe, there was no secondary invasion, and the enemy forces are concentrated in the north.¡±


    ¡°So Lord Aintorian won his battle against the Narja Army?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡±


    Ronen wrinkled his brow. Because he had heard rumors about the Lord Erhin Aintorian, who had inherited the title two years ago, he had a reputation of being an incompetent lord.


    ¡°According to reports that have come up in the territory, a territorial army of 5,000 men stopped the 20,000-man force of the Narja Kingdom¡­¡­.Honestly, I don¡¯t believe it. It¡¯s only a matter of increasing the war effort¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°But he did stop them.¡±


    ¡°He was lucky. I think the enemy forces were only as big as a scouting party.¡±


    At Ronen¡¯s words, Tutanka shook his head. The capital city was about to be invaded at any moment; if he was a victorious lord, he must put him on the front line. Tutanka immediately shouted to Ronen.


    ¡°Winning experience is important on the battlefield. Send him to the front lines now to defend the country!¡±


    ¡°But Your Majesty, apart from Erhin¡¯s abilities, the frontier lords have a mission to protect the kingdom borders¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a border when the capital is in danger? That¡¯s an order!¡±


    Tutanka raised his voice. Ronen, in his position as a vassal, could only nod his head in the end, because if you disobey an order, it would be treason.


    ¡°Well, in that case, keep the border soldiers intact and send only the lord over.¡±


    ¡°Right. Leave the borders to his troops and let the lord prove his capabilities on the frontlines!¡±


    Tutanka stood up and left the hall after giving the order.

 CH 15

    Chapter 15: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (1)


    [Aintorian Territorial Army: 13.432 men]


    [Training level: 50]


    The training level, which had been significantly declining, was steadily increasing due to Haddin¡¯s efforts. With a few more months of hard work, the newly drafted troops would be transformed into a decent army. The figure of the people¡¯s spirit was also unchanged from 70 due to the tax policy.


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    While sitting in a chair in the shade of a tree watching the soldiers training, Haddin came running with a shocked look on his face.


    ¡°Sir! According to the urgent news that just came in, the northern border has also been invaded¡­¡­.In addition, the border has collapsed and now the Narja Kingdom Army is invading Luong territory!¡±


    What came out of Haddin¡¯s mouth was history as I know it. After I prevented the Narja Kingdom invasion here, the butterfly effect has not yet appeared, and their invasion of the Lunan Kingdom seems to be taking place just as history says.


    That was a rather good thing for me. It means I can use that history to my advantage.


    ¡°Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a big army, too. The enemy is said to be more than several hundred thousand soldiers!¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, we can only continue to train harder. Pull yourself together Haddin you¡¯re the commander.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.Sorry!¡±


    ¡°Master!¡±


    This time, the chamberlain came running to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re the chamberlain you don¡¯t have to run around like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Master, that¡¯s not the point. There¡¯s an imperial envoy with a royal edict over there!¡±


    The chamberlain pointed out the outside of the barracks, gasping for breath. A general and soldiers were riding horses with the king¡¯s flag on them. The man on the horse was holding what looked like a scroll, a royal edict?


    That¡¯s totally unexpected. The war in the North remains history as I know it, but other than that, I feel like a completely different history is unfolding. Whether that¡¯s good or bad for me, I still don¡¯t know.


    Anyway, I headed over there because I heard the imperial envoy was coming. If you are not rebelling, the imperial envoy must be treated like a king, that¡¯s the royal law. When I arrived at the barracks entrance, the imperial envoy dismounted from his horse and asked me.


    ¡°The Lord of Aintorian, Earl Aintorian Erhin?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As soon as he heard my response, he immediately unfolded the imperial envelope in the shape of a scroll.


    ¡°The Aintorian lord shall receive the king¡¯s command!¡±


    When I heard his powerful voice, I first knelt. It is natural for lords to kneel to the king¡¯s imperial envoy. I¡¯m not the only one who does that.


    ¡°Earl Aintorian Erhin, I praise you for preventing the invasion of the Narja Kingdom. You are to be commended for your abilities. Now, you will join the Royal Army and put your skills to work. Due to the emergency situation, your position as a border lord is hereby revoked. The borders are now left to your territorial forces, and you must head to the front lines to defend your country.¡±


    What? So, you want me to go to the front line by myself and be a commander?


    The Royal Army is the superior equivalent of the Territorial Army. Usually, the king¡¯s army defending the capital city is called the Royal Army, but in the event of war, the territorial armies are gathered together to form an allied army.


    The exception is the regions that border other countries and are always in danger of war breaking out. Territories in the border region do not transfer their forces in the event of war.


    Of course, if the situation becomes more urgent, the capital will be given top priority, and a general mobilization order will be issued, but we are not at that stage yet.


    So, for now, it¡¯s just for me to come. What are the real benefits of going to the front lines? There is enough money to rebuild the territory.


    In order to grow an army, I must increase the population of the territory. Money is used to absorb people from other regions to grow and rebuild my forces.


    However, the biggest problem in the current situation is the lack of talents. There is not a single outstanding individual in the territory.


    Talents are essential for the unification of the country. I don¡¯t have any talent in Aintorian, but what about the front lines? The front line attracts many generals. So naturally, there will be many excellent people.


    Besides, there are few opportunities to level up in Aintorian. This is because we are in a situation where we don¡¯t know when a battle will occur. On the other hand, battles happen every day on the front lines. This means that I can level up, that is actually the most important thing. Of course, there is that much risk involved but I have an advantage!


    It was worth a try because I have Daitouren; there is no success without a challenge.


    In the history of the game, this war will destroy the Lunan Kingdom. If that happens, Aintorian will fall as well. I have to put a stop to that for now.


    Right now, Aintorian is still not strong enough. I needed to prevent the destruction of the Lunan Kingdom and gain more time to develop my territory. In other words, I need the Lunan Kingdom to play the role of a shield.


    Talents, Levels. Time.


    When I finished calculating, I carefully accepted the imperial edict and said, ¡°Aintorian Lord, Aintorian Erhin, I humbly accept the royal edict!¡±


    * * *


    The Lunan Royal Army¡¯s temporary headquarters was established at the Linon Castle in the Linon territory, not too far from the current capital.


    The general of the Lunan Royal Army is Duke Ronen. He¡¯s been in a meeting with Hayna, the chief of staff of the Royal Army, to discuss personnel changes.


    The general is the commander-in-chief of all the units in the legion. Although there is a position of deputy general just below the general, it is the chief of staff that practically plans the operations of the kingdom¡¯s army.


    This position, the flower of controversy, had already been changed three times after the invasion of the Royal Army of Narja. The first was killed in action and the second one disappeared.


    This time, the newly appointed chief-of-staff was the capital¡¯s famous and clear-headed Berchyn Hayna. She was also a relative of Duke Ronen.


    Usually, anyone would want to be appointed to the position of chief of staff. However, it is also a position that no one wants to be in now that they were defeated by the Narja Kingdom in successive battles.


    ¡°Where the hell are we going to send Earl Aintorian?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve given it some thought too¡­¡­¡±


    In response to a question about the treatment of Earl Aintorian, which wa the primary source of concern, Hayna paused for a moment and continued.


    ¡°A supply depot would be nice.¡±


    ¡°Is that a serious statement?¡±


    Duke Ronen asked back with a puzzled look on his face. The supply unit at the supply base was an essential unit that replenished the battlefield with food arriving from the capital.


    ¡°We intend to put him in the position of Earl Nolan, the current commander of the supply corps, who was killed in the North.¡±


    ¡°No, no matter what, Earl Erhin would never be in that important position.¡±


    When Duke Ronen strongly objected, Hayna continued to explain.


    ¡°But general! Can you trust him with thousands of soldiers and send him to the front line? You were worried about that and told me to look for a suitable position.¡±


    ¡°If you send him to the front line, he will be of control. He might destroy the forces entrusted to him. I¡¯d rather send him to a supply troop that I can monitor and control. I¡¯ll keep a close eye on him, if he behaves in a strange way I will immediately report to the king to revoke his order. Believe me; I have a plan for everything.¡±


    Because of the king¡¯s order he must be given a position so this was the only way for Hayna.

 CH 16

    Chapter 16: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (2)


    I left the defense of the territory to Haddin.


    What if there¡¯s a problem in the territory in my absence? It sucks. But as long as the gold is intact, it can be taken care of. And I¡¯m the only one who can get into the place where the gold is sealed.


    I headed north without a care in the world. On the way to the road, we noticed a long line of refugees.


    From the northern border to the Linon Castle, there was an endless procession of the people going towards the capital city, where they felt a little safer. In a sense, it was a natural sight since we were at war. The refugees and the war are inseparable.


    That procession of refugees was a good example of how dangerous the Lunan Kingdom is now. In the history of the game, the Lunan Kingdom actually falls but in this world I¡¯m going to stop that.


    As we continued against the line of refugees, we finally saw our destination. Linon Castle can mean the castle of the Linon territory lord, but in a broader sense, it refers to the entire walled city of Linon where the lord¡¯s castle is located.


    The city¡¯s walls usually have four gates, north, south, east, and west. When I arrived at the west gate, I identified myself and was guided to the command center. I was greeted at the lord¡¯s castle, which is being used as a temporary command center, by the chief of staff of the Royal Army.


    [Berchyn Hayna]


    [Age: 27 years]


    [Martial force: 60]


    [Intelligence: 81]


    [Command: 55]


    The intelligence is superb. Of course, she was a noblewoman and held the key position ¡®chief of staff¡¯.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the Lord Aintorian?¡±


    ¡°Chief of Staff! It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    She was a boss many levels above me in the company. I bowed my head to show her courtesy, but she just stared at me with a cold expression on her face. She didn¡¯t seem to welcome me at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of national security, and I have to do everything in my power to help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a great help to us,¡± she said, looking at me with a contemptuous look. This meant that Erhin¡¯s lousy reputation was known to them. A rogue lord, a womanizer, and a debauched man, that is Aintorian Erhin¡¯s reputation.


    Apparently, I had been summoned by the cowardly King of Lunan. I¡¯m notorious in the kingdom¡¯s military, so I guess that means there¡¯s no need for me. Well, I just need to change that impression thoroughly from now on.


    ¡°How is the war going?¡±


    So there¡¯s no need to react to every single look of disdain. I didn¡¯t care, I needed information.


    ¡°The situation is not good, we¡¯ve lost Manon territory. The enemy is advancing on Gannen and Bern castles, and we¡¯re currently fighting in Gannen Castle. If Gannen and Bern¡¯s castles collapse, it won¡¯t take long for Linon Castle to fall.


    After Linon, the capital city of Lunan will be the next battleground. That¡¯s why they¡¯re trying their best to prevent that from happening, but they were pushed too far in the beginning, and the gap between the forces widened¡­¡­¡±


    Gannen and Bern territories? The enemy was attacking right in front of the capital city. The Lunan Kingdom, in dire straits!


    ¡°This explanation doesn¡¯t mean anything to you. The front line is not the place you¡¯re going.¡±


    Hayna stopped explaining abruptly in the middle.


    ¡°But where if not the front line in these circumstances?¡±


    I asked her what I didn¡¯t understand. I know they won¡¯t accept me, but they can¡¯t stop using me since it¡¯s the king¡¯s order. Where the hell are they going to send me?


    ¡°I sent a supply corps commander there at short notice because there was a death among the front-line commanders. So you¡¯ll be taking his place.¡±


    The commander of a supply troop huh?


    Supply units are certainly not the front line but they are just as important as the front lines.


    She looks at me with such disdain, and yet she sent me to a supply unit? Supply is one of the most essential things on the battlefield.


    If I think about it the other way around, it was also an excellent unit to follow the given orders. An incompetent commander is not needed in our Royal Army. Isn¡¯t that right? I can honestly only think of it as being ridiculous.


    ¡°I see. A supply troop?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should head to the supply base.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. By the way, who is the General? I¡¯d like to say hello.¡±


    ¡°The general is busy. You just need to think about the supply corps!¡±


    Oh, I see. There was nothing more to say. I came out of Linon Castle, leaving this cold welcome behind.


    Let¡¯s raise a supply unit to my army for now until the opportunity arises. The only way to interfere into this war is with troops that are absolutely obedient to me.

 CH 17

    Chapter 17: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (3)


    -In the supply base located behind Linon Castle-


    Centurion Yusen has not had a good night¡¯s sleep for the past few days there was one reason. He was thinking of his mother, she was on the verge of death because she had fallen ill. It would have been so much easier if the war had broken out after she had passed away.


    He would have forgotten everything and defended his country on the front line, but after coming to the supply base, his feelings for his mother became even more intense.


    I¡¯m not going to be able to tell her, who raised me alone, that she is everything to me.


    ¡°Captain, are you okay? You¡¯re not looking good these days¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Yusen was a mild-mannered man who always took good care of his men. They were worried because of the dark expression on his face the entire time he was stationed outside of Linon Castle. Another soldier who watched the exchange shook his head and poked the soldier in the side as he asked a question.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Givens, don¡¯t ask the captain that question.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m worried about¡­¡±


    ¡± You know his mother¡¯s health is not very good.¡±


    The soldier called Givens rolled his eyes at the words. It looked like he had no idea.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure you were sent somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Oh. More importantly, is it true?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that he¡¯s so filial, I feel sorry for him.¡±


    Donne words made Givens look bitter. It was Yusen who helped him with money before he was dispatched. He was willing to lend him three months salary without saying a word.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way? A pass or something¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s wartime now.¡±


    Donne shakes his head. Givens was sighing at that. He wanted to help, but there was no way.


    It¡¯s not that Yusen wasn¡¯t looking for a way, either. He went to the deputy commander, Hadan, who was currently in charge of the supply unit, with his mind made up. Naturally, his men blocked him in front of the barracks.


    On this day, the deputy commander Hadan was in a pretty bad mood. Since the commander was moved to the front line, he naturally thought that he would be the one to replace him. But to think that some country bumpkin lord would take over the position of commander, Hadan was becoming even more irritated by the noise outside.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I insisted on meeting with my deputy commander¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Hadan let the fussing Yusen through to his barracks, intending to take revenge.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    When he came face to face with Hadan, Yusen suddenly knelt down. Then he hit his head on the floor and began to talk about the situation.


    ¡°Just one day off at¡­¡­.Give me one day off. The rest I will fight for my life! I never forgot my duty in the slightest, I wanted to see my mother for the last time before she died.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    Hadan smiled widely as he listened to Yusen. Confused by the reaction, Yusen tilted his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with such a situation. Take him out and whip him!¡±


    Yusen¡¯s face was completely distorted as Hadan shouted out with gusto as if to relieve stress. Of course, it was not so much the flogging as it was the despair of having completely lost hope.


    Seeing Yusen return to the barracks whipped, his subordinates let out one complaint after another with puzzled expressions on their faces.


    ¡°This is terrible.¡±


    ¡°Shh! They can hear you.¡±


    In the midst of all this, Yusen put his index finger in front of his mouth to tell his soldiers to be quiet.


    There are countless soldiers in Yusen¡¯s unit who owe him a debt of gratitude. Besides that, many other soldiers respected his humanity. So, seeing Yusen suffering from the whipping, Givens gathered the soldiers together for a meeting.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even paid the captain back yet.¡±


    One of the soldiers said.


    ¡°Me too. Still, the captain told me to return it slowly. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford it otherwise.¡±


    The other soldiers nodded as they said so.


    ¡°It¡¯s not all about the money. The captain usually looks out for us more than anything else.¡±


    When that kind of talk comes from here and there.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Silence prevailed among the assembled soldiers.


    In the midst of all this, Givens took the initiative to open his mouth.


    ¡°Anyway ¡­¡­.We have to figure out a way to help the captain¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    Givens fell silent for a while and began to scratch his head as he spoke.


    ¡°When we go out to resupply, we¡¯ll be working with several centurions. So we can¡¯t fool the crowd there. Our chance is when we come back from resupplying. A patrol unit is assembled then right?¡±


    Donne nodded at Givens words and said.


    ¡°Yeah. And since another ten centurions went out to resupply this morning, it¡¯s your turn to do guard duty. Then our chance is now or never.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    The other soldiers chimed in. Then, Givens continued to explain the plan.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be in charge of the 12 zones, and all the alert calls will go to our centurions, so we¡¯ll have our chance. Besides¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Tell me!¡±


    Givens immediately continued to talk.


    ¡°A friend of mine who works in the barracks of Hadan told me that Hadan has been called by the chief of staff and they will meet tomorrow. I heard that he was happy that he would be entrusted with some task. Anyway, if Hadan isn¡¯t in the unit, this is an even better opportunity. There won¡¯t be any better chances to sneak out of here than in a moment without the commander.¡±


    At Givens¡¯ words, the soldiers suddenly stood up. All of them agreed with the method and the fact that this was the only opportunity they had.


    Of course, Hadan was called in for a scheme to trap Erhin, who had been assigned as the commander of the supply troop, and their mistake was in not knowing that the new commander was coming to the supply unit.


    ***


    The supply base was located behind Linon Castle and was on the key road to the capital. When supplies from the capital and the territories get here, they would be temporarily stored in this supply base and distributed to the various battlefields.


    [Lunan Royal Army Supply Unit]


    [Troops: 10,000]


    [Training: 40]


    Supply base strength is 10,000 men, not many.


    Five thousand were the troops guarding the supply base. The other 5,000 were the personnel who carried the supplies to the various fronts. All the combat troops are about 5,000 or so.


    The level of training was disastrous. Inadequate training is practically a problem for the entire Lunan Kingdom Army. There is no such thing as a properly trained unit. That¡¯s why the country was taken away from them without being able to fight.


    A lousy supply unit with a training level not exceeding 50, it wasn¡¯t just the state of training that was bad. As soon as I was assigned, I was given a tour of the commander¡¯s barracks, that¡¯s as far as it went. But I was not pleased with the sub-commander who suddenly entered the barracks.


    [Hadan Gerdik]


    [Age: 40 years]


    [Martial force: 50]


    Intelligence: 25]


    [Command: 35]


    That¡¯s a terrible ability value. The only thing that comes with the title of deputy commander is the baron¡¯s title. Of course, it¡¯s not his ability that I don¡¯t like, but his attitude.


    ¡°Congratulations on your new assignment. I¡¯m Deputy Commander Hadan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Erhin. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°I know this supply unit better than anyone else. So I thought you could consider yourself here for a break. Well, I don¡¯t want you to do anything.¡±


    How can I not be angry at being told that all of a sudden?


    ¡°What?¡±


    With that sentiment in mind, rather than ask, Hadan began to blather on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that the chief of staff is leaving everything up to me.¡±


    The way he brings up the chief of staff is very annoying.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Linon Castle because the chief of staff wants to see me, but in the meantime, just do nothing and relax. Is that clear?¡±


    He gave me a cocky warning and walked out without listening to my reply. A giggle escaped me. What the hell was he doing? Of course, I¡¯ll ignore the orders of the chief of staff.


    According to the history of the game, the Linon territory will soon become a battlefield. There are only a few days left for the chief of staff to be bothered by me.


    If I¡¯m at the mercy of the Chiefs of Staff, the main culprit of my downfall, we¡¯ll both end up dead. In fact, as long as I can gain control of the supply force by then, I should be able to participate in the battlefield.


    So I completely ignored the warning to do nothing and immediately called up the centurions. I¡¯m going to check out the personnel first.


    ¡°I will be your commander from today. It¡¯s just a change in command, no other changes; you¡¯re going to carry out your missions like before so that there are no deviations from the supply plan!¡±


    Two people openly ridicule me for saying that. Perhaps they are Hadan¡¯s direct subordinates. The rest of them wore strong expressions. There aren¡¯t many people on Hadan¡¯s side; it seems he¡¯s not particularly popular. That¡¯s a good thing for me.


    There is only one person in the centurions with excellent ability value as far as I can see.


    [Yusen]


    [Age: 39 years]


    [Martial force: 82]


    [Intelligence: 60]


    [Command: 90]


    Centurion is the highest position a commoner can occupy. This means that he has been in the army for a long time now.


    The higher the command ability, the faster and more efficient the training level of the soldiers grows. His command value was a whopping 90, it was like discovering a pearl in the ground. There really are excellent people on the battlefield!

 CH 18

    Chapter 18: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (4)


    After disbanding the centurions, I took a look around the unit. No matter how good a person is, I can¡¯t just tell them to follow me, can I?


    The troops were working according to the predetermined supply plan. Although the supply base is located on top of a fortress, the soldiers live in the barracks so that they can withdraw at any time. The largest of these barracks was indeed the commander¡¯s barracks.


    First of all, I went to the commander¡¯s barracks to read the various documents and confirm matters concerning the supply base. Let¡¯s call it learning about the supply base.


    After spending half a day familiarizing myself with the current status of the supply base, I set out to scout the terrain. Whether it¡¯s a surprise attack or a retreat, I need to know the terrain in order to be prepared for what¡¯s going to happen.


    If a commander doesn¡¯t knowing the terrain he will be ridiculed. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t just look at a map; I have to see it with my own eyes.


    I chose Yusen to show me the terrain; it was an opportunity to get to know him better. Two birds with one stone, right?


    ¡°From here to Bern and Ganen Castle. How many ways do we have to get to these two fronts?¡±


    ¡°There are three paths: one that bypasses Linon Castle, one that goes through Linon Castle, and one that goes over the mountain you see to the east of the unit. However, climbing the mountain would still be difficult for the soldiers, so the only ways to practically move around would be through Linon Castle and the detour.¡±


    There was nothing unusual about the surrounding terrain. It was just a plain, land that stretched as far as the eye could see. Scouts were located on a hilltop with a clear enough view that the alert soldiers could immediately notice the enemy attack.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s take a look at that detour.¡±


    ¡°This way Commander!¡±


    We rode for about 30 minutes, looking at the terrain without any conversation, and I could see a fairly wide river ahead of us. We had come a long way. I didn¡¯t want to get too far away from my unit.


    This is about the extent of my objective. I changed directions to go back. Of course, this reconnaissance also has other purposes.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Yusen.¡±


    ¡°Have you been in the military a long time?¡±


    ¡°I joined when I was a kid, so it¡¯s been more than 20 years now, I guess.¡±


    It¡¯s not that he was drafted, but he volunteered to become a professional soldier.


    ¡°Commander, there!¡±


    At that very moment, Yusen, who was scratching his head in embarrassment, pointed toward the north.


    ¡°There are enemies coming around.¡±


    ¡°Enemies? If they¡¯re on the detour, it¡¯s the opposite of the direction I¡¯m going. Surprised, I looked back and saw that there was indeed dust in the air. As it got closer and closer, I even began to hear the sound of horses¡¯ hooves.¡±


    ¡°Those are scouts!¡±


    I immediately identified the enemy forces in the system. The number of soldiers was ten. It was a scouting party made up of ordinary soldiers, as Yusen said.


    ¡°About 10 people¡­..Yusen, can you go?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Yusen¡¯s martial force was a whopping 82. The martial force of the soldier at the head of the reconnaissance team was 30. That means there is no problem. The proof of this is that when Yusen rushed out towards the enemy soldier, he quickly cuts them down.


    And two¡­three¡­four¡­In the blink of an eye, Yusen had cleared eight enemy soldiers.


    ¡°Take at least one of them alive! I have to get information.¡±


    An enemy soldier captured alive is a source of information. A scouting party rides in a single line, only two of them were left.


    ¡°Surrender! Surrender and I¡¯ll spare your life!¡±


    Yusen shouted loud enough for even the most backward running enemy soldiers to hear. But the ninth soldier would not listen to him. Without slowing down, he lifted his sword with one hand.


    Instead, it was the soldier at the back who responded to Yusen¡¯s voice.


    When he stopped his horse at the words to surrender, the soldier fell to the ground because the horse raised its front legs high while whining. He was in too bad a position when he fell, at least a broken bone.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    The ninth soldier¡¯s sword collided with Yusen¡¯s sword. The sound of iron and steel colliding, I know Yusen will win.


    When I averted my gaze while thinking that Yusen¡¯s sword has been flicked off. The swords only collided with each other once, but the enemy¡¯s soldier flipped his sword, and Yusen fell to the ground. Surprised, I immediately rushed to Yusen¡¯s side.


    ¡°Do you want to use the perk?¡±


    Impossible. Yusen, with 82 martial force, fell from his horse from the blow of a common soldier? It was not something that could happen by chance.


    [Zint]


    [Age: 21 years]


    [Martial force: 93]


    [Intelligence: 41]


    [Command: 52]


    I was surprised again to see the enemy¡¯s ability value. He was on a different level from the other scouting soldiers. No, his martial force exceeded my imagination.


    Moreover, he was 21 years old. He is at an age with excellent growth potential. In terms of military rank, he was a mere soldier, even though his martial force could be considered on par with the ten Warlords of Narja.


    Is he an ordinary soldier who was drafted from farming to join the army? Then it¡¯s possible that he won¡¯t even notice his tremendous martial force. Because there¡¯s no one else who can see their abilities as a number like I can!


    The enemy soldier moved to kill Yusen, who has fallen off his horse. If I don¡¯t interfere, Yusen will die. With a martial force of 93, he¡¯s stronger than me when using the perks.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    I activated [Crush] without hesitation. Daitouren Weapon Skill [Crush]! An absolute skill that allows me to kill or stun anyone with up to 5 more martial force than me.


    I chose to stun him because I couldn¡¯t just kill this intriguing person. With a flash of light, Daitouren flew out and reached Zint in an instant.


    Zint tried to block Daitouren with his sword, but numerically it was impossible to do so. The system is absolute. No, it must be absolute! I watched the results with firm conviction.


    The moment the swords intersected with each other, a dazzling white light covered the surroundings. When the light disappeared, what was left there was a fearsome enemy soldier passed out. I ran up and confirmed that he was unconscious.


    The problem would be the duration of the stun effect. Stunting is one of the functions of [Crush]. If the enemy wakes up right away, it¡¯s useless. Guessing that there would be some time, I first rushed to Yusen.


    ¡°Yusen, are you okay!¡±


    ¡°Commander¡­¡­.Thank you for helping such a useless person!¡±


    I rushed over to give him a hand, but Yusen knelt down.


    ¡°Of course, you have to save your men. The way I see it, you¡¯re strong enough. The problem is the enemy soldier, he was unusually strong.


    ¡°It is indeed an embarrassment¡­¡­.My body was flung to the ground in one strike.¡±


    Yusen looks frustrated, biting his lips while acknowledging the strength of the enemy soldier.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not dead. How do you feel, can you walk?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Somehow.¡±


    Yusen replied while walking lightly. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine.


    ¡°Try riding a horse. You have to use every muscle in your body to ride a horse. If there¡¯s a problem somewhere in your body, you¡¯ll know right away.¡±


    Hearing my words, Yusen got on his horse.


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, now do me a favor. I¡¯m going to take them both alive. I want you to go back to your unit and get the chains, handcuffs and bring a cart along with some soldiers as well.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to wait here alone commander? Don¡¯t do it. Come back with me. I¡¯ll come back here to capture them with the soldiers! ¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t them to wake up and run away. I¡¯d better keep an eye on him. Come on, go.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡­.Then I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible!¡±


    As I waited, I checked my level, but there was no change. After all, the level in the game did not always increase with combat. The criterion for experience is the death of the enemy.

 CH 19

    Chapter 19: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (5)


    Night came. It was also the night when Yusen¡¯s men were aiming to execute their plan.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    Yusen looked up as Givens came into the barracks.


    ¡°What¡¯s up.¡±


    ¡°Will you come with me, please?¡±


    Givens had a serious face. At his words, Yusen got up in a hurry.


    ¡°What, another fight? If it gets in the ear of deputy commander, we¡¯ll all be flogged again¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, sort of. Haha.¡±


    Givens ambiguously replied and scratched the back of his head as he walked out of the barracks, Yusen followed him.


    ¡°Where are the fighters? We¡¯re not under attack, are we?¡±


    When Yusen asked him with a dumbfounded look on his face what the hell he was doing, Givens led him to area 12 for the time being. Yusen other subordinates were also there. In the blink of an eye they surrounded Yusen. Then Givens made a proposal to Yusen on their behalf.


    ¡°Captain! We¡¯re ready. We¡¯ll take care of it for a day or two. Please go and see your mother.¡±


    Hearing the unexpected remarks of his subordinates, Yusen¡¯s eyes were filled with astonishment.


    ¡°You guys¡­¡­.You know that leaving the camp will is a instant execution, right?¡±


    ¡°But captain!¡­¡­The commander just took up his post today and won¡¯t know anything about it¡­¡­the absence of Hadan is your chance!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve been on a reconnaissance mission with the new commander. You can¡¯t fool him¡­.¡±


    After the assembled centurions were dismissed, Yusen was immediately called by the new commander, and all of his subordinates were carrying out a surveillance mission in the 12 areas.


    It is naturally impossible for an ordinary soldier to grasp all the detailed situation of the unit. Of course, they could find out if they wanted to, but in this case, they only checked for Hadan absence.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be called back so soon.¡±


    When Givens said that, Yusen shook his head resolutely.


    ¡°This way will get you in trouble. I¡¯d rather go out of this camp by myself!¡±


    Yusen also thought about leaving the camp, but he just couldn¡¯t make up his mind. Although he was really happy with his men¡¯s suggestion, it was practically impossible. He would rather leave by himself and die alone. If they were found out, everyone would die.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Leaving the camp is a bad idea.¡±


    At that very moment, a voice came from behind them.


    They all turned around, startled by the voice. When Yusen realized his identity, he immediately knelt down, and the other soldiers did the same.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    ¡°Hiyyy! Why is the commander!?¡±


    The soldiers screamed at the appearance of Erhin. Leaving the camp should not be allowed to happen. Yusen immediately hit his head on the ground.


    ¡°Commander! It¡¯s not their fault. I alone am responsible.¡±


    ¡°No, commander! The captain did not know anything about it. We forcefully¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, be quiet! Don¡¯t try anything else.¡±


    They are both desperate to hold themselves accountable. Erhin scratched his cheek with his index finger.


    Because the scene was such, I could grasp the personality of the man named Yusen at once. A centurion with such a tight bond with his men would definitely be of great use in battle.


    The overall training level of the unit was 40, but Yusen¡¯s was quite strong. His command value was 90, and that figure was very impressive.


    A prisoner like a monster and Yusen in front of him. Erhin was delighted by the appearance of two such talented people.


    ¡°Why were you trying to leave the camp?


    ¡°Commander! In fact, the captain¡¯s mother is¡­¡­¡±


    On behalf of Yusen, Givens, who was right next to him, began to explain the situation. Hearing this, Erhin closed his eyes.


    I can¡¯t believe they were trying to hide the fact that they let him go secretly. Is he naive or stupid? Well, I can feel the warmth of the soldiers feelings.


    ¡°But leaving the camp is a sin.¡±


    Yusen¡¯s men nodded in acknowledgment of their mistake. However, Erhin added something that Yusen did not expect to hear at all.


    ¡°But you know what? I¡¯m not looking at anything right now. It¡¯s an outrageous thing for a soldier to put his home first when he¡¯s in wartime, but if it¡¯s worth it to you, go ahead and do it! The lives you were about to throw away for leaving the camp, pay for them on the battlefield when you return

 CH 20

    Chapter 20: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (6)


    In the second day as the commander of the supply unit I received a report that Zint was awake. He woke up exactly five hours after he had passed out. In other words, [Crush] stun effect lasts 5 hours.


    I took a quick shower and headed to the prisoner¡¯s barracks. Seeing that he¡¯s trapped, it seems he doesn¡¯t have the skills to break the chains. Besides, I¡¯m now ready to use [Crush] again at any time.


    As soon as I walked in, Zint and I looked at each other, and the standoff continued for a while. Is this a real war of nerves? No, there was no point in doing this.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    I stopped the nonsense and asked him a question. But Zint just kept staring at me and didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°You should stop staring at me like that. Let¡¯s have a little chat. I have a very high opinion of your martial prowess.¡±


    He remained silent. I tried to talk to him many times, but he didn¡¯t respond. Zint closed his eyes.


    The soldier who was dozing off in the back of the room opened his mouth as if my voice had awakened him.


    ¡°He¡¯s not very talkative to begin with. I can talk to him for you, if you promise to let me go!¡±


    ¡°Not talkative?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He didn¡¯t said a single word in his unit.¡±


    I see. So he was naturally like that.


    ¡°You can talk about anything?¡±


    ¡°Let me go and I¡¯ll tell you anything you want to know!¡±


    Then I need to change my purpose first, from recruitment to interrogation.


    ¡°I can spare your life, but I can also kill you right now.¡±


    I pulled the sword from my waistband and held it at the soldier¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Heeeeeeeee! Please. Spare me!¡±


    The soldier was shaking and screaming. A soldier who fell off his horse just as he was about to run away, he looked cowardly, unlike the other nine. Well, it¡¯s easier to interrogate him that way.


    ¡°Be honest. What is the purpose of the reconnaissance team? What is your unit preparing to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­..¡±


    ¡°Listen, if you try to use your wits, you¡¯ll die in a heartbeat.¡±


    To prove that I meant what I said, I brought the tip of my sword even closer to the soldier¡¯s neck. Blood oozed lightly from his neck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details, but it sounds like they¡¯re preparing a surprise attack, so we were told to do some reconnaissance.¡±


    ¡°Surprise attack? This supply base?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve heard, I¡¯m just a scout. That¡¯s all I know just put the sword away.¡±


    It is rather suspicious that a civilian soldier knows so many details. It could be false information, or it could be real information. Another posibility is that these soldiers were sent on a reconnaissance mission after being given false information by the commanders of the Narja Army, even though they thought it was true.


    Of course, there is a great possibility that the story of the surprise attack is real. As a result of my reconnaissance yesterday, I found that there was a detour from Ganen Castle to this supply base without going through Linon Castle.


    If the Narja Royal Army, which was advancing to attack Ganen Castle, were to figure out this route, they might try to take the supply base by surprise. Should they succeed in the surprise attack, the fighting castles of Ganen and Bern would be in a food crisis.


    Even if they built supply routes elsewhere, they could starve for several days. That would lower morale especially if the enemy occupies this supply base, it will not be easy to build other supply routes.


    It is not an unbelievable story. Of course, the fact that they dared to send a reconnaissance team to the base in a conspicuous manner is suspicious. It¡¯s as if they wanted us to take them prisoners and make them confess. Is this a deliberate attempt to announce a surprise attack?

 CH 21

    Chapter 21: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (7)


    ¡°Then you will attend the meeting on behalf of Yusen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give orders to each centurion and I need a representative.¡±


    After talking to Yusen¡¯s men for a while, I went back to the commander¡¯s barracks and called an emergency meeting. Even if there is something the enemy is aiming for, as the commander of the supply unit, I have to be prepared for a surprise attack.


    ¡°You all know that during yesterday¡¯s reconnaissance we captured an enemy soldier who confessed. The enemy forces advancing on Ganen Castle have discovered a detour to the supply base and are planning a surprise attack.¡±


    ¡°Eeeeee!¡±


    ¡°Commander, is it true?¡±


    ¡°A surprise attack!?¡±


    The centurions gathered in the commander¡¯s barracks began to panic. That¡¯s how much of an effect the news had.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s actually a surprise attack or not.¡±


    When I replied, Hadan¡¯s men immediately raised their voices.


    ¡°Report to Castle Linon immediately. In the absence of a second-in-command, at this time!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll report back but we¡¯ll take action first¡­¡­.¡±


    What difference does it make where he is?


    The supply base is located in a hilltop fortress on the road leading to the capital. It was not very high, but walls surrounded it. The structure has doors in each area for the convenience of transporting supplies.


    ¡°There is no time for that! I¡¯ll go report in!¡±


    The centurion, who must be one of Hadan¡¯s subordinates, and had been keeping an eye on me since yesterday, ignored my words and ran out.


    ¡°¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s it. Whether the surprise attack is real or false, we can stop it if we¡¯re prepared.¡±


    Of course, we¡¯re inside a fortress, so we¡¯ll be able to withstand an attack to some extent. Not only can we expect a fairly prolonged battle, but we also won¡¯t be able to carry out any supply missions during that time. If that happens, the enemy will be right on target.


    Furthermore, with their current level of training and morale, it is doubtful that they will be able to hold out in the event of a prolonged battle. Although the terrain looks favorable, we are at a disadvantage. What would we do if our supply unit gets isolated?


    We had the advantage of terrain outside the base. If there was a way to fend off the enemy at once by using our advantage, that would be a more effective method. It¡¯s not too late to hide in the fortress after that strategy fails.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give each centurion another order for countermeasures. First of all, disperse and explain the situation to the soldiers. Be ready to go out at any time!¡±


    After giving the order, I ended the meeting, and only Givens remained because I had something to ask him.


    ¡°Givens, you can stay a little longer.¡±


    Givens looked around and saw that the centurions had all left and walked over to me.


    ¡°Is it about the captain?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Yusen will be back in time. I have something else to ask you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about the centurions who are unhappy with Hadan, the one who don¡¯t follow Hadan.¡±


    ¡°The centurions who are unhappy with the deputy commander? Well, that¡¯s almost everyone¡­¡­.Besides that centurion who just went to report, everyone else hates him except for one other person!¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The deputy commander is¡­¡­really scum¡­¡­¡±


    Insulting a nobleman, it¡¯s disrespectful and to be punished immediately. Givens hurriedly covered his mouth as he remembered that I was a nobleman too.


    ¡°You can insult a scum like Hadan as much as you want.¡±


    I selectively allowed it. If you insult me, I¡¯ll punish you, but if it¡¯s that loathsome Hadan, I¡¯ll allow it.


    ¡°Ho, really?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, he¡¯s a scum to the core. He¡¯s always getting into trouble for every little thing and flogs the centurions¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re frustrated, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    That was pretty good information. Now is my chance to eliminate Hadan and take control of the troops!


    ¡°Then who among the centurions is close to and trusted by Yusen?¡±


    ¡°Almost all of us are close to the captain, but I¡¯d say centurion Jido is the closest of them all.¡±


    ¡°Good, then the centurions should be ready to go at once. And send centurion Jido here.

 CH 22

    Chapter 22: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (8)


    ¡°A surprise attack?¡±


    Chief of Staff Hayna said in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. The newly-appointed commander got him to confess.¡±


    ¡°How is that¡­..?¡±


    Hayna was dumbfounded. How could he take an enemy scout captive and get a confession as soon as he was appointed?


    ¡°It is true that he has captured an enemy scout. He must have been lucky.¡±


    Lucky him¡­¡­..Hayna was so confused that her head started to hurt. The enemy forces were already advancing on Ganen Castle. A surprise attack on a supply base under these circumstances was not something that could be dismissed.


    Duke Ronen, the general-in-chief, was preparing for a decisive battle at Bern Castle, leading his entire personal army, the only elite force in the Royal Army of Lunan. He was determined not to give up Bern Castle. In such a situation losing a supply base would be a huge blow.


    Hayna was a relative of Duke Ronen but not a direct descendant. For this reason, she did not refuse to take the position of chief of staff in order to increase the honor of the Berghins, who were scorned in the aristocratic society of the Lunan Kingdom because of their descent.


    She didn¡¯t want to be treated poorly in the aristocratic society anymore. Therefore, failure was truly unacceptable, especially in the situation where she took on the heavy responsibility of protecting Linon Castle while Duke Ronen was away. That fact was a heavy burden for Hayna.


    ¡°Bring that prisoner to me right now. I¡¯ll interrogate him myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±


    Hayna, who had given the order to Hadan, immediately retracted her previous statement.


    ¡°No, wait!¡±


    Looking at the map again, Hayna began to worry. Ganen and Bern castles won¡¯t fall anytime soon. If that was the case the supply base was the top priority right now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯ll lead half of Linon Castle¡¯s forces and move to the supply base!¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±


    Hadan nodded. But after a few moments of pondering, Hayna changed her mind again.


    ¡°What if Linon Castle is ambushed using the attack on the supply base as a decoy? No, Linon Castle¡¯s troops and those high walls can hold up well enough. So for now, the supply base is more¡­¡­.¡±


    Hayna bit her lip as she thought of all the things that could go wrong.


    ¡°Hadan return to the supply base now. You are not to go outside the fortress. Tell your commander to do the same. No matter what happens, stay inside the fortress and prepare for an attack!¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. But our supply troops won¡¯t be able to hold out¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°If there really is an attack, I¡¯ll come with reinforcements. I¡¯ll take half of Linon Castle¡¯s troops and set them up halfway between the supply base and the castle. You can hold out long enough for them to rush from the midway point.¡±


    If they attack Linon Castle as a decoy, we¡¯ll return immediately, and if the supply base is really attacked, we¡¯ll go to the rescue immediately. It was a good strategy, Hayna was pleased with herself.


    ¡°And send that captured soldier to the camp. I¡¯ll interrogate him myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, I¡¯ll return to the supply base!¡±


    ***


    For the enemy to make a surprise attack on the base, they would have to use the detour route from Ganen Castle. That¡¯s why I entrusted the reconnaissance mission to the centurion Givens had mentioned, Jido. I ordered him to lead 200 soldiers to stand by at the front of the detour route and signal any enemy movement as soon as he saw it.


    Excluding those 200 men and the troops that are out to resupply, I currently have 4,800 men that I can use. All of the centurions on Hadan side were eliminated from the operation to prepare for this surprise attack. They were ordered to defend the fortress separately and I led 4,800 troops to the detour route.


    If we fought at the fortress, we were sure to lose. There was a risk that the fortress would fall before help could arrive from Linon Castle. Rather than let that happen, I needed a strategy that can catch the enemy by surprise and defeat them all at once!


    I decided to use the waist deep river that flowed in the middle of the detour route. If I could reduce the water volume in the river to ankle deep and then pour in all the water stored, I could wipe out at least several hundred enemy soldiers.


    This strategy would be useless against a large number of enemies but there was no way they could mobilize such a large force for a surprise attack. The key to a surprise attack is to advance quickly.


    If they had such a large force, we would have to retreat into the fortress immediately but the invading army of the Narja Kingdom was not of such a scale.


    Of course, it is impossible to wipe out a wide area of enemies with a water attack. Not only is the river not that big, but it is impossible to store that much water. I don¡¯t have enough manpower, time, or a river with enough of water.


    My goal here was to use the water I had accumulated to raise the river level and temporarily divide the enemy. I would then charge in and sweep away the enemies who had crossed the river and then attack the rest of the divided enemies.


    As we accelerated our march, a river appeared in front of us before we knew it. It was a path that the enemy soldiers would have to take to get to the supply base. Of course, it was upstream of this river that we would set our trap.


    ¡°We¡¯re going upstream to block the channel. Follow me.¡±


    At first I gathered the centurions in front of the river and explained the plan. At first they were all a bit confused but then they accepted that it was a strategy with a high chance of success and meekly followed it, so I led them all upstream.


    ¡°This looks good. Block the river here immediately.¡±


    The order was given and 4,800 people began moving at once. Fortunately, there was no sign of smoke in the sky. If the enemy came, Jido, who was sent in advance, will send a smoke signal.


    As we proceeded to check the sky, a soldier from our army came running from afar. It was Hadan, my second-in-command.


    ¡°Commander! This is no time for such tricks. This is an order from the Chief of Staff. Don¡¯t make any rash moves and stay in the base!¡±


    Hadan proudly proclaimed the orders of the Chief of Staff.


    You want me to stay in the base? That¡¯s the worst possible strategy, it¡¯s not too late to return to the fortress after the mission fails here. However Hadan words began to upset the centurions even more since the ¡°chief of staff¡± was mentioned.

 CH 23

    Chapter 23: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (9)


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing? We need to get back to base now!¡±


    Hadan gave direct order without even listening to my answer. The centurions and the soldiers who were working hard to carry out the mission all stopped and looked at me. This guy is completely fucked in the head, if you ignore the words chief of staff, that¡¯s it.


    If I think about the problems that are going to occur in Linon Castle, the chief of staff is just a loser.


    If I¡¯m going to follow the orders of the chief of staff and both of us will be losers, it is better to win the battle even if I¡¯m guilty of disobeying orders.


    It would be to my advantage to obtain a victory here. In preparation for a situation like this, I led only centurions who were dissatisfied with Hadan to carry out the operation.


    He¡¯s a baron and I¡¯m an earl. I¡¯m also the commander. Even though he brought up the chief of staff, I was the actual commander of the troops. If I do this the angry chief of staff will call me back to Linon Castle, the center everything.


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, shut up.¡±


    I¡¯ve come to a conclusion, so I¡¯m just going to act. Hadan martial force is only 50; I activated the [Attack] command with the back of my hand towards his neck. With a force difference of 10, it is possible to stun as many people as you want. Hadan fainted with a groan.


    ¡°I take full responsibility. Proceed with the operation immediately!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°This is the only efficient way to protect the supply base. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t get involved. I take responsibility for my words!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    When I said this while pointing at Hadan, all the centurions who had been looking at him with a relieved look on their faces nodded in unison.


    ¡°Givens, put him in the corner over there.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    Givens laughed as if it were a good thing and moved Hadan away.


    Due to the nature of the supply unit, they had a large number of carts, which made this operation possible. It wasn¡¯t just the carts; the fortress where the supply base was located has not been used until the war broke out.


    Because of this, the walls of the fortress were crumbling all over the place and had been hastily repaired with sandbags and rocks. I would use them to build a dike.


    Thanks to thousands of soldiers working on it the dike was steadily taking shape and water was stored. If we let a little more water accumulate and break the dike at once, the enemy soldiers crossing the river would fall into confusion, especially the cavalry.


    The fear of death would drive the horses into frenzy. I will take advantage of this opportunity and attack. In any case, it¡¯s a surprise attack, so it¡¯s impossible for them to come with a large army.


    It was midnight when we finished our preparations. As usual, there was no enemy movement. We were worried that the enemy might appear before we set the trap, but instead, they never appeared after that.


    Furthermore, water was overflowing from the top of the dike and flowing into the river. There was nothing we could do about this.


    All we needed was for the enemy to show up before the dike broke. Water as high as the dike would be enough to throw the enemy into confusion! As we waited for the enemy to show up, night fell, and morning came.


    Hadan woke up.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­..What the hell is this, commander?¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡±


    Of course, I immediately stunned him again.


    After all this time, using the [Attack] command became effortless. No matter what, without the system, it would be impossible for an ordinary guy like me to stun this strong man with just one fist.


    As I did so, smoke rose in the distance. It was the signal I had been waiting for. It meant that they had really launched a surprise attack.


    A surprise attack after giving the enemy advance notice and time to take countermeasures? I have my own ideas about that, however, the most important thing right now is victory. No matter what the enemy thinks, I have no intention of losing the war.


    ¡°On my mark! Givens take Yusen¡¯s troop and follow me. The rest of the troops are to hide in the plains behind the river as planned. When the dike breaks and the water hits the enemy soldiers, that¡¯s when we attack.¡±


    ¡°Yes, commander!¡±


    The dozing centurions and their soldiers jumped up and began to move. After urging them to march, I led Givens and Yusen troop on horseback north of the river.


    As we crossed the river, where the water level had dropped significantly, I saw Jido retreating with 200 men. When Jido noticed me, he stopped his horse and shouted with a panicked look on his face.


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s the enemy! What should we do? What, what can we do?¡±


    He seemed to be confused but I listened calmly.


    ¡°How many? Give me a full report.¡±


    ¡°The main force is cavalry. A soldier observing from a high place confirmed that there is also infantry in the rear.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Cavalry is the obvious choice for a surprise attack.


    ¡°No enemies passing through, I trust? Have you done a thorough sweep?¡±


    ¡°Of course! We took every precaution in case there were scouts, but only beasts passed through.¡±


    This operation would be over if we were noticed. That¡¯s why I sent 200 men to scout the area and keep an eye on everything. Fortunately, there seemed to be no problem.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯re to join the army waiting across the river and get the detailed plan there. I¡¯ll get an idea of the size of the enemy and then we¡¯ll move.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    After seeing Jido off, I quietly waited for the enemy forces. It was necessary to check their size. Knowing the number of the enemy, I could take more reliable countermeasures.


    As I waited for a while, I could see the cavalry troops riding their horses in the dust, just as Jido had said. I activated the system to get the exact numbers of the enemy.


    [Narja¡¯s Royal Army: 5,320 men.]


    [Training level: 80]


    [Morale: 80]


    A small troop of well-trained soldiers. The supply unit soldiers whose training level was only 40 could not compete with them. However, their numbers were large enough for my strategy to work.


    That was roughly the scale of the surprise attacks in the game. Since I had already experienced it, I knew this world very well. I don¡¯t know the exact situation, but I¡¯ve realized that the troops are the same as in the game.

 CH 24

    Chapter 24: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (10)


    ¡°All right, listen up! Advance across the river! The target is the enemy supply base!¡±


    The commander¡¯s loud voice was heard. Randall¡¯s brother, Hirina, gave the order as he chased after the fleeing Erhin. After a long chase, a river finally appeared in front of Hirina¡¯s cavalry. A wide river but the water level was relatively low.


    The army of 5,320 men began to cross the river in four lines. Hirina and his lieutenants crossed the river, and the soldiers behind them began to join them.


    Go-oh-oh!


    Suddenly, they heard something that sounded like a vibration.


    ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡±


    Hirina tilted his head and looked up in the direction of the sound. However, there was no sign of anything unusual.


    ¡°Commander?¡±


    The target was the supply base. He was about to say that there was no need to be distracted by anything else when the lieutenant expression darkened; water was rushing in from upstream.


    There are about 500 cavalrymen who have crossed the river. And there are 1,000 cavalrymen in the middle of crossing it. There were about 3,000 infantrymen behind them who had yet to cross.


    The rushing water swallowed the main force of cavalry. As the water level rapidly increased from ankle to chest, enemy soldiers and horses began to be swept away by the water. The whinnying of the horses echoed in all directions, along with the screams of humans.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    The soldiers abandoned their horses and tried to swim. However, they were not strong enough to face the water that flew vigorously from upstream.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa!¡±


    Hirina couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. Not only was the cavalry swallowed up by the muddy waters, but enemy soldiers were pouring in from both sides.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Hirina drew his sword as he spat that out. With a single water attack, a large number of horses and soldiers disappeared. No, practically speaking, there were more left than gone, but the fact that the troops were split up for a moment in the chaos was very significant.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    Givens led the hundred-man squad in the assault. The soldiers who had been trained by Yusen, who had a long military career, were the best-trained soldiers compared to the other centurion troops, so they had no problem with the assault.


    The problem was the other centurions. The troops of the other centurions were trembling as they attacked, Jido also looked troubled. The only ones who could fight properly were Givens, the 100 soldiers, and Erhin. Even with the enemy in chaos, the supply troops¡¯ infantry was losing momentum to Hirina¡¯s cavalry.


    When Erhin saw the situation, he shook his head in disgust.


    How can I lead troops like these and defend the fortress? At this rate, even if the mission succeeds, we will be defeated. Erhin felt the need to completely kill the enemy¡¯s spirit and boost the confidence of his army.


    There was only one way to do that! Erhin rode his horse to Hirina, his martial force was 80, he was strong in his own right. However, when Erhin, equipped with his perks, confronted Hirina¡­


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    Hirina was unable to fight back at all, and his head was cut, Daitouren shined through!


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to fight! The enemy is confused, their commander is dead. Jido, pull yourself together!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! Commander!¡±


    Erhin used his skill for an even more dramatic effect. In order to show off his dignity, he activated [Sweep] towards the swarming enemies.


    Boom!


    When he used the skill, every enemy soldier in range died in a white light. Everyone who witnessed the intense mana skill froze in surprise. The same was true for the soldiers in his army. They were shocked by Erhin¡¯s unconventional strength.


    ¡°Commander! Did you just use mana?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother with that. Concentrate on repelling the enemy!¡±


    As Erhin answered Givens question his soldiers who gained momentum put aside their fears and swung their swords, the centurions did the same.


    The situation had changed completely, and the troops that had crossed the river had been completely cleared out. All that remained were the troops behind them!


    As Erhin took the lead, the soldiers, fascinated by the strength of mana, began to cross the drained river, screaming and shouting as if they were using the power themselves.


    Morale is high and the enemies lost their commander. The only thing left are the soldiers in the rear. Victory was at hand, this was also the first victory achieved by the Royal Army of Lunan.

 CH 25

    Chapter 25: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (11)


    ¡°He won¡­¡­?¡±


    When Hayna received the report of the victory, she began to tremble.


    ¡°It was a great victory, sweeping away five thousand troops. What¡¯s more, the damage to our army was not so bad.¡±


    ¡°No way. It can¡¯t be!¡±


    Hayna was consumed by jealousy. If the general found out it would threaten her position. That was the first thought that popped into her head.


    Erhin was an earl. Even though she was also an earl, there was a good chance that she would be forced out of her position.


    If she were to be replaced by Erhin, whom she thought to be extremely incompetent, the Berghins would be the target of ridicule forever. That was absolutely unbearable. Not only that, but she couldn¡¯t stand the fact that Erhin had disobeyed her orders and acted on his own.


    Hayna was no longer concerned with victory. Her country was in danger, but she was oblivious to that and focused her attention on personal matters.


    Erhin ignored the order of the chief of staff not to move from the supply base. He was the same earl, but his superior in the Royal Army was still her.  So, this was defiance of orders. The perfect name for his crime came to her mind and Hayna immediately called the soldiers.


    ¡°Immediately take the commander of the supply unit into custody for the crime of defying orders!¡±


    * * *


    The prison of Linon Castle.


    I was imprisoned in the Linon Castle and my crime was ¡®defiance of orders.¡¯ Of course, it was chief of staff Hayna who created this situation.


    When we returned to the garrison after winning the battle, the faces of the centurions and soldiers were still shining, but that was short-lived.


    The situation quickly was reversed. When I reported the victory, soldiers came pouring in from Linon Castle.


    The chief of staff, Hayna, is a very straightforward woman. Despite winning the battle, she summoned me to Linon Castle for disobeying her orders and then locked me up in a prison cell.


    The centurions and the soldiers who stood by my side came forward to speak for me, but they were stopped by Hadan.


    In fact, I was the one who created such a situation. I had a feeling that Hayna would treat me that way even if I won the battle.


    In game time, it¡¯s still very early right now. The main character didn¡¯t start to play an active role until after the Lunan Kingdom¡¯s fall.


    I only saw the explanation about the war that destroyed the Lunan Kingdom. Therefore, I don¡¯t know the details. However, I needed to use the facts that I knew.


    The most important of those historical facts was that Ganen Castle will fall right about this time. And only one day after the fall of Ganen Castle, Linon Castle will also fall. This is what I know.


    What is the best way to make Ganen Castle fall and then conquer Linon Castle overnight? It might have something to do with the surprise attack on the supply base. I couldn¡¯t shake the thought.


    The surprise attack had happened so openly. The enemy dared to send a scouting party to us. Yet, they did not immediately carry out or cancel the surprise attack but instead gave us time to prepare for it.


    The surprise attack came a short time after our forces had completed all preparations. If this surprise attack had occurred when we captured the scouts, there would have been no other intentions.


    The scouting party never returned. In other words, the enemy knew the fact that the scouts were captured, but they didn¡¯t immediately carry out the surprise attack to give us more time. There was a risk that the operation would be leaked! That¡¯s why I paid attention to the movements in Linon Castle at that time.


    According to the story, the chief of staff, Hayna, had left her post after receiving the information about the surprise attack. What if this was precisely what the enemy wanted? What if the enemy¡¯s real goal was not the supply troops but for Hayna to be absent from Linon Castle? Then the enemy¡¯s plan would have been a success.


    I still didn¡¯t know what Hayna was planning to do after she made me leave Linon Castle. It¡¯s not that the enemy attacked Linon Castle at that time. They were attacking Ganen Castle.


    The answer to that question is right here in Linon Castle. If I stay here, it means I can know their strategy. Once I find out I can start fighting back.


    The history of the game will be completely changed if I can protect Linon Castle. That was the reason why I was brought here so peacefully.


    Reality like a game. The idea of having that world in my hands was quite exciting. As a game lover, I couldn¡¯t be happier.


    Now that I have the system, I¡¯m going to make this world mine! Of course, there was another reason why I was captured so peacefully. Hadan had sent my captives to Hayna. And as I came in here, I saw that prisoner, Zint.


    If I could somehow persuade Zint, the success rate of this operation would increase dramatically, that¡¯s why I¡¯m in solitary confinement.


    Aristocrats don¡¯t go to the same prison as commoners. As a nobleman, I am enjoying the luxury of solitary confinement.


    Zint is in the front room. I made sure of that beforehand. But before I go there, there is something I need to do. I need to level up.


    I earned experience because I stopped the enemy¡¯s surprise attack and won the battle.


    [Experience gained.]


    [Strategy Grade B x2]


    [Grade D kills Grade B x3]]


    The enemy general, called Hirina, had a military strength of 80. Thus, I gained three times as much experience.


    The strategy grade for this time using the river was B. Thanks to that, I¡¯m up to level 11.


    [You have earned level-up points.]


    [Points owned: 550.]


    This time, I got 500 points.


    My previous level was 8, so I got 100 points for achieving level 9. In addition, 200 points came in from level 10 and 200 more for level 11 so the total would be 500 points. The other 50 are my remaining points.


    [Do you want to strengthen your martial force? Use 300 points].


    I increased my martial force by 1 for now.


    My current martial force is 61. It¡¯s a weak value but if I keep raising it like this, I will get stronger someday.


    For now, I left 250 points on the table. Considering the number of points I would need to spend to use my skill; I thought it would be better to keep them.

 CH 26

    Chapter 26: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (12)


    ¡°Guards!¡±


    I¡¯ve leveled up, and I¡¯m ready to meet Zint. Of course, there was nothing I could do if he refused to talk. He would certainly be an essential figure in my goal to retake the soon-to-be-fallen Linon Castle.


    Of course, if I can¡¯t convince him, I¡¯ll carry out the mission on my own. And if the mission fails, I will flee. I had several plans; the best one was to convince Zint.


    ¡°Guards!¡±


    I shouted again and again, until a soldier came in, looking annoyed.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡­.What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want you to tell the chief of staff.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to spend the rest of my life here. If you can send my message to the chief of staff, I¡¯d be happy to pay your gratuity¡­¡­.It¡¯s more money than you could ever spend in a lifetime.¡±


    Definition of gratuity: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation, usually for some service.


    I tried to tempt the guards door with money.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an earl. The death penalty is difficult for a nobleman like me.¡±


    Unless you are guilty of treason, nobles of high status don¡¯t get punished much for defying orders. At most, they would be stripped of their position. It¡¯s just a matter of returning to their territory. I¡¯m sure the guards are well aware of that.


    ¡°Of course. But it¡¯s important information that must not leaked. Come on, let¡¯s go inside. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not going to break out of jail when I can be released immediately.¡±


    After completing his calculations, the soldier, confused by the word ¡°gratuity,¡± rushed to open the prison door and entered.


    ¡°What¡¯s the story¡­¡­?¡±


    There was nothing to talk about. I immediately executed the [Attack] command and knocked down the soldier with my fist. He was a soldier with 25 martial force, it was effortless to stun him.


    After plucking a bunch of keys from around the soldier¡¯s waist, I moved to the cell where Zint was being held.


    Boom!


    Boom, boom, boom!


    From inside, I could hear the sound of someone being beaten.


    ¡°How long are you going to keep your mouth shut?!¡±


    The violence continues under the guise of making people give up information even though the battle related to Zint is over. Stress relief, huh? In the midst of all this, the other soldier who had been beating up Zint said to his colleague.


    ¡°Hey, come here. He¡¯s got a ring around his neck. It looks expensive.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, a ring.¡±


    With his hands and feet bound with chains, Zint has no way to resist. No matter how powerful he is, he has no way to use his strength since his hands and feet are bound. Surprisingly, when the ring was taken from him, for the first time, he spoke.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that!¡±


    It must be very important to him. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have broken his silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯ll tell you everything, just give me that back!¡±


    ¡°You idiot, it¡¯s too late and I don¡¯t need any more information. You¡¯re going to get beaten to death. By the way, didn¡¯t you have a colleague who talked too much? He¡¯s already dead. If you keep getting beaten up for not saying anything, you¡¯ll end up dead too! Hahaha!¡±


    The beating continued for some time after that. Finally, the soldiers came out. So I went back to my cell.


    Later, I walked through the quiet prison corridors and entered the cell where Zint was being held. This man has shown emotion. That was important. If I could talk to him, I could make a lot of progress.


    Zint was shaking uncontrollably. No amount of force from his bloodied hands could break the chains on the wall, though.


    ¡°What¡¯s so important about that ring that you decided to talk?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zint looked up at the sound of my voice as I suddenly walked in.When he saw me, he looked a little surprised.


    ¡°You did this!¡±


    What¡¯s more, he seems to have remembered me. I think he has a terrible misunderstanding.


    ¡°That¡¯s a misunderstanding. When you encounter an enemy on the battlefield, it¡¯s natural to fight, and I just won that battle. I don¡¯t remember beating or torturing you after I captured you. The problem is with my superior officer who took you in. I¡¯m here because I was captured by my superior on charges of defying orders. I mean, we¡¯re colleagues in prison.¡±


    I walked up to him to try to have a conversation, but Zint bit his lip and turned his face away. Refusing to engage in conversation again?


    ¡°I can get that precious ring back for you, if you want.¡±


    I could see that the ring was important for him.


    ¡°You¡¯re in jail too, aren¡¯t you? How are you going to get the ring back?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t go on like this forever. I¡¯m a nobleman; I can¡¯t be bound in shackles, that¡¯s why I was able to beat up the guards and come here. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for me to knock out those soldiers and get the ring back.¡±


    Zint eyes wavered slightly at my explanation, that ring seems to be really important to him. I might have a chance to persuade him if I get it back.


    ¡°What do you want? I don¡¯t have anything to offer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. If you¡¯d rather lose your life here, why don¡¯t you join my side? I¡¯ll take back what was taken from you and save your life too!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡­.I can¡¯t do that!¡±


    Zint shook his head in rejection.


    ¡°Why? If you are so obsessed with a single ring you must want to live, right? Why don¡¯t you try to save yourself?¡±


    Yes. That¡¯s what I didn¡¯t understand. If he was that strong, he might¡¯ve had a chance to escape. Even on the way from the supply base to the Linon Castle. Still, this man was quietly locked up in the prison of Linon Castle. It¡¯s as if he doesn¡¯t want to live.


    ¡°If you have something so important, why don¡¯t you try to survive?¡±


    No answer came back. But he was clearly different from when he was being held in the supply unit. So, I continued to ask questions.


    ¡°What if that ring has something to do with someone precious to you?¡±


    Zint suddenly reacted to the word ¡°precious¡±. It seems that the ring is a sign of love, after all. And it was clear that the ring was the only thing that could move this taciturn man.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll get the ring back and change the terms to something a little looser. We¡¯ll talk about the ring. You don¡¯t have to be on my side, but if you tell me, I¡¯ll get the ring back. Then at least you can die with the ring on your finger. That¡¯s what you want, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°How can I trust you?¡±


    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m lying for? What¡¯s in it for me if I listen to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zint stared at me, so I waited. It took a few minutes of nerve-wracking eye contact before Zint decided to talk.


    ¡°Are you sure that I want to die with the ring on my finger?¡±


    ¡°Tell me the reason and I¡¯ll get it back. I¡¯ll keep my word, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Why on earth do you want to hear me talk so much?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is that you¡¯re going to get it back. If you really want it, all you have to do is talk to me.¡±

 CH 27

    Chapter 27: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (13)


    Zint has been living as a pickpocket in a city of the Narja Kingdom. As an orphan abandoned on the side of the road, there was no other way for him to survive.


    And so the years went by.


    Zint, who had shown a talent for fighting since childhood, had easily taken control of the pickpocket group.


    He was a pickpocket, but he was just a subordinate who paid a part of his earnings to a gang of thugs in the city.


    Such was his life, but Zint was not alone.


    He had a girl, Mirine, who had been with him since he was a child. He was happy because he had her.


    Above all, Mirine¡¯s smile was the only thing that made his life worth living.


    ¡°Welcome back, Zint.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to pick pockets, pick the right people to do it.¡±


    Such an ordinary life.


    ¡°Oh, my God, there are grains on your rice.¡±


    This was the driving force behind Zint life.


    Of course, Mirine thought the same thing, she and Zint had supported each other throughout their lives.


    However such a peaceful life did not last, the root of the disaster was the beauty of Mirine.


    Fifteen-year-old Zint and 15-year-old Mirine. One day, calamity striked the young couple.


    ¡°Zint! Oh, my God! They¡¯ve taken Mirine!¡±


    He returns to his home after working all day. When Zint arrived, his friends gathered and made a lot of noise.


    Mirine was taken away. She was taken away by the gangsters of the organization that he was paying.


    At that moment, Zint lost his reason and immediately went straight to their hangout with his weapon.


    ¡°Mirine! Mirine!¡±


    The thugs sneered at Zint as he kicked the door open and walked in.


    ¡°Mirine? Hahaha. She was pretty good, huh? A virgin, too. Well, the organization needed money, so I sold her off to a slaver. It¡¯s a lot of money for a woman like that. But it would have been a shame to just sell her off, wouldn¡¯t it? So I gave her a taste. Sorry, I should¡¯ve included you in the mix. Pfft!¡±


    This is a very insane thing to hear.


    Zint pulled out his knife, tears streamed from his eyes, blood flowed from his clenched lips. He didn¡¯t want to think about the humiliation Mirine had suffered, her smile, her compassionate heart.


    She was such a kind woman.


    ¡°Little shit. Put it away. You¡¯re getting carried away.¡±


    The ten men kicked their chairs and stood up. But Zint cut off the head of the man in front of him with a single blow.


    Zint was a being born with the gift of mana. His abilities were abnormally developed even though he only had experience in mere fights.


    Fifteen years old. He was a young man, but he was not at the level that the average person would be able to deal with. He didn¡¯t realize it at all.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    The startled thugs crowded around Zint, but his movements were several times faster than those of the men. A sword striked with frightening speed and unbelievable power.


    ¡°Damn it, don¡¯t come to¡­¡­!¡±


    The remaining thug knelt in fear in the pool of blood where nine of his friends had died horribly. Zint lunges forward and begin a ruthless attack on the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Where is she? Where did you take Mirine?¡±


    ¡°Spare me.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me!¡±


    ¡°The Hiruone Merchant Company¡­.¡±


    Spang!


    When Zint saw the head flying in the air, he clenched his fist tightly. It was the first time he had killed someone, but he felt no emotion. The only thing on his mind was to get Mirine back.


    For the boy, the girl was everything in his life. If only she were safe, as long as she was alive.


    He didn¡¯t care about anything else, as long as she smiled at him again.


    From that day on, Zint wandered around looking for the slavers. After almost three years, he finally succeeded in tracking down the slavers. It was an obsession that ordinary people could not even imagine.


    The slavers he found were beaten to death on the spot. Zint, who had fought many battles over the past three years, without regard for his life.


    He was willing to do whatever it took to get information. A dark organization had hired him, bloody battles and assassinations. His life was like that of a war demon.


    Perhaps because of this, Zint¡¯s martial force was already above the B-grade at the time.


    However, he could not find Mirine. The slavers had already sold her off to a local baron. Zint immediately went to the city.


    Without a second thought, Zint attacked the baron¡¯s residence that the merchant had told him about.


    Many soldiers blocked his way.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    Zint just waved his knife around and didn¡¯t say anything. Thirty soldiers were guarding the mansion.


    ¡°Call for backup now!¡±


    The time it would take for the territorial army to arrive. Zint did not have the ability to calculate it, but he was confident that his speed was second to none.


    Destroying everything, Zint broke into the house and finally found Mirine. It had been a long time, but he recognized her at a glance.


    The moment he found Mirine, a single tear spilled from his eye. He didn¡¯t care what happened to him.


    However, he couldn¡¯t stand the thought of how many hellish days she had spent.


    ¡°Zint?¡±


    Tears welled up in Mirine¡¯s eyes at the reunion with Zint that she had dreamed of.


    The reason she had endured three years of wanting to die was because she had something she wanted to tell Zint one day. She thought that she no longer had the right to ask for anything more from him.


    The words she wanted to say but couldn¡¯t.


    I like you¡­¡­.


    I love you.


    I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be happy to hear that. You will find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.


    ¡°Zint gripped Mirine¡¯s hand tightly.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s run, Mirine!¡± Then he slipped out of the city.


    The territorial army started to move late, but Zint, with Mirine on his stolen horse, pushed forward without looking behind.


    He repeatedly shook off the pursuing troops and fled from the city to the farthest border town. He had heard rumors that there was a town near the border where people who had lost their livelihoods due to the war lived together.


    On the way here, Mirine had tried to die many times. But Zint never left her side and kept trying to convince her to live with him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t live without you.¡±


    Hearing those words from Zint, Mirine stopped thinking about giving up her life.


    A quiet town on the border where people who have lost their livelihoods lived, Zint and Mirine lived quietly there while running a farming business.


    They ate only one meal a day but two of them were happy even with such a life. Before long, Mirine regained her old smile.


    But once again, they were faced with a challenge, the king has changed.


    The king who had maintained the peace policy died, and a young king full of ambition ascended to the throne.


    A general mobilization order was issued, and ruthless conscription began in many places. The border towns where the poor lived were naturally not spared from this draft.


    ¡°Zint, have a good day, I¡¯ll be here waiting for you. I¡¯ll wait for you no matter what. I know you won¡¯t die in a war, I believe that. Zint is strong. So let¡¯s not run away anymore, okay?¡±


    Eventually, with those words, Zint became a soldier in the Narja Kingdom army. And he soon became a discarded pawn in a scouting party.


    The ring was a token of love given to him by Mirine. That ring was the second most important thing in the world to Zint.


    * * *


    ¡°¡­¡­.That ring is more important to me than my life. Can you really get it back?¡±


    When he finished telling me what had happened, Zint looked up at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are a lot of guys out there who have had that happen to them, but not all of them have been as close to their loved ones as you were¡­¡­You¡¯re crazy, or maybe amazing.¡±


    Yes, a crazy guy, that was my honest feeling.


    Not in a bad way, it¡¯s just that he has extraordinary willpower. Love is blind, I guess. It made me want Zint even more. It¡¯s not that easy to find someone like him.


    At the age of 21, he has 93 martial force, unlimited growth potential


    and a straightforward personality.


    The more I learned about this guy, the more I wanted to get my hands on him, unlike Randall, who, though strong, had too much ego for me to want him at all.


    ¡°Then¡­¡­. It¡¯s normal to want to live more. I think you should pretend to surrender and run away to her, or somehow come up with a plan to survive. I don¡¯t understand what you are doing right now.¡±


    Yes. If someone is that important to you, it¡¯s natural to struggle to live, but Zint¡¯s reaction was not that way.


    ¡°The new king of Narja has declared that we must slay as many of our enemies as possible before we are captured and die. If we are taken prisoners in vain and return alive, our family will die.¡±


    A prisoner of war is a risk of leaking information. The King of Narja would not allow his soldiers to be taken prisoners, he was an ambitious king who ran his country with powerful royal authority.


    He hated losing a war so much that he would give their family gold, silver, and treasures if they died in a fierce battle and kill them if they begged for their lives in vain.


    Of course, some put their own lives before their families, one of the men I captured was like that. The craving for life is a natural part of being human, but Zint was the complete opposite.


    ¡°Of course I was confident, confident that no one could beat me. I was confident that I could fight with impunity and come home victorious. But now you¡¯ve got me. So I can¡¯t go home. I have to die, that way Mirine won¡¯t be affected. Even if I escaped with her, I¡¯d have to live in hiding for the rest of my life. I don¡¯t want Mirine to live in fear any longer.¡±


    The King of Narja manipulated the emotions of his people to make them suspect each other. He had a policy of bestowing people with gold, silver, and treasure if they accused someone of any actions that went against his policies.


    In other words, it was a policy to make them watch each other and someone will definitely make an accusation, there would be no peace.


    Zint seemed to be extremely reluctant to let his woman be hunted again, even if it meant his death. Does he really want this Mirine woman to settle down in that town and live in peace?

 CH 28

    Chapter 28: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (14)


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to die here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m dying for Mirine freedom.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to die holding a grudge against me for losing?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ I had confidence in myself, but I still lost. I don¡¯t have anything against you.¡±


    Zint was adamant in making his position clear. But I didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡±


    Zint was confused and looked at me.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? You can go live somewhere else. If you don¡¯t return to the Narja Kingdom, you will have died in battle. It¡¯s better to miss each other and live than to die, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I have nowhere else to go, and if I can¡¯t be with her, I¡¯d rather die!¡±


    Zint shook his head resolutely. It was a definite way of life. It¡¯s a life lived solely for her. That¡¯s why I need to get Mirine as well to make Zint my vassal.


    ¡°You have nowhere to go? I¡¯m the Lord of Aintorian. If you come to Aintorian, you will not be noticed. In the Narja Kingdom, you will have died in battle.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t live like that!¡±


    ¡°Listen to me until the end. Aintorian territory is close to the western border where you used to live. You will change your military uniform and become my vassal, I¡¯m not asking you to become a soldier of the Lunan Kingdom. Then I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to bring Mirine to Aintorian so that you can live together.¡±


    ¡°What did you just say¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°What do you think will change when the world is united by such a tyrannical king? And what has the Narja Kingdom ever done for you?¡±


    Zint didn¡¯t respond to my words, but he didn¡¯t seem to deny it either.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to develop the land of Aintorian, but I¡¯m not going to make it a pleasant place to live. A country where everyone is happy is a pipe dream. I¡¯m going to build a country that is at least as good as the people who follow me. So, follow me. I¡¯ll make sure you both live happily ever after!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a way with words, don¡¯t you? There were many people who tried to entice me like that, but they all had other intentions.¡±


    Zint shouted in an exasperated voice. He was right, but that¡¯s not the whole story.


    No matter how much I live in this world as if it were a game, once the words are out of my mouth, I don¡¯t intend to take them back.


    ¡°I¡¯m a nobleman with the dream of taking over the world. And like I said, I¡¯m going to make everyone who helps me happy. You can follow me later. The day we end this war and return to Aintorian I will rescue your loved one and help you find your happiness again. Until then I will not force you to be on my side. Just stand next to me and watch. See if I¡¯m a man of my word. If you think I¡¯m a man who can¡¯t keep his word, then you can do what you want. If you want to die, die.¡±


    Yes. That¡¯s all I have to offer.


    ¡°Think about it. Of course, I¡¯ll get the ring back as promised.¡±


    We finished talking and I came out of the jail. There was a chance that I could have persuaded him enough to do this.


    I have to save that woman, Mirine, that¡¯s the sure way to get Zint! I had to recover the ring so I headed upstairs. The prison is in the basement and the guards usually wait on the first floor. They¡¯re usually holding a gambling game, taking a nap or something like that.


    ¡°By the way, where is the guard who was called out by the nobleman earlier?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He must have gone out. Did he get paid to do something for him?¡±


    ¡°I should have been there. The prisoner only had this cheap ring.¡±


    There are two soldiers; luckily, they still seem to have the ring. It looks like they have a long way to go before their shift ends.


    ¡°Hey, you two. You got a minute?¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°How did you get out?¡±


    I immediately executed the [Attack] command towards the two standing up in surprise.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    After knocking them unconscious, I took the ring and walked out. Zint is Zint, and history is history. It was time for a historical event to occur. If only history as I know it hadn¡¯t been changed!


    ¡°Pooh-oh-oh!¡±


    At that moment, I heard a noisy bugle call. This bugle call was a signal that they had found the enemy. I quickly slipped out of the prison and went outside. The soldiers were panicked about the urgent assembly.


    There were no ordinary citizens in Linon Castle, everyone has been evacuated. No one stopped me as I was wearing a commander uniform. Since I was able to move relatively freely, I jumped onto the castle gate to check the size of the enemy army.


    [Narja¡¯s Kingom Royal Army: 10213]


    [Lunan Castle Garrison Army: 23410]


    Linon Castle has far more troops than them, the Narja Kingdom army was too small. How could they take Linon Castle in a day under such circumstances?


    Of course, the training level of the Narja Royal Army is 80. The garrison at Linon Castle has a training level of 40.


    However, in a siege battle we have the advantage, that¡¯s common sense in war. No matter how low their training level is, unless Hayna opens the gates and surrenders, they can hold out for a week.


    ¡°Hey! What the hell is this?¡±


    Since I was wearing a nobleman¡¯s uniform, the soldier immediately answered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir. I¡¯ve just been told to be on high alert since Ganen Castle has fallen¡­¡­.for more information the chief of staff has assembled everyone, so please come over!¡±


    How on earth is the Narja Royal Army going to overcome this disparity in numbers and capture Linon Castle?


    ¡°Enemy attack!¡±


    Immediately, the Narja Royal Army began attacking the gates of Linon Castle. Apparently, they were attacking the north gate instead of the south gate where I was standing.


    The castle gates were attacked with a siege hammer. As expected, the battle has begun in favor of the garrison forces of Linon Castle. In this state, there was no way that Linon Castle would fall any time soon.


    As I was thinking that the situation suddenly changed, cheers erupted at the west gate. A battle suddenly broke out inside the castle, the enemy had concentrated their attack on the north gate and Hayna also deployed most of the troops on there.


    As a result, the number of troops at the west gate was quite small. Under such circumstances, enemy soldiers suddenly broke into the castle! The west gate was quickly occupied and the gate was opened.


    The enemy forces are pouring in from inside the castle, or more precisely, the underground canal of Linon Castle!


    They¡¯re trying to use the underground canals? Impossible! The entrance where the water flows into the castle is blocked with iron bars. No one can come in, only water or fish can pass through. If they tried to remove the bars they should¡¯ve been discovered.


    How the hell did this happen? No, no way.


    That¡¯s right. When Hayna was absent from the castle! What if they were working on it while she was away from the castle? The surprise attack I¡¯ve always thought was strange. It was a decoy!


    The reconnaissance team was sent through the detour route in a careless manner. That reconnaissance team was also a decoy. Not only the reconnaissance team, but also the surprise attack itself was a decoy.


    The real goal was to get the chief of staff, Hayna, who was worried by the surprise attack, to leave Linon Castle. Did they try to infiltrate the castle while the chief of staff was away?


    An army with a training level of 40 and a morale of not even 30. What if Hayna would¡¯ve left the castle with a large numbers soldiers? In the meantime, what if they¡¯ve developed some kind of trick to break through the bars of the underground canal and get in?


    It was a mistake for Hayna to leave the castle. Even though the gates of Linon Castle were tightly closed, the moment the chief of staff took out all the commanding officers, it meant that the enemy had already infiltrated.


    Come to think of it, that decoy mission started with Aintorian, a strategy to attract attention by attacking Aintorian and actually invade from the north. They used something similar here.


    This was all a plot concocted by the strategists of the Narja Kingdom army. It seems that our chief of staff, Hayna, is in the palm of their hand.


    It seems that the Narja Kingdom has a very good strategist. A strategist who is intelligent enough to use Hayna as a pawn!


    All right.


    I¡¯ll change the course of history. I didn¡¯t know how to bring down Linon Castle, but I already had a strategy in place to get it back. A strategy like the Trojan Horse in Greek mythology. With my mind made up, I went back to my cell.


    * * *


    ¡°Take this gold, you were informed of your mother¡¯s condition after the war broke out, and you couldn¡¯t go see her, so you don¡¯t know the details. There was no one to buy her medicine during this time so if you¡¯re going to desert, do your best to come back.¡±


    Yusen looked at the gold that Erhin had gave him. It was money for his mother¡¯s medicine. With the war going on, it was difficult to get medicine.


    In fact, Yusen¡¯s mother had almost died because she could not get medicine. In addition, Erhin gave him a vassal certificate of the Aintorian House. This meant that he could use it to obtain the medicine in the capital. With the name of a noble family, he could obtain medicine that was not available to the general populace.


    Yusen could not refuse the kindness, because the life of his mother, who had raised him, alone, was at stake. The gold he had given him and the vassal certificate had saved his mother¡¯s life.


    In other words, for Yusen, Erhin was a benefactor among benefactors who not only saved his life in battle, but also saved his mother¡¯s life. It was only natural that he would give up his life to save such a benefactor.


    Therefore, after Erhin was taken to the prison of Linon Castle, he ran away from his unit as soon as he heard the news that the castle had been attacked. There was a person following Yusen, it was Givens.


    ¡°Captain ¡­¡­! Wait, please! You can¡¯t go in there by yourself!¡±


    ¡°Givens? Why did you leave the unit, too?¡±


    ¡°Orders from the commander?


    ¡°Kuhk. I have an order for the captain. Here.¡±


    Givens chuckled and pulled a letter from his pocket.


    ¡°A letter from the commander. I¡¯ve been following you to give you this.¡±


    Yusen was surprised and began to read the letter. He was shocked as if he had been hit in the head with a hamme

 CH 29

    Chapter 29: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (15)


    It was dark in the castle, fortunately, the sky was cloudless. Zint and I slipped out of the prison in the confusion and hid in a secret space underneath a small temple in the city.


    Before going to Linon Castle, I asked the soldiers about possible places to hide, one of the soldiers who were in charge of the temple told us about this place.


    There was no way that the Narja Royal Army, which had just taken over Linon Castle, knew more about geography than the locals.


    Hidden in the basement of the temple, I waited for dawn to break and moved to the street, I avoided the patrols and observed the sky. It was the night of the day when Linon Castle was occupied, when the enemy soldiers were resting.


    According to the method I learned from Givens, it was about three in the morning. It was not as accurate as a clock, but since Givens would also calculate the time based on the position of the moon, we would both know the same time anyway.


    The mission I gave to Yusen and Givens started at about 1 o¡¯clock, it¡¯s been about two hours since then. If the two of them were working as planned, I wouldn¡¯t have much time to relax.


    I came out of the waterway and used the system, 34 soldiers were guarding the north gate, thirty men on the wall and four in front of the gate.


    ¡°Zint.¡±


    As usual, there was no change in Zint¡¯s expression, he just followed me. Perhaps accepting my words that he should stay with me to see that I am a man who keeps his word, Zint followed me without saying another word about dying. But even so, he just walked listlessly, clutching the ring I recovered, as if he didn¡¯t care when he died.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you wondering what I¡¯m going to do now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to escape, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Well, there¡¯s that too, escape is my last option. I can¡¯t throw away my life.


    ¡°No. Even if I have to run, I¡¯m going to take this castle back before I do.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Are you out of your mind? How are you going to take this castle back by yourself?¡±


    ¡°With a miracle?¡±


    ¡°What the hell!?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been making some assumptions about the movements of the scouts you belong to.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What do you think was the reason for sending you to scout the way when they had already knew the terrain and figured the location of the supply base?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was just following orders.¡±


    ¡°Narja¡¯s people were planning to abandon the reconnaissance team you belonged to from the beginning. They wanted to give us information. I¡¯m sure the higher-ups in the Narja army used you as a pawn.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That country never did anything for me from the beginning, I¡¯m not surprised.¡±


    Zint replied as if it was no surprise.


    ¡°I had my suspicions. Even though we stopped the surprise attack, that part didn¡¯t quite add up. But after seeing the fall of Linon Castle, I¡¯m convinced that the enemy¡¯s strategist has a plan. I¡¯m going to destroy that strategy now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I hope you understand that once I¡¯ve accomplished this seemingly impossible feat, I¡¯m going to save you and your woman so that you can live happily ever after.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He says he will die to protect her, but it is only natural for a human being to want to live and be happy together if possible.


    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s easy. All we have to do is open the north gate.¡±


    ¡°There are at least ten thousand Narja troops inside the castle. What kind of miracle are we trying to pull off?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer his question and ran towards the north gate. All I have to do is prove it with my actions.


    ¡°Who are you? Identify yourself!¡±


    The soldiers on top of the castle gate shouted, but I ignored them and rushed toward the gate. Zint, who was following behind me,said.


    ¡°Miline said I was an idiot. That¡¯s why she told me not to act rashly. I don¡¯t know if helping you is the right thing to do. If I do, will I really be happy?¡±


    ¡°If you follow me, you won¡¯t have to live on the lowest rung of the ladder, because your happiness will be nothing compared to the miracle that is about to happen.¡±


    Sensing the surprise attack, the soldiers began to blow their trumpets. In a few moments, enemies would be pouring in from all directions.


    After using [Sweep] to instantly subdue the four soldiers under the castle gate, Zint and I arrived in front of the gate. Then, we removed the long barred bolt on the inside of the gate.


    ¡°Enemy!¡±


    The thirty soldiers on the castle wall came down one after the other.


    ¡± Zint! Can you lend me a hand while I open the gates?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond, though. I have no idea what I to do with this behavior. In any case, it¡¯s a plan I made assuming that Zint is not here. I¡¯ll have to do it alone!


    At first, I started by dealing with the soldiers who came down from the castle wall. Opening the gate with my back to the enemy soldiers would be like asking them to kill me.


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to open the gates! Kill them now!¡±


    When I finally made my way back to the gate after cutting down 30 enemy soldiers, the soldiers on the other side of the gate began to descend from the castle tower.


    The infantry sleeping closest to me swarmed me; the number of soldiers was over a hundred. Thanks to the fact that I fought alone, Zint didn¡¯t make a move. He just looked around with a confused look in his eyes, wondering what was bothering him so much. It was as if he was distracted by something else.


    I still had points so I used [Sweep] on the soldiers coming towards me,¡¡this skill is quite useful against multiple enemies. The downside is that it¡¯s not a skill powerful enough to destroy the castle gates, the basic skills are like that.


    Boom!


    With a loud explosion, the soldiers in the area died, the problem was that more were coming. [Sweep] bought me some time so I turned around and started to open the gate.


    Giiiiiiii!


    It was not that difficult to open the unbolted gate. Usually, it takes two soldiers to open and close the gate. So it would be more difficult for a single person. In the end, I succeeded in opening the gate, at the same time, the enemy was closing in on us.


    [Attack].


    [Attack].


    I used the system to slay my enemies, the entrance to the castle gate was narrow so I was able to prevent myself from being surrounded, but it was gradually getting out of hand.


    The moment the enemy¡¯s sword grazed my arm, blood splattered.


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡­¡±


    I turned my gaze to Zint, but he was completely outside the castle gates, determined not to take action. I had no choice but to activate my Perks while watching the blood flow. The people in front of me were all soldiers of low military strength, but there were so many of them that I didn¡¯t think I could hold them off any longer.


    There is no way that a warrior with a martial force of 61 can win against hundreds of soldiers. But when you have a martial force of 91, it¡¯s a different story! Daitouren began to kill the enemies while moving at an astonishing speed.


    The problem was that the number of enemy soldiers would increase as time went on but they were almost there. As long as Yusen and Givens followed the plan I only needed to hold out a little longer!


    ¡°Can you really pull off a miracle?¡±


    In the midst of all this, Zint, who had been watching my fight closely, threw a question at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fought like you before. I fought like you to get Mirine back, then a miracle happened and I was able to save her. When I saw you fighting, I remembered that time. When I look at you, my body tells me to help you. Will you really make me and Mirine happy, like you kept your promise to get the ring back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a miracle happen here, that¡¯s what I promised you!¡±


    When I shouted that Zint, who was behind me, jumped in front of me. The pile of corpses on the ground and the narrow entrance to the castle gate had slowed down the enemy¡¯s movement a bit, so he picked up a sword and joined the fight.


    ¡°If you keep your promise, I¡¯ll do anything. If I can be happy with Mirine, I¡¯ll give everything I have. So, I¡¯ll trust you just once, I¡¯ll see how you can make a miracle happen in this situation!¡±


    ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡±


    Zint swung his sword; with a martial force of 93 he slays the enemies one after another. He has a tremendous ability that puts him at the top of this world!


    ¡°For the sake of Miline¡¯s happiness¡­¡­all of you must die!¡±


    Zint went on a rampage on the battlefield, a feast of blood erupted under the moonlight. The heads of countless enemy soldiers tumbled down.


    I burst into laughter. That¡¯s right, this is what talent is. I needed this kind of talents to unify the county. I was so excited that my heart began to beat faster.


    Furthermore, Zint did not use his skills. A martial force value of 93 in this world is proof that he has that much mana stored in his body. He doesn¡¯t know how to use it? Of course, speed and power already contained mana, but he didn¡¯t use the skills to dissipate it through his weapon. Well, I¡¯ll ask her about that later.


    Zint slaughtered his enemies as if he were the god of death. Thanks to him, the number of enemies coming at me has decreased. I was able to defend the gate with even more confidence.


    There was no soldier here who could resist his power. A smoke like a shimmer rose from his sword, it was mana.


    A loud bugle call sounded inside the Linon Castle, and as time passed, a large number of soldiers began to swarm in.


    ¡°Zint, we have to fight together!¡±


    ¡°Together?¡±


    I ran next to Zint, I was done staling. If the miracle doesn¡¯t happen, it means that the seed I planted in Yusen has gone wrong. In that case, the mission was a failure.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Haven¡¯t you ever had someone who fought with you, back to back? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s interesting that two people can face off death together? I think it¡¯s the most fun I¡¯ve ever had. Kuh-ha-ha-ha!¡±


    Laughing like a madman, me and Zint made our move. Soon, the two of us were cutting the enemies throats, and the blood began to color the front of the castle gate.


    The moment the number of soldiers I slayed like that exceeded 500, I heard the sound of horseshoes kicking powerfully against the ground. Appearing on the scene were cavalrymen dressed in blue military uniforms, the symbol of the Lunan Kingdom! Fortunately, a miracle happened, Yusen did exactly as I planned!


    The man at the head of the cavalry coming into the castle gate swung his spear at the enemy soldiers. Light burst out from the spear, it went over the heads of the enemy soldiers who were rushing towards him.


    As if the scythe of the Grim Reaper had passed over them, hundreds of heads leapt up into the sky with the light. At that moment, the sky was filled with a fountain of blood from the heads of hundreds of people.


    ¡°Are you Earl Erhin?¡±


    A powerful mana skill, I had no doubt that the plan worked, my army would enter the open gates but the apparition of this man was a little unexpected.


    [Demasin Elheat]


    [Age: 42]


    [Martial Force: 96]


    [Intelligence: 70]


    [Command: 92]


    First Warlord of the Lunan Kingdom, Elheat the Demon Spear! Narja Kingdom had 10 Warlords, but Elheat was the only famous man in the corrupt Lunan Kingdom. He was the right-hand man of Duke Ronen, who obeyed his orders to protect the royal palace and died alone, defending it to the end.


    ¡°I salute you for your efforts. Elheat here will help you from this point on!¡±


    Elheat shouted and rushed towards the enemy.


    ¡°Aaah!¡±


    Every time he swung his spear many soldiers fell, martial force 96 was such a terrific number. Furthermore, the cavalry that followed him also had a completely different level of training and morale than the ordinary Lunan Kingdom army.


    ¡°Is this what you call a miracle?¡±


    Seeing this, Zint, who still had his back to me, asked.


    ¡°Well, miracles come in all shapes and sizes.¡±


    I replied, heaving a sigh of relief.

 CH 30

    Chapter 30: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (16)


    Immediately after the fall of Linon Castle, the time when Erhin was in prison.


    ¡°General! General!¡±


    Jend, the lord of the Bernese territory, came rushing into the conference room. He was out of breath for a while, from how long he had been running.


    ¡°Linon Castle has fallen!¡±


    At this news, which sounded like a death sentence for the lord of Bern, Ronen, the general-in-chief, felt very dizzy, but managed to grab the desk to support himself.


    ¡°General!¡±


    ¡°Hayna is¡­¡­


    ¡°A pigeon brought word that the chief of staff is retreating to the rear with the remaining troops.¡±


    ¡°What the hell was she doing instead of defending Linon Castle?


    Ronen raised his voice as he slammed both palms into the desk.


    It was no longer a matter of Bern Castle. If Ganen Castle and Linon Castle were taken, Bern Castle would be isolated. Without Linon Castle behind them, they would not be able to freely supply their troops with food.


    ¡°How can I fall to the enemy like this? What about the future of the Lunan Kingdom!¡±


    Baron Jend, who had heard Ronen¡¯s complaints about the worst of it, cautiously suggested retreating.


    ¡°I think we¡¯d better retreat from Bern Castle for now¡­¡­.If we don¡¯t, we will be isolated and the country will be doomed. Shouldn¡¯t we go to the royal capital before the enemy is ready?¡±


    ¡°Is that really the only way left?¡±


    The general-in-chief, Ronen, shook his head. But it was true that if they continued to hesitate, it would be difficult to even retreat. If the enemy marched into the royal capital after isolating Bern Castle, they would really be unable to do anything and everything would be lost.


    ¡°Prepare for retreat¡­.¡±


    So there was only one decision that Ronen could make. He, the general-in-chief, was leading his own private army, the most elite soldiers in the many territories of the Lunan Kingdom.


    Of course, the purpose of creating this elite army was not for war, but for maintaining power. If he was thinking of war, he would have raised a large army instead of a small elite one.


    The Duke of Ronen led his army determined to protect the kingdom, but the enemy saw through this and took over the Ganen and Linon castles, leaving Bern Castle isolated.


    Linon Castle and Bern Castle are adjacent to each other. Therefore, if they were delayed even for a moment, they might fall into the hands of the enemy. Ronen decided to abandon Bern Castle and retreat to the royal capital by passing through Linon Castle.


    Being the only well-trained unit, they began to march rapidly. When they entered Linon territory a person appeared in front of the troops, it was Yusen.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    He was wearing the same military uniform, but showed suspicious behavior and was immediately detained. After revealing his affiliation, Yusen begged to see Ronen because he had something important to tell him. Of course, it was outrageous for a centurion to ask to meet the general.


    ¡°Are you Yusen?¡±


    Luckily, there was a commander who recognized Yusen; he had been in the military for twenty years.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I have an important matter to discuss with you regarding the recapture of Linon Castle. It¡¯s a matter of the utmost urgency, so can you at least allow me to brief the general?¡±


    ¡°Recapture of Linon Castle?¡±


    The commander slurred his words, but Yusen still clung to him.


    ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­.If it¡¯s about the recapture of Linon Castle, I can¡¯t ignore it. Wait a moment.¡±


    The commander decided to report everything to Duke Ronen.


    ¡°General! That centurion has something to tell you about Linon Castle, his identity is certain. It seems to be an important and urgent matter, and he insists on a face-to-face meeting with the general. He¡¯s a former subordinate of mine, but he¡¯s not the kind of guy who talks nonsense. It seems to be about the recapture of Linon Castle, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°Recapture of Linon Castle? I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°He says he needs to speak to you directly.¡±


    ¡°Bring him to me at once!¡±


    Things that would never happen in normal times are different in the tense moments of war. Ronen would have immediately cut off his head if he had been blocked from going to the royal capital by a commoner, but now it was different.


    Curious about what he wanted to tell him, Ronen nodded, and soon Yusen was summoned. As soon as he came face to face with the general, Yusen immediately knelt down, banged his head on the ground and shouted.


    ¡°General! I¡¯m sorry to barge in, but I have an urgent message!¡±


    ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡±


    Once Ronen granted permission Yusen immediately began to explain.


    ¡°Earl Aintorian, commander of the supply troops, is fighting at Linon Castle. Earl Aintorian has asked me to inform you in person when the general will be passing through Linon territory.


    ¡°What? Earl Aintorian?¡±


    Erhin instead of Hayna? A completely unexpected person, Ronen tilted his head at the mention of the name of the person who had told Hayna to get rid of because he was known to be incompetent.


    ¡°You think he foresaw me coming through here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    When they heard the news that Ganen Castle and Linon Castle had fallen, they would naturally rush to the royal capital to avoid being isolated. This was something that could be fully expected since he knew the history of the fall of Linon Castle. And Erhin¡¯s prediction was right on target.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®fighting¡¯?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­.Earl Aintorian has infiltrated Linon Castle by himself. He is planning to open the north gate in the middle of the night, when most of the enemies are asleep!


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    Duke Ronen shouted at the outrageous story.  Even though it was the middle of the night, there were still alert soldiers. They would wake up immediately and take charge of the defense, which is the natural thing to do.


    ¡°You¡¯re just another one of the enemy¡¯s schemers trying to draw my army into Linon Castle.¡±


    Ronen raised his voice, rather suspicious of Yusen.


    ¡°No, sir. I¡¯ve spent my entire life in the military to protect the Lunan Kingdom. I don¡¯t care if I am suspected and lose my life. However, in order to ensure that Earl Aintorian battle is not in vain, I would like you to send soldiers to the open gates. That is Earl Aintorian strategy, here is the letter.¡±


    Yusen shouted as he held out the letter, he had hit his head on the ground so hard that his forehead was bleeding.


    Ronen read the letter first; he still couldn¡¯t believe the content. It would be absolutely impossible for him to open the gate and fight alone.


    ¡°Earl Aintorian mana user, as long as he succeeds in opening the gate he can hold out for a while.¡±


    Yusen insisted as he recalled Erhin power. Even if he had to give up his life, even if he had to commit suicide here, he was going to convey Erhin¡¯s intentions. It was the least he could do to repay his favor.


    ¡°Count Aintorian being a mana user is such a ridiculous¡­¡­!¡±


    Ronen said this with a dumbfounded look on his face, and Elheat, the vice-captain who had been listening silently, opened his mouth.


    ¡°But, General! If the gate is really open, you can go¡­¡­.We can¡¯t let this opportunity pass us by. We can¡¯t let the loyalty of those who fought so hard to open the gates go to waste!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡­.Are the rumors about Erhin wrong?¡±


    ¡°Please, just check! If he succeeds in opening the gates, as the letter says, we are in a good position to take back Linon Castle!


    ¡°Well. That¡¯s true¡­¡­.¡±


    Ronen nodded, touching his chin. He was troubled by the possibility that Yusen was an enemy agent, but that possibility seemed unlikely.


    The enemy has already captured Linon Castle. Would they open the gates and call in my elite soldiers? No matter how many enemy soldiers inside the castle were armed with bows, it would be meaningless because my forces are far higher. The moment they open the gate, they will fall into danger. If the enemy uses such a reckless strategy, it¡¯s our chance to retake Linon Castle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check the gate, a smoke signal will be sent to let you know when the gate is open.¡±


    Elheat, who had been listening intently to Yusen¡¯s story, suggested. If they were really fighting to the death like that, he thought that even if the mission did not go well, saving his comrades was what he should do as a military commander of Lunan.


    ¡°Besides, if anyone can truly control mana, we need them in this war.¡±


    Ronen thought about Elheat suggestion for a moment and then nodded, he thought it was worth a try. If the gates were closed, they can just keep marching towards the capital.


    ¡°All right. Go at once!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    After seeing Elheat off, Ronen ordered all troops to march.


    ¡°We march towards Linon Castle!¡±

 CH 31

    Chapter 31: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (17)


    Duke Ronen retreated, abandoning Bern Castle. His troops were preoccupied with fleeing past Linon Castle, which had fallen into enemy hands. That was what should¡¯ve happened.


    I needed his power to take back Linon Castle, that¡¯s why I betted everything on Yusen character. Of course, the best way to do this was for me to appear and open the gates just as Duke Ronen began his attack on Linon Castle. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to hold the gates opened and struggle for my life until his army arrived.


    The problem with this method, however, was the Duke of Ronen¡¯s trust in me. He didn¡¯t have enough trust in me to attack Linon Castle, that¡¯s why I needed to open the gates in advance to make sure that he would.


    ¡°We¡¯ll continue fighting until we take back Linon Castle!¡±


    I didn¡¯t rest my hand on the [Attack] command as I spoke with Zint.


    ¡°Who the hell are you people? How dare you attack with such a small force! Get rid of them and close the gates immediately!¡°


    The enemy commander gave the order, his martial force didn¡¯t came close to Elheat and Zint but he has more soldiers than us.


    ¡°Everyone gather in front of the city gate! Vice commander, could you please come this way as well?¡±


    I was going to work with Elheat and endure the enemy attack in front of the castle gate. The fact that he came here meant that Duke Ronen was on his way.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that!¡±


    Elheat nodded and our army gathered in front of the castle gate. The enemy soldiers surrounded us at once. It seems that the entire army of over 10,000 people has woken up. Zint and Elheat were slaughtering the enemy soldiers in front of the castle gate, but they kept coming.


    ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. If my subordinate, Yusen, is able to communicate the plan without any errors, it will be more convenient for us to be surrounded by the enemy like this.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you mean?¡±


    Elheat said as if it were interesting.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill all of them and surpass the general¡¯s war record. Kuh-hah-hah!¡±


    The enemy commander started shouting in excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. Enemy commander, look up at the city walls!¡±


    The moment I raised my voice like that the top of the city wall lighted up. The soldiers who had retaken the top of the city walls lit the torches.


    Immediately, a rain of arrows poured down on the enemies, the castle was filled with screams. The enemy forces were helpless in front of the arrow rain.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    Not long after the cavalry rushed in through the open castle gate. The one who gave the order to attack was Duke Ronen.


    As dawn broke, Linon Castle was thus once again in the possession of the Lunan Kingdom.


    What is mana?


    To be strong in this world means to be able to store a lot of mana in your body. In other words, the greater the amount of mana you can store in your body, the stronger you are. The strength of someone who can accumulate 10 mana is naturally different from someone who can accumulate 100 mana.


    Mana can be accumulated in the body by practicing martial arts such as swordsmanship or other arts. In some cases, it is natural talent that allows one to accumulate a lot of mana without any effort. Talent or training were the ways to increase the amount of mana in your body.


    A person who has accumulated 10 mana can naturally use the appropriate amount of mana to attack when using sword techniques. Strength and speed increase depending on how much mana is stored in the body. If you have a lot of mana stored in your body, you will be able to break through your physical limits.


    The more mana is accumulated in the body the easier to manifest it through weapons. Naturally, the more mana is stored in the body, the more powerful the used skills will be.


    However, mana can only be manifested if a certain amount is accumulated in the body. The accumulated mana can only be used for normal attacks if you have 80 or higher martial force and if you have 90 or higher martial force, mana can be used to manifest skills.


    The mana used will automatically recover as time passes but the mana used for a skill will only start recovering after a period passes so it¡¯s good to know your limits and adjust your skills as you use them.


    In addition to manifesting mana through attacks, there is another way to use mana. That is to use the accumulated mana to create a mana formation. By using the mana formation a wider range of skills can be used than when mana is used through weapons. Of course, this also requires the user to have accumulated a large amount of mana.


    However, very few people in the continent can use mana formation. This is because the mana formation requires a very advanced technique.


    Martial Force (Mana Strength)


    80: Can use his mana for attacks.


    90-95: Mana is used freely and skills can be activated.


    96-100: From this stage, the difference in strength is greater than the difference between A and B grades.


    100+: S class. There are only about one or two in the continent.

 CH 32

    Chapter 32: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (18)


    In the capital of the Lunan Kingdom, the king was on a rampage.


    ¡°Incompetent bastards if you¡¯re going to be defeated like this why didn¡¯t you just offer me your heads from the beginning?¡±


    After the fall of Linon Castle news came in he was so anxious that he yelled the entire night.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this it¡¯s too dangerous here. We must abandon King¡¯s Landing and go to the southern territories.¡±


    The king¡¯s words were met with opposition from Earl Borde.


    ¡°Your Majesty. The safest place in the Lunan Kingdom is here between the walls of the Royal Capital. Besides, we have troops in the southern territories that haven¡¯t joined the war yet.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Only if I live can this country survive!¡±


    But the king only cared about his own life. He didn¡¯t care if his territory was taken, as long as he could save himself.


    ¡°Prepare to evacuate immediately!¡±


    The king hurriedly came down from his throne and started prancing around. In the midst of all this, the captain of the royal guard came running in with great vigor.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°What is it now? Don¡¯t tell me that King¡¯s Landing is in danger!¡±


    The captain of the royal guard came in, that meant that there was a report from the front line.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have good news! We have reports that Linon Castle has been retaken!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The king¡¯s face, which had been trembling, changed strangely. The other nobles who had gathered in the main hall were all in the same situation.


    ¡°It just fallen and we¡¯ve taken it back? Does that mean the fall of Castle Linon was a false alarm?¡±


    While the king was speechless, Count Borde turned to the royal guard captain and asked.


    ¡°It is not so, my lord. In the reports that come in it¡¯s said that Earl Aintorian recaptured Linon Castle!¡±


    The royal guard captain presented the report and the King took it and began to read it. The King immediately relaxed his expression and began to laugh.


    ¡°Ha-hahaha! Check this out!¡±


    The king continued to laugh as he shouted at the nobles.


    ¡°Earl Aintorian, whom I summoned, has retaken Linon Castle! Those of you who were against it because of his repution, do you still disagree?¡±


    Erhin¡¯s summoning was indeed the king¡¯s own decision. The king had been about to abandon the capital and flee, but now he started to run around in a frenzy.


    ¡°There is no time to waste, send word to the frontline that Earl Aintorian is the new chief of staff of the Royal Army¡±


    The king himself was undoubtedly the main culprit in bringing the country to this state, but he had ordered it as if the victory was his credit.


    * * *


    I became the new chief of staff of the Royal Army thanks to me merits in the recapture of Linon Castle, Hayna was dismissed.


    I strove until the end to appeal to Ronen to punish me for my crime of not respecting orders. When I knelt down and admitted my guilt, Ronen decided not to charge me, saying it was the king¡¯s order.


    At last, I could move the entire army to fight against the Narja Kingdom with no one in my way!


    My objective is to defeat the Narja Army as soon as possible, if I do that, I will have some time to spare. No matter what country it is, after a war is over, it takes time to start another war. This was because of the supplies and the need to recruit and train new troops.


    In the history of the game, it took a year for the Narja Kingdom to launch another war after the Lunan Kingdom conquest.


    The game began 1 year after the fall of Lunan Kingdom. In that time the Narja Kingdom had time to train a massive army of several hundred thousand strong. That¡¯s why, after this war, I¡¯ll have time to nurture my territory.


    When I checked after the recapture of Linon Castle I discovered that the Ten Warlords of Narja didn¡¯t participate in the war.


    ¡°Perhaps the Narja king is testing us. It¡¯s a shame to have fallen to such an invading force, but I¡¯m sure His Majesty will take this opportunity to prepare for war. The allies that have noticed Narja King ambition can be persuaded as long as we manage to overcome this crisis!¡±


    When I asked Ronen the reason for this, he gave me this answer. Although it had been less than a year since his accession to the throne, the rumor that he was an ambitious king had already spread throughout the continent.


    He attacked us without the Ten Warlords to test the power of the army he had been raising for a year. Of course, there didn¡¯t seem to be any detailed intelligence on this. If they had that kind of intelligence, they would not have been defeated like this.


    Even in the game, the Ten Warlords did not participate in Lunan Kingdom invasion. I have no way of knowing the reason for this now. Of course, the reason is not important. The only thing that matters is winning the war against the invading enemy army.


    Without the ten warlords, the only one to watch out for is the enemy strategist! The enemy has lost 20,000 troops at Linon Castle, and there are only 50,000 troops left.


    * * *


    [Earned Experience List]


    [Strategy Grade B x 2]


    The strategy grade was B. It was a highly uncertain operation, if Duke Ronen hadn¡¯t sent his troops; I wouldn¡¯t have been able to retake the castle.


    If I had retaken Linon Castle by myself without Duke Ronen¡¯s help, I might have gotten a better grade, but that was a meaningless assumption because it was impossible to retake the castle without the participation of the Royal Army.


    [You are now level 13.]


    I leveled up twice.


    [You have earned level-up points.]


    [Points owned: 500.]


    400 points we¡¯re added to my remaining 100, now I can improve my martial force again.


    [Do you want to enhance martial force? Cost: 300 points.]


    [Martial force is now 62].


    It¡¯s important to go up one step at a time, even if it¡¯s only a small step.¡¡The day when I reach 70 will come; I decided to keep my remaining 200 points.

 CH 33

    Chapter 33: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (19)


    In the square of Linon Castle, where traces of the fierce battle still remained, Viscount Bedok is training. Bedok is satisfied with his swordsmanship, having defeated a number of soldiers. As he wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, a man caught his eye.


    It was Zint, waiting for Erhin, who had been summoned to the temporary command center. He was sitting alone in the grass in the square so it was hard not to notice him.


    People should be exposed to the sun. This was a daily routine for Zint, who had always been told that by Mirine.


    ¡°Hey, why are you standing alone?¡±


    There was no way Zint was going to respond in such a situation. Bedok was naturally angry after being ignored.


    ¡°You! Identify yourself!¡±


    Again, Zint ignored him. A man with a heavy mouth, that¡¯s Zint. Bedok, who had been continuously ignored, glared at Zint with a grim face.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind? What kind of attitude is that when a superior calls for you to get up?¡±


    When Bedok said this, Zint spat out the grass in his mouth with a troublesome expression and stood up.


    ¡°You¡¯re so cocky!¡±


    Bedok quickly swung his fist at Zint. Of course, Zint stepped lightly forward to avoid it.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡±


    Unable to contain his anger, Bedok drew his sword. His face turned red and he swung his sword, but Zint just mindlessly kicked Bedok¡¯s wrist. The impact of the wrist sent Bedok¡¯s sword soaring into the air.


    ¡°Damn¡­..what are you doing? What are you doing? I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m capable of!¡±


    When Bedok went crazy screaming like that.


    ¡°Bedok, what the hell is happening here?¡±


    Elheat, who had been watching the training from afar, came over and started scolding Bedok. Surprised by Elheat¡¯s appearance, Bedok became stiff.


    ¡°Kaaka, sir!¡±


    ¡°Get back! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s shameful to take it out on a soldier with you when you¡¯ve lost?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­he escaped from the training and was acting alone.¡±


    When Elheat, who hated excuses for his words, raised his eyes, Bedok picked up his weapon from the ground and pulled back. As soon as the situation was sorted out, Zint sat down on the grass again.


    ¡°By the way, you look familiar. You¡¯re the soldier who fought with Earl Aintorian, aren¡¯t you? You were very good! How would you like to face me?¡±


    Zint stood up with a serious look on his face when Elheat suggested that, thinking of the night they recaptured Linon Castle. The fact that Elheat was a strong man was etched in his mind. So, he drew his sword silently.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s the way!¡±


    As soon as Elheat straightened his posture, the two weapons clashed.


    * * *


    What a battle unfolded in front of my eyes, it was on a different level. My eyes could not catch up with it, only the afterimages remained. There was no one in Linon Castle who was powerful enough to watch the two of them fight.


    I don¡¯t know why the two of them decided to fight. I had just finished talking to Ronen and came out to find myself in this situation. Of course, there was no reason to stop them.


    In a case like Zint¡¯s, the more you fight against a strong opponent, the more your martial force should increase. It was a very valuable opportunity.


    So I watched them fight for a while. In the end, the battle ended when Elheat spear went for Zint¡¯s neck. Looking at the difference in martial force it was only natural that Zint was defeated.


    ¡°Ha ha. That was great.¡±


    Elheat was also quite surprised and began to take an interest in Zint.


    ¡°How come a warrior like you was unknown until now?¡±


    But I couldn¡¯t let that happen. So I intervened between them and answered for him.


    ¡°He is my vassal. I¡¯ve come with him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. You¡¯re still young. You¡¯ll make a name for yourself!¡±


    When he said that, Elheat started laughing heartily. He didn¡¯t care about Zint cheekiness, he was genuinely happy.


    ¡°Why are you not using your mana skills? There have been plenty of moments when you could have used them. If the spear hadn¡¯t reached you, wouldn¡¯t you have been able to use skills to attack?¡±


    Elheat¡¯s question was also my question but Zint didn¡¯t answer, he just shook his head. He seemed to have no idea what he was talking about.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    Zint nodded in response to Elheat¡¯s question.


    ¡°You must use intense concentration. The mana that has accumulated in your body is channeled into the sword. You have not yet reached the stage¡­¡­where you can picture the skill. But the mana that is embedded in your sword is already enough.¡±


    Zint stared at me, but I couldn¡¯t tell either.

 CH 34

    Chapter 34: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (20)


    Fran Valdesca banged his head on the desk in front of him. Then with a dazed look on his face raised his body, his forehead turned red. Then he slammed his head on the desk again, his forehead became even redder. Melt, who was watching the scene, was startled each time.


    This was Fran¡¯s habit. Whenever he has a problem, he hurts himself like that. Even Melt couldn¡¯t stop Duke Fran, the head of the Fran family. So, he could only watch over him.


    The reason he was in this state of mind was because Linon Castle had been lost. The plan had been perfect, but an incomprehensible enemy move had taken Linon Castle again. It was as if the enemy knew that the castle would fall in one night, this was no accidental victory. As if they knew the plan, they even used Ronen¡¯s army that was retreating from Bern Castle to retake Linon Castle.


    ¡°I was wondering if you have gathered for me some intelligence on Lunan new chief of staff.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gathered all the information I could, and it¡¯s all exactly what I expected.¡±


    ¡°Lord of Aintorian and commander of a supply troop. The capture of Linon Castle was all his doing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The troops he sent to Aintorian, the surprise attack on the supply troops and the recapture of Linon Castle.


    At the center of all three of these things that didn¡¯t go according to strategy was that man. Even the concentration of troops in the northern part of Lunan was due to that man.


    ¡°General¡­¡­.Now that they¡¯ve taken Linon Castle, what do we do?¡±


    If all went according to plan, the royal city of Lunan would be in front of him now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I never thought that I would even have to use the power of the Fran family against that Lunan Kingdom, but I will win this time!¡±


    ***


    After making a bloodless entry into Bern Castle, the Royal Army of Narja marched towards Linon Castle.


    [Royal Army of Narja]


    [Troops: 48720]


    [Training level: 80]


    [Morale: 60]


    The Royal Army of Narja, which had attacked with 70,000 troops, had lost about 20,000 troops in the battle with the supply troops and Linon Castle. Morale, which had been as high as 80, was reduced by a figure of 20.


    The Royal Army of Narja, stationed in front of Linon Castle, immediately launched an all-out attack. In order for the royal capital to fall, it was necessary to capture Linon Castle. If they ignored Linon Castle and went to the royal capital, they would have a problem with the supply route.


    As they say, you can¡¯t fight a battle on an empty stomach, so if they can¡¯t capture Linon Castle and secure a supply route, their march to the capital will be meaningless. Therefore, I understand the all-out attack on Linon Castle. However, there remained a question about the method of attack.


    ¡°The attacks are too monotonous. It¡¯s also suspicious that the attacks are concentrated on the north gate¡­¡­Maybe this is a diversion.¡±


    ¡°A diversion?¡±


    ¡°There is that possibility. Gathering troops at the north gate to meet the enemy¡¯s attack is not the best strategy. We should place troops at each gate. Besides, we can¡¯t be too careful with the underground canals that we blocked. We need to continue surveying the entire Linon Castle.¡±


    I argued this at the command meeting. Ronen then took my opinion into consideration and entrusted me with the command of the North Gate.


    When the meeting ended that way, I returned to the north gate. The enemy was still attacking in a simple manner. They hammered the gates with their siege weapons and climbed up the ladders to the castle. It was all too common. Even now, the attack was concentrated on the north gate and the surrounding walls.


    To be honest, we couldn¡¯t afford to divide our forces in such a situation. If there were not enough troops, the north gate would be opened.


    However, considering the enemy schemes, it was imperative to continue investigating the entire Linon Castle. So, the burden caused by the lack of troops would be solved in other ways.


    ¡°Take out the enemy siege weapons. Pour hot metal on it!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chief of Staff!¡±


    I made a proposal to Ronen to melt down the weapons of enemy soldiers who died in the battle to retake Linon Castle and turn them into hot metal. Since Linon Castle has soldiers with blacksmith backgrounds and plenty of blacksmith shops, there was no problem at all.


    The moment the hot metal touched it, the siege weapon started to burn! It was a strategy that took advantage of the fact that the high heat of the hot metal would instantly set the wood ablaze.


    ¡°We¡¯ll burn the ladders with hot metal! The more time we buy, the better off we¡¯ll be!¡±


    The destruction of the siege weapon raised the morale of our troops. The attack that had been focused on the north gate stopped and the enemy forces had to retreat.


    ¡°Stay alert! It¡¯s not over yet!¡±


    I shouted this to the soldiers and watched the enemy¡¯s movements. The enemy soldiers who had been retreating eventually stopped moving. They retreated until they were out of range of the archers.


    ¡°What?¡±


    In this situation, twenty soldiers with large shields were advancing towards the castle gate. The approaching shield soldiers were escorting a man. The man came to the gate and shouted as he looked up.


    ¡°Are you Aintorian Erhin?¡±


    He stared at me precisely, my face was already known. Well, that¡¯s not surprising, since many Narja soldiers have survived the battle with the supply troops.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Of course, one thing is certain. The identity of the strategist who had been tormenting Lunan was now revealed here.


    ¡°Then you will die now!¡±


    At the same time as his shout, a huge mana formation appeared in front of him. The mana formation emitted an intense golden light.

 CH 35

    Chapter 35: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (21)


    [Fran Valdesca]


    [Age: 28]


    [Martial Force: 90]


    [Intelligence: 96]


    [Command: 90]


    His ability values were all A¡¯s. What the hell is this Musou thing!?


    TLN: Dynasty Warriors reference


    He can even use mana formation!? The power of a mana formation is usually much more powerful than a skill used with a weapon but it has the disadvantage of having a long charging time. However, the battle lasted a long time. He must have completed the mana formation during that time.


    It meant that the battle at the north gate was a decoy, but of course, that was expected. That¡¯s why I reduced the number of soldiers guarding the north gate and strengthened the entire Linon castle, trying to prevent the enemy¡¯s plot.


    ¡°The final winner is Narja!¡±


    He exclaimed confidently. Well, he was certainly right. It was unlikely that Ronen, who had been constantly defeated by him, would be able to defend Linon Castle under such circumstances.


    When he raised his hand, the entire army behind him began to move in two groups. Their destinations were the east gate and the west gate.


    It seemed that the only way to stop him was to break his mana formation. The problem was that the moment he used it, his martial force that was 90 went up to 99.


    If I use the perk, my martial force would be 92 and if I use [Crush], my martial force would increase to 97.


    ¡°Givens, calm down the soldiers!¡±


    After giving a hasty order to Given, I ran down to the castle gate, as Yusen and Zint had been put into other troops


    Fran Valdesca¡¯s mana formation. I felt like I was finally seeing a little of its true nature.


    The game starts one year later with the great conquest of Narja. So right now, it was still before the game started. This is a part of the game that appears only in the summary, but for some reason Fran¡¯s name did not appear there. He was described only as a strategist in the Narja Kingdom.


    There was an ancient kingdom in the continent. The kingdom¡¯s name was Aintorian, and it ruled over the entire continent. The large territory of the Aintorian Kingdom was divided and ruled by the Twelve Families and the Aintorian Royal Family.


    Of course, there is no such thing as eternity. As the Aintorian Kingdom declined, the country was divided and the twelve families formed their own independent countries.


    Narja, Lunan, and Mateen were from these twelve families. The Fran family was also from these twelve families, and together with Narja, they founded the Narja Kingdom.


    The king of Narja, who possesses S-class martial force and the ten warlords who boast Class A martial force plus Fran Valdesca! That was the reason why the Narja Kingdom was the biggest and most powerful kingdom in the continent and played the final boss role in the game.


    I knew who Fran was but I could never have predicted that the enemy strategist would be him because it was in the latter part of the game¡¯s history that he made his presence felt. Well, that doesn¡¯t matter now!


    ¡°Stop! Fran Valdesca!¡±


    When I came down to the castle gate and shouted his name, Fran came up to me with a suspicious look on his face.


    ¡°How did you know my name? I don¡¯t remember publishing it yet, even in Narja.¡±


    Because I have a system.


    ¡°You know me, and that¡¯s not fair, is it? I don¡¯t want you to underestimate me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how good your information is, but it¡¯s over anyway.  Only one person who can break this mana formation and that¡¯s His Majesty!¡±


    I shook my head at Fran, whose tone was full of confidence.


    ¡°Fran Valdesca, that¡¯s just your presumption! It¡¯s not over yet!¡±


    The mana formation¡¯s force value is 99; there is no way to destroy it right now. But I had a system. So, I turned to Fran, who was full of confidence.


    ¡°One on one!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to fight me alone?¡±


    I invoked the system and used the command word ¡°single combat¡±!


    This is an element that has always been present in the game I¡¯ve played, as well as in similar games. In the Warring States period, there were actually many [one on one] battles. The state of this world is no different from the Warring States period.


    Of course, there were many cases where [single combat] was not possible in the game. This is because a strong warrior usually challenges a weaker warrior. Who would want to fight against someone stronger than himself?


    However, the opposite is possible. If a weaker warrior is going to challenge a stronger warrior, it will definitely work, this was my strategy this time. My current martial force is 62 and Fran¡¯s 90.


    The system only applies to me. In other words, if the weaker person challenges the stronger person, then the system will be activated, that¡¯s my theory!


    Furthermore, [single combat] creates a space in which the two warriors are alone. A space where they can fight! If that space can appear in reality, then I can break the seal!


    When I activated [single combat] the surroundings turned dark for a moment. At that moment, I broke through the golden wards in front of me and moved. Then, a blue wall formed around Fran and me. A space was created where Fran and I could confront each other alone!


    ¡°What?¡±


    The expression on Fran¡¯s face, which had remained unchanged until now, became distorted. With an astonished look on his face, Fran looked around.


    ¡°How come ¡­¡­!¡±


    Finally, he stuttered and looked at me. He seemed quite confused.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you destroyed my formation. What the hell did you do?¡±


    To people in this world, the power of the system looks exactly like the power of mana. I took another step closer to Fran, who had a stern look on her face, and said.


    ¡°The king of Narja is the king of destruction. He brings misfortune to this world. Are you going to follow him on that path?¡±


    ¡°That is the Fran Family mission!¡±


    [Do you want to use the perk?]


    Now all I have to do is win. The Frans had a close relationship with Narja, so he can¡¯t be recruited anyway!


    [Do you want to use Crush?]


    I used [Crush]. Killing him here means eliminating an existence that¡¯s equal with a third of the Narja Kingdom strength!


    97 Martial Force [Crush] flew towards him. The effect of [Crush] was either an instant kill or stun. This time, of course, I chose the instant kill.  Daitouren penetrated Fran¡¯s body! No, it was supposed to penetrate. When Daitouren touched Fran¡¯s body, it sparked and a mana formation flew out from the pendant-like object and enveloped his body with a white light.


    Then, as the light went out, Fran fell down and Daitouren stabbed into the ground. I quickly rushed to his side. The strange power saved his life, but he seemed to have fainted. The blue ward disappeared; the system decided that the battle was over. At the same time, the mana formation he had created disappeared as well since he fainted!


    I pulled out Daitouren that was stuck in the ground to end it. But at that very moment!


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Suddenly, three men appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Protect master!¡±


    One of the men shouted this, and the other two jumped on me. They seemed to be vassals of the Fran family. As I had my sword drawn, I cut down the two men who jumped at me. At that moment Fran and the man next to him disappeared in a red mana formation.


    A mana formation similar to the mana formation that stores the gold in the basement of Aintorian Castle, he must have used some kind of treasure. After all the Frans are a family that has studied mana formations for over a thousand years.


    It¡¯s a shame, but if there¡¯s no way, there¡¯s no way. It¡¯s just a matter of me getting stronger. The mana formation he uses has an armor value of 99 and [Crush] can only deal 97 damage. If I can raise my martial force by two more points, I won¡¯t have to be afraid!


    What helped me even more was that the effect of the stun that [Crush] brings is five hours. It was enough time to destroy the enemy without Fran.

 CH 36

    Chapter 36: Talents Only I Can Recognize. Hidden gems (22)


    Fran woke up; his head was throbbing with pain.


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡­.¡±


    The vassal who saved him knelt.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Melt ¡­¡­?¡±


    The moment he saw Melt he understood why he had woken up in this place.


    ¡°Did you use the treasure of the Fran House?¡±


    ¡°I had no choice but to save master. I will accept any punishment!¡±


    An ancient treasure trove that housed the mana formations that the Fran family had created over the past 1000 years, it contained powerful mana and each item had different characteristics.


    ¡°So¡­¡­.That treasure has been destroyed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. You are not to blame. It¡¯s my fault for not knowing what I was dealing with properly¡­¡­And my army?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.We were not sure when you would wake up, so we could not stay in the battlefield. Right now, we are in Roen territory along the border of Narja.¡±


    Roen, the first territory Narja occupied in this war. From there, they advanced in the northern part of the Lunan Kingdom.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Fran gritted his teeth. It¡¯s impossible for an army without a general to hold out against someone like Erhin.


    ¡°Order all troops to fall back! We should save at least a few soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Yes master.¡±


    It was a complete defeat; I¡¯ve lost in every way. Fran shuddered.


    Aintorian Erhin. I never thought such a being existed in the Lunan Kingdom. Someone who could not only defeat my strategy, but also my mana formation!


    ¡°This time it¡¯s¡­¡­.If there¡¯s a next time, be sure¡­¡­.¡±


    As he said this, Fran slammed his head against the wall.

 CH 37

    (Aintorian territory)


    Protagonist: Aintorian Erhin


    Merja Haddin [Baron] ¨C Commander


    [Age: 45]


    [Martial Force: 60]


    [Intelligence: 57]


    [Command: 70]


    Bente ¨C Centurion


    [Age: 25]


    [Martial Force: 49]


    [Intelligence: 38]


    [Command: 82]


    Zint ¨C Temporary Vassal


    [Age: 21]


    [Martial Force: 93]


    [Intelligence: 41]


    [Command: 52]


    (Lunan Kingdom)


    Ronen Bartak [Duke] ¨C Supreme General


    [Age: 57]


    [Martial Force: 46]


    [Intelligence: 69]


    [Command: 75]


    Berghin Hayna [Count] ¨C Former Chief of Staff. Currently unemployed.


    [Age: 27]


    [Martial Force: 60]


    [Intelligence: 81]


    [Command: 55]


    Yusen ¨C Centurion


    [Age: 39]


    [Martial Force: 82]


    [Intelligence: 69]


    [Command: 90]


    Givens ¨C Yusen¡¯s subordinate


    [Age: 31]


    [Martial Force: 70]


    [Intelligence: 34]


    [Command: 76]


    Demasin Elheat [Earl] ¨C Deputy General and First Warlord of Lunan Kingdom


    [Age: 42]


    [Martial Force: 96]


    [Intelligence: 70]


    [Command: 92]


    (Narja Kingdom)


    Fran Valdesca [Duke] ¨C Head of the Fran Family


    [Age: 28]


    [Martial Force: 90]


    [Intelligence: 96]


    [Command: 90]

 CH 38

    Chapter 38: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (1)


    It¡¯s been a few days since we left King¡¯s Landing and Aintorian Castle was finally in sight. It feels great to return home from the battlefield.


    ¡°That¡¯s Aintorian castle.¡±


    Zint stared ahead as he pointed to the castle in front of him. He¡¯s a quiet guy, so I can¡¯t blame him, but it¡¯s been a silent journey. I had arranged for Yusen and Givens to bring their families with them, so they will come later. When we reached the gates of Aintorian, the tiresome journey finally came to an end.


    ¡°My Lord!¡±


    ¡°My Lord!¡±


    Haddin and the chamberlain led a group of soldiers to greet us.


    ¡°The castle is already abuzz with tales of your heroism. I¡¯m so proud of you, my lord!¡±


    Haddin said with a proud look on his face as he kneeled.


    ¡°Stories about me?¡°


    ¡°The rumors have spread to the entire kingdom, it¡¯s not just Aintorian!¡±


    Have the rumors spread that far already while I¡¯ve been spending time in King¡¯s Landing?


    [Aintorian territory]


    [People spirit: 85]


    I checked and found that the people¡¯s spirit, which was 70, has risen to 85. Even with the tax exemption the people¡¯s spirit remained at 70. It seems that the fame of protecting the country had a strong effect.


    ¡°Well, well, well.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a bad thing, I was rather hoping for this fame. It would be a great help in gaining independence after the Lunan Kingdom falls.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go to the castle first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    The city was bustling with activity, like Haddin had said it would be, since the citizens gathered to celebrate my return. It was as if my former reputation as a rogue lord had disappeared.


    I arrived at the lord¡¯s castle; of course, I had no intention of resting. Even though I was tired, I had things to do. Compared to the time when I first became a lord, I¡¯ve gained a lot of strength through various experiences.


    ¡°I want you both to follow me to the office, Zint, you too.¡±


    First, I was going to tell the chamberlain and Haddin about Zint, and then pick up Mirine from the border town right away. I considered stopping by on my way back to Aintorian but I wanted to be prepared for anything, so I changed my mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Zint. I¡¯ll just give them instructions and we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±


    Narja Kingdom, a town on the border of Centrite territory, to be honest, it was pretty close to Aintorian.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    At these words, Zint finally relaxed his expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of lying?¡±


    I could see that he stopped talking because he was anxious. Our deal was that I would go with him to take Mirine away from the border town and bring her to my territory so that they could be happy together.


    ¡°You two are probably wondering who this guy is.¡±


    I looked at Haddin and the chamberlain in the office. Haddin nodded quickly at my question.


    ¡°Yes, sir! Who is he?¡±


    Haddin asked with an expression as if he¡¯d just been poked in the eye.


    ¡°This is my new vassal. He is stronger than Randall, the warlord who attacked us before.¡±


    ¡°More powerful than that Randall?¡±


    Haddin looked at Zint surprised.


    ¡°Not only that, but he also had a good match with the famous Lord Elheat.¡±


    ¡°My God! Even Lord Elheat?¡±


    When I mentioned the name of the first warlord of the Lunan Kingdom, who was known to all Aintorian nobles, Haddin couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut.


    ¡°Zint, say hello. This is Baron Haddin, commander of the Aintorian Territorial Army.¡±


    At these words, Zint gently bowed his head toward Haddin.


    ¡°And now I¡¯m going to the border town of Narja to take out his girl.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, a border town?¡±


    ¡°I made a promise on the battlefield. Besides, promises are always meant to be kept.¡±


    At the very least, Haddin and the chamberlain should be aware of Zint¡¯s situation. The chamberlain will take care of Zint and Mirine from now on. Because of her situation, I¡¯m going to let her sleep in the lord¡¯s castle for the time being after I bring her here. Haddin is the commander of the army, he should also know. After explaining the long story as briefly as possible, Haddin patted Zint back with an impressed look on his face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were in that situation. You¡¯re a wonderful man!¡±


    Well, Haddin is such a character. He¡¯s a man who was locked up for a year because of a corrupt lord, but instead of resenting him, his loyalty never changed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you then. Thank you, Your Excellency, for going directly to¡­¡­.¡±


    However, the problem is that he always gets too far ahead of himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be happy unless we go directly. You¡¯ve got to get rid of the idea that anything could go wrong. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it. Chamberlain prepare two sets of clothes for the lords. Poor clothes, please.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    There was no need to stand out. I couldn¡¯t wear military uniform, much less noble clothes. The best thing to do is to sneak her out. We can¡¯t just lead an army into the city, can we?


    It¡¯s not hard to take over a territory as large as Centrite, but the king of Narja won¡¯t keep quiet after his territory is taken. He¡¯ll probably try to retaliate by saying that he wants to take back his territory. If that happens, there will be another war. It¡¯s best to be as quiet as possible.


    ¡°By the way, how is the fixing of the barrier going?¡±


    When Fran sent a decoy unit to Aintorian the barrier that collapsed in an earthquake could not be used. So, since we had enough money, I instructed them to repair it before I left.


    ¡°We¡¯re working on it; I expect it to be ready by winter.¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s a big job; make sure to pay the workers well.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir!¡±


    Anyway, I¡¯ll be in charge of the territory after I return from the border town.


    * * *


    It was still early afternoon. We watched the construction of the barrier for a while before leaving. After passing through the barrier, we came to a flat road. If we continue on that road, we would reach the Narja barrier. Before this war, merchants used to come and go, but now it is tightly closed.


    In order to cross that barrier, we would have to go to war. So Zint and I traveled over the mountains to the Narja Kingdom. It wasn¡¯t too difficult for the two of us.


    Of course, once we get over the mountain, problems will start. There are watchtowers all around the base of the mountain and many patrols as well. It was something I had expected anyway, so, of course I had a plan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and get to the town!¡±


    They must have spotted us from the watchtower; smoke was rising in the sky. We needed to move faster.


    ¡°Mirine and I used to rest on that hill after working in the fields.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    In the middle of this, Zint pointed to a field and a hill, the field was quite small though. I could clearly see the traces of the hard work that had gone into cultivating it.


    ¡°I also ate the porridge that Mirine made for us there. It was really good.¡±


    Zint looked at the hill for a while as he was immersed in memories, then he pointed to the town in the distance.


    ¡°There, that¡¯s the town!¡±


    Zint hurried his horse further towards the small town he could see over the hill. The border town was a place where people had to risk their lives because they would be the first to be hit by another country¡¯s invasion. It was also the last refuge for those who had lost everything.


    Zint stopped in front of a crumbling abandoned house on the outskirts of the town.


    ¡°Mirine!¡±


    I could hear his earnest voice.


    ¡°Mirine!¡±


    The voice repeated itself once more. At that moment, I had a bad feeling. There was a growing sense of urgency in the voice. If nothing had happened, the voice calling her should have been oozing with joy. ¡¡Sure enough, Zint¡¯s face was pale as he came out of the abandoned house. He continued to scream like a madman after he came outside.


    ¡°Mirine!¡±


    Speaking of which, the whole town was very quiet. It was as if no one lived here.


    ¡°Mirine!¡±


    Zint began to search not only his own house but also the surrounding area.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the one making all the noise?¡±


    An old man came walking out of the house next door. I let Zint run around like a horse released from the reins and approached the old man.


    ¡°Excuse me, but do you know a woman named Mirine who lives next door?¡±


    ¡°Of course I know her. That¡¯s Zint, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So he made it back alive. Everyone said that if you were drafted, you were as good as dead.¡±


    The old man muttered with a curious look on his face.


    ¡°Where is Mirine?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone to work. She¡¯s helping out in the fields in the next town, and also doing some sewing.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Thank God. My heart thumped for a moment, but I felt relieved. It seemed that it was because of the conscription that the place looked so lonely. I guess that¡¯s what happens when the only people left are old men and women.


    ¡°Zint!¡±


    I walked to Zint then I suddenly hit him in the face. Since I was not using any of my perks, my martial force was much lower than his. Even so, my fist struck him with a light sound. Normally, Zint would have been able to avoid it easily, but that¡¯s how distracted he was.


    ¡°Get a grip! I think she¡¯s out working in the next town!¡±


    Zint blinked at my words.


    ¡°Is that true ¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Just calm down. Do you know where the next town is?¡±


    ¡°Of course I know where it is.¡±


    ¡°Then you better lead the way! We¡¯re running out of time!¡±

 CH 39

    Chapter 39: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (2)


    ***


    ¡°Mirine, are you okay?¡±


    Mirine hands were covered with scars. Even though she was working in the fields, the wounds on her hands never healed. However, she was confident in her sewing skills and moved the needle skillfully.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should work so much.¡±


    Malfi, a middle-aged woman living in the same town, said with concern.


    ¡°I have to make some money. When Zint returns from the battlefield, he can go to¡­¡­.He¡¯s been through a lot and I want him to have a full meal.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God, he¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    Malfi felt sorry for Mirine. She knew that there was little chance that Zint would come back. People with no power were expendable; her own brother had been drafted like that when he was young and had died. She was very worried about how Mirine, who seemed to live only for Zint, would take this fact.


    ¡°Don¡¯t devote your life to Zint. He may not even be alive anymore¡­¡­¡±


    However, her answer to such words was always the same. Even though Mirine was so tired that she had dark circles under her eyes, her eyes lit up when she talked about Zint.


    ¡°Zint is strong. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come back alive.¡±


    At that moment, she heard a voice.


    ¡°Is Mirine here?¡±


    Malfi and Mirine looked at each other as they heard the man¡¯s voice for the first time. The townspeople who were with them also looked at them suspiciously.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Malfi opened the door. Erhin was there and Zint was next to him. At that moment, Zint and Mirine¡¯s eyes met.


    ***


    Out of nowhere, they ran up to each other and hugged.


    ¡°Zint, are you hurt?¡±


    Mirine asked, checking every inch of Zint body.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Mirine finally nuzzled her face into Zint¡¯s chest as she was relieved.


    ¡°I believed that you would come back alive. The ladies in town kept telling me that you might be dead already¡­¡­Thank God, I¡¯m so glad!¡±


    Tears fell from Mirine¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Because I was going to follow you if you died.¡±


    ¡°That goes for me, too.¡±


    In such a situation, I became the one who lacked consideration and interrupted their reunion.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you but it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    I don¡¯t know when the soldiers will catch up with us so the faster we leave the better.


    ¡°Mirine, I have a situation. Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡±


    Zint, understanding the meaning of my words, picked up Mirine and put her on the horse.


    ¡°Zint!¡±


    Mirine was confused by Zint actions.


    ¡°Are we going on horseback? Zint! You stole it again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. No, no, no, no. I didn¡¯t steal it. It¡¯s his horse.¡±


    Zint pointed at me, seemingly unable to resist Mirine.


    ¡°Speaking of which, who is he?¡±


    I looked at Zint at that question. I was a little curious as to how he would answer.


    ¡°Benefactor.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a benefactor?¡±


    Zint said something a little unexpected.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; Zint is a man of few words, so he can¡¯t explain it well¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that but that¡¯s not the point right now. We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡±


    I immediately got my horse running and Zint followed me.


    ¡°Wait, Zint!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll explain everything later!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going the wrong way! Isn¡¯t that the way back to the town?¡±


    We started to head back the way we came and there, as expected, the border patrol was waiting for us.


    ¡°How dare you come across the closed border you Lunan scoundrel?¡±


    Originally, the border between Narja and Lunan could be passed through the barrier but that was before Narja started the war. Now that the situation has changed, any trespassers will be treated like spies.


    [Border Patrol]


    [100 men]


    [Morale: 76]


    [Training level: 85]


    The patrol was quite a strong force, befitting Narja military strength. Furthermore, there are patrols like this all over the border which means that even if there are 100 men now, there could be 1000 soon.


    The remaining enemy forces that fled from Castle Luon after Demasin Elheat ambush were annihilated in a sneak attack by me and Zint. I earned a few points there so my martial force improved to 64 and I got one more skill.


    ¡°Zint let me handle this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen! I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°Just protect Mirine; I can do it on my own. There was no point in coming here if anything happens to her!¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡­.Okay, okay.¡±


    Zint couldn¡¯t argue with me, so he picked up Mirine and set her down from the horse.


    ¡°Zint? Hey, hey!¡±


    In those circumstances I decided to act.


    [Do you want to use the earth resonance?]


    In a battle against a large number of enemies, what you need is a skill with a wide range. The existing skills had a limited range, so I stuck my sword into the ground to use my newly purchased skill.


    A crack in the ground started from the tip of my sword and extended towards the soldiers. Red light shone out from the ground and more than half of the 100 enemies in front of me began to fall. Due to the power of my skill, there were only about 30 people left.


    [Use perks?]


    I swung Daitouren and took care of the remaining soldiers. Mirine only blinked her eyes at how quickly it happened and Zint looked envious of my skills.


    ¡°Zint, let¡¯s go up the mountain and cross the border now.¡±


    We hurried down the road as the patrol was chasing us from behind. Fortunately, we managed to leave them behind.


    ¡°Spies, get them!¡±


    There was no major problem in escaping because I wiped out the first patrol and we were able to keep our distance. In addition, Zint had picked up Mirine when she was having a hard time and ran with her, so we were able to cross the border on the top of the mountain without problems. Once down the mountain, we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Narja patrols.


    Soon, the plains of Aintorian spread out in front of us. This meant that we had succeeded in taking out Mirine.


    * * *


    A few days later I had the chamberlain arrange a house for Mirine and Zint. It was a nice two-story house near the lord¡¯s castle. Mirine couldn¡¯t believe the situation and checked with Zint over and over again.


    ¡°Are you sure we should be living here? Isn¡¯t this a dream?¡±


    Mirine had never seen a house like this, the house she had been living in was an abandoned house that could collapse at any time.


    ¡°Zint, look! There¡¯s a bed! Fluffy!¡±


    She laid down on the bed and screamed in surprise when she saw the kitchen.


    ¡°This kitchen¡­¡­.I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. Now I can make lots of delicious food for you.¡±


    As Zint approached, Mirine laid her forehead against his chest.


    ¡°Zint¡­¡­.I¡¯m so happy. Can I really believe all this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s not the kind of guy who talks nonsense like the other nobles.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Zint. He¡¯s¡­¡­.You don¡¯t mean the lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but?¡±


    ¡°Idiot! You can¡¯t call the lord a he!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­.That¡¯s what I¡¯ve always called him.¡±


    Mirine pinched Zint cheeks.


    ¡°You¡¯re a vassal, aren¡¯t you? You have to have some class!¡±


    ¡°I got it, I got it¡­¡­¡±


    Zint nodded.


    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re saying that you and your lord saved the country?¡±


    ¡°Yes but this is not Narja, though¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°You idiot I don¡¯t care about Narja. From now on, this is our country, the one that took us in!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural that they would accept lowly¡­¡­fugitives like us. Besides, the lord understood your talent¡­¡­.He¡¯s a really nice person!¡¡Zint, how can I repay him? How many sewing projects do I have to do to get?¡­¡­.I¡¯ll do my best! Oh, yes! I collected this much by sewing.¡±


    Mirine carefully took out a silver coin from her pocket, which she had carefully stored away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you something delicious with this¡­¡­..So¡­..We can be together forever, right?¡±


    Clutching the silver coin, Mirine began to cry. The tears she had been holding back since the moment she met him began to flow.

 CH 40

    Chapter 40: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (3)


    A few days after I helped her find a house, Mirine suddenly came to visit the chamberlain.


    ¡°I can do anything. I¡¯m confident in my sewing and I¡¯m good at cleaning. Please let me work for you!¡±


    When I saw the scene, I decided to check her status.


    [Mirine]


    [Age: 21]


    [Martial force: 5]


    [Intelligence: 59]


    [Command: 10]


    There was an interesting part to her status. Her intelligence was 59, even though she had never studied properly. Martial force, intelligence, and command are all values that show a combination of talent and effort.


    In addition, a talent limit is applied to the system¡¯s values. The higher the limit, the higher the talent, but that doesn¡¯t mean anything without the necessary effort.


    The system also had a [skill] that could see talent limit. However, in order to use that [skill] I need 3000 points, it¡¯s impossible at my current level.


    After all, Mirine must not have made any effort to improve her intelligence. She was probably not in an environment where she could do so. Still, with a number of 59, she might be able to transform herself if she worked hard. I got curious what would happen.


    ¡°Do you want to work?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    Mirine fell flat when she came in front of me. Then she tugged on Zint arm. ¡®You too, get down on your knees quickly!¡¯ This was the meaning behind her action.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s not nice for a vassal to kneel every time. Zint is my vassal and you, his wife, may address me as sir.¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency? Well, that¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡±


    Mirine¡¯s was confused, with a look of fear on her face that said she couldn¡¯t call me that. I decided to quickly get down to business.


    ¡°You want to work, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know how to repay this favor¡­¡­I¡¯ll do anything, really!¡±


    ¡°Can you do whatever it takes?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you do some studying? You¡¯d better start by learning the¡­¡­letters.¡±


    At my words, Mirine blinked her eyes for about ten seconds and then looked at Zint.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Zint. He¡¯s a far cry from all that.¡±


    Mirine pointed to herself at my words.


    ¡°Me? Oh, no! Of course not! Aren¡¯t letters supposed to be learned by nobles?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times, vassals are quasi-aristocrats. If you really want to work for the territory, you should start by learning the letters. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t let you work.¡±


    Mirine was very confused when I said that.


    ¡°Yes, sir! Can I do it ¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°If you work hard, the results will come. Let¡¯s just wait and see what happens.¡±


    That was the part I really had no idea about. Would her intelligence increase or stay the same? Besides, there are different kinds of intelligence: intelligence to manage a territory, intelligence to fight in wars and others. I don¡¯t know what kind of intelligence she has until I experience it. It¡¯s like waiting for the results of a lottery draw.


    ***


    Currently, I¡¯m level 19. I became level 18 after annihilating the Narja Royal Army in the recent war. Then, in the process of taking out Mirine, I had a battle with the border patrol, which brought me to level 19. My martial force is 64 and I have 300 points left.


    I can¡¯t neglect my level ups, that means that I have to stay involved in various battles. Of course, that would be after I¡¯ve built up my territory.


    ¡°Haddin, assemble all the troops!¡±


    I gathered the entire army to introduce my new vassals and now I¡¯m holding a tournament with prizes. I can see the ability values of people, but the others can¡¯t. No one but me knows who Zint and Yusen are.


    This tournament is to show off the military prowess of the newly joined vassals. There is no one who can defeat Zint even Yusen had been defeated by him before. Naturally, the winner was Zint and the second place went to Yusen.


    After this event I announced their new positions. Haddin, who is the only remaining noble among my vassals, was still the overall commander of the army. Yusen, who has a command ability value of 90, has been appointed as the deputy commander of the Territorial Army.


    In addition, I created a new position called captain of 1,000 men and I appointed Givens and Bente, who were the two best suited to handle a force of this size. Givens command was 76 and Bente 82 they were the best for the job.


    In Zint¡¯s case, his command was too low. So, I appointed him as the captain of the Special Forces unit that doesn¡¯t have any subordinates yet. He had the same grade as a thousand-man captain.


    After reviewing the positions I now turned my attention to the troops. The current Aintorian Territorial Army was 14,000 men, but this was not a fully regular army. Looking at the history of China and Europe, the number of elite soldiers is generally around 1% of the population.


    This 1% is not ordinary infantry, but special troops such as cavalry and archers. In the case of the Chinese, however, they often drafted up to 10% of the population, with 1% being a standing army of professional soldiers, and the remaining 9% being a reserve force that was usually engaged in farming and were used as needed.


    With the condition that they would normally be engaged in farming, it was possible to conscript a high figure of 10% of the population.


    Aintorian 14,000 troops were a mixture of these two. Currently, the population of the Lunan Kingdom is about 10 million. And the population of Aintorian territory is 220,000.


    With the onset of war, I intend to increase the regular army to 10,000 and prepare 20,000 troops to be engaged in farming.


    The problem is that Aintorian is a border region and therefore had a smaller population than the other territories; however, there had been a big change recently.


    The original population was around 180,000, but thanks to the tax exemption policy and my fame, the population had increased by 40,000 as refugees from the northern part of the Lunan Kingdom, where the war was taking place, moved into the area.


    Even after the tax exemption period is over, if I reduce taxes moderately and cultivate the land, the population will continue to grow, won¡¯t it? Borders are always dangerous, but in times of warfare every territory will have such problems and people will choose the safest place to live.


    If I give people confidence that they are safe, the population will grow. If the population reaches 300,000 I can sustain a force of 30,000.


    [Do you want to draft?]


    Since I can sustain 20,000 troops for the time being, I have moved towards my first goal.


    [Who will you choose to do the draft?]


    What¡¯s a little interesting here is that the higher the martial strength and command, the more effective it is in increasing the training level, and the higher the popularity within the affiliation of the vassal making the conscription, the harder it is to lower the public sentiment towards the lord.


    [Haddin popularity within the ranks 90]


    [Zint popularity within the ranks 50]


    [Bente popularity within the ranks 70]


    [Yusen popularity within the ranks 50]


    [Givens popularity within the ranks 50]


    [Mirine popularity within the ranks 50]


    This is natural since they had only been in the territory for a short time. I expect that Yusen¡¯s affinity and good personality would soon increase his popularity within the ranks but for now only Haddin is suitable for drafting.


    [Do you want Haddin to handle the draft?]


    [6,000 men can be drafted]


    [People spirit predicted to fall by 5¡ý]


    When I selected Haddin, this message appeared. I thought about it for a while, but this time I decided to do it directly.


    ¡°Narja continues to increase their forces. Soon the age of war will start. The time will come when you must protect your families. Of course, when that time comes, I will do my best to protect Aintorian. But I can¡¯t do it alone, I need your help. This draft is for the protection of our territory, that is why I am sending you to war, but I promise you one thing. I will lead you in battle; you will always have me in front!¡±


    I have a pretty good reputation within the territory, so, as a result of making this declaration to the people in the square.


    [People spirit increased by 2]


    Surprisingly, the people¡¯s spirits went up by two. Thanks to this, the number of soldiers steadily increased by 6,000, bringing their total to 20,000.


    The 20,000 troops were reorganized and training was started anew. I left the training to Givens, Bente, and Yusen, the number of vassals was small so they all had to work hard.


    We were going to select 10,000 from them to form a regular army from and pay them salaries. Out of these 10,000, I would select 2,000 to form an elite unit.


    Fortunately, war funds are not a problem, so all I needed was time. Of course I will not just sit and wait. I have many external issues to deal with this year, until the story starts.


    As history has it, the Royal Army of Narja is very quiet. That history has been rewritten, but the great conquest will not stop so easily.


    The pride of the Narja Kingdom is its elite troops, each led by one of the Ten Warlords. Each unit has a fancy name based on the alias of one of the warlords and they were quite troublesome in the game. This time I have to deal with them in reality, not in a game.


    In other words, I have to use my head. If I fight purely with my troops, I have no chance of winning. Of course, in order to utilize my brain I needed troops who can serve as my hands and feet, even if they are small in scale.


    Soon, news of war will reach our ears. It¡¯s not a war between Narja and Lunan but a war between the southern countries. Originally, the Lunan Kingdom had already been destroyed when this war broke out and Narja wasn¡¯t involved since they¡¯re preparing for the Great Conquest.


    However, history has changed. Due to the relationship between the country where the war took place and the Lunan Kingdom, something interesting was about to happen, if it did, I would have to play my part. The opportunity to lay a foundation for my expansion was coming.

 CH 41

    Chapter 41: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (4)


    The king of Roserun, Roserun the Great, was blackmailed by Bridget Kingdom emissaries.


    ¡°Your Majesty, will you obey the Imperial Order?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I will not surrender!¡±


    Barely fourteen years old, the young king shouted with all his might, but the envoy replied with a grin.


    ¡°Oh, I see. But do you think you can defend your country? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to surrender and enjoy the rest of your life in peace, instead of risking death?¡±


    His tone was arrogant, but no nobleman was repulsed. They were only afraid of the Bridget Kingdom.


    ¡°It is my duty as the king to protect the land and people of Roserun ¡­¡­I will not surrender. Go back before I cut off your head!¡±


    He was obviously trembling, but only a young king could think for the good of his country.


    ¡°Then everyone in the Kingdom of Roserun will be slaves. And you still don¡¯t regret it?¡±


    ¡°If we surrender, our people will not be enslaved?¡±


    At the king¡¯s words, the envoy smiled and began to speak.


    ¡°Have you not read the royal decree? It guarantees the lives of the king and his family.¡±


    This also meant that no other guarantees would be made.


    ¡°Then we can¡¯t surrender even more! Get out of here now!¡±


    The king shouted again, and the envoy shook his head.


    ¡°Your Majesty has now made the worst possible choice. The people may think that they would rather be slaves than die.¡±


    In fact, the visit itself was more aimed at dividing the king, the nobles and the people than surrendering.


    ***


    After the emissary left the Roserun Kingdom was thrown into chaos.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it and I think we should surrender. It¡¯s the only way to survive!¡±


    Count Shala of Roserun exclaimed.


    ¡°Outrageous! Have you forgotten the past when the King of Bridget slaughtered his own people? How can we be safe if we surrender to that madman?¡±


    When the Marquis de Bruxla rebutted Earl Shala shouted even louder.


    ¡°We, the nobility, may surrender if we are promised the treatment of the nobility.¡±


    Count Shala said that he didn¡¯t care if the people were enslaved or not. The Marquis of Bruxla shook his head.


    ¡°Where can we get such a guarantee? There have been many times in history when surrendered country nobles were purged. It¡¯s better to run away and go to Lunan.¡±


    The young king just looked as if he was about to cry in the midst of the pathetic conversation of the nobles. Duke of Lucheek, who had been watching silently, opened his mouth.


    ¡°What are you making such a fuss about? The queen, Lady Sedalia, is the daughter of the Lunan King. Besides, Lunan is our ally, and we even pay them tribute. We can call for reinforcements!¡±


    Count Shala shook his head at those words and said.


    ¡°However, the Lunan Kingdom is not in a very good situation due to the war with the Narja Kingdom¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°We have the trust of our allies and you think we¡¯d abandon them just because things aren¡¯t looking good!¡±


    Then the Marquis of Bruxla raised his voice in agreement with the Duke of Lucheek.


    ¡°I have no worries as long as we have the help of the Lunan Kingdom, which even defeated the Narja Kingdom. If we can¡¯t receive reinforcements or lose, we can just run away then!¡±


    Then the other nobles began to make a fuss about it being the best choice.


    ¡°Your Majesty, if I may? Send an envoy to Lunan immediately!¡±


    ¡°But, but, who should I send¡­¡­?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there only one person who can handle such an important job?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­my sister?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be?¡±


    The nobles all nodded in agreement.


    * * *


    Yurasia Roserun, the first princess of the Roserun Kingdom. She was the first of three children left behind by the previous king of Roserun.


    ¡°Is there a reason why Bridget Kingdom is suddenly threatening Roserun?¡±


    When Yurasia arrived at the royal capital after crossing the border, she asked Count Battin, a nobleman of the Roserun Kingdom and resident diplomat of the Lunan Kingdom, who welcomed her.


    ¡°It is the assessment of the Bridget Kingdom that the recent major war with the Narja Kingdom has weakened the Lunan Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that our ally and friend, the Lunan Kingdom, can¡¯t afford to help us?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Just as I thought.¡±


    Yurasia clenched her fists at Battin¡¯s words.


    I wonder if that¡¯s really true. Did the Lunan Kingdom become so weak that they can¡¯t help us?


    Battin shook his head at Yurasia¡¯s question.


    ¡°The southern territories of the kingdom could not even participate in the war during this time, that¡¯s how fast the Lunan Kingdom army marched to Linon Castle, so there is a surplus of power¡­¡­.If only they could send a decent commander¡­¡­.Well, if Roserun troops and Lunan troops are combined the number of troops will certainly be greater than Bridget¡¯s.¡±


    After hearing the information from Battin, Yurasia immediately visited the royal palace and knelt in front of the throne.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Bridget Kingdom is attempting to invade Roserun. Unfortunately, the forces of my kingdom are not a match for them. I ask this from the standpoint of my brother¡¯s country, your ally. Could you please send reinforcements to your long-time ally, Roserun?¡±


    Of course, the King of Lunan frowned when he heard this. It was something he was not at all comfortable with.


    ¡°Sedalia asked you to do this? If it¡¯s too dangerous for her, she should just run.¡±


    Duke Ronen agreed with the king¡¯s words.


    ¡°We are in a situation where we need to keep the Narja Kingdom in check, and the damage caused by the recent war is also significant. I¡¯m sorry to hear about our ally¡¯s war, but the Lunan Kingdom doesn¡¯t have that kind of power right now.¡±


    It was different from what Battin had said, but it was natural. Ronen had no intention of consuming his troops in a war that would be meaningless even if he had power to spare.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we are still at war with those atrocious Narja people. It will be difficult to provide reinforcements under such circumstances.¡±

 CH 42

    Chapter 42: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (5)


    When the king said this, Yurasia thought it was a bad idea to leave things as they were, and brought up a new proposal.


    ¡°Help me, and I promise you five times the tribute! Your Majesty, this is the limit of the Roserun.¡±


    ¡°Five times the tribute?¡±


    The king showed some thought and then opened his mouth with a look that said he still didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re sending reinforcements to get more tribute. As Duke Ronen says, we can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    When the king refused again, Yurasia became desperate.


    * * *


    Roserun was a country with many problems. Immediately after the war started, all the nobles who were afraid of King Bridget invasion fled.


    However, even under such circumstances, the country was not easily destroyed. This was because there was an existence that fought against Bridget to the end, an existence that had gained the support of the people since she was a child.


    With her natural charm, she was always cheered when she gave speeches, her popularity grew day by day and she never disobeyed that trust. She stood on the front lines and fought to protect her country. In the end, she was the first to die in battle.


    After her death, Roserun was destroyed in less than a week; it was solely due to her power that Roserun was able to hold on for several months. Her name was Yurasia Roserun and she was kneeling in front of me right now.


    [Yurasia Roserun]


    [Age: 20]


    [Martial force: 87]


    [Intelligence: 57]


    [Command: 95]


    She came here to ask for reinforcements purely out of a desire to protect her country and was unaware of the many political struggles in Lunan. If she had asked for reinforcements after getting the nobles on her side she wouldn¡¯t have been turned down at once like this.


    Looking at her abilities, it seemed that her high charm was reflected in her ability to make soldiers follow her lead. She also seemed to have a high mana affinity because of her high martial force. She was more of a warlord than a politician.


    ¡°What, you¡¯ve been to King¡¯s Landing, too?¡±


    I¡¯ve been in King¡¯s Landing for several days now. The war between Roserun and Bridget is important for me as well. The attendants and maidservants I had bribed during my previous visit to the capital had informed me of the envoy¡¯s visit and I had immediately come to seek an audience with the king.


    Princess Yurasia was on her knees, biting her lip at the king¡¯s rejection. Her nobility drifted from her long blonde hair, it¡¯s like she had a charm that made everyone fall in love with her. Of course, she has nothing to do with me, my focus was on the reinforcements. Because Lunan should send reinforcements to Roserun!


    ¡°Your Majesty, I think we should send reinforcements. Please leave the command of reinforcements to me!¡±


    When I suddenly asked for reinforcements in a situation where all the nobles were against it, Yurasia looked at me with a surprised look on her face. The king and the nobles showed the same reaction.


    ¡°What nonsense! Lunan doesn¡¯t have the strength to send reinforcements now!¡±


    Ronen hissed at me.


    ¡°Yes! Who will protect the country if you¡¯re leaving?¡±


    The king was indeed a coward but he was also very greedy.


    ¡°Even Narja can¡¯t replace 70,000 men that fast; they will be quiet for a year or so. Duke Ronen isn¡¯t that right? I heard you sent spies.


    ¡°Be that as it may, this is not a situation where we should be getting involved in another country¡¯s war!¡±


    When I asked, Ronen shook his head again; this is why Lunan is no good. To be honest, I don¡¯t care what happens to Roserun. In fact, they will owe me a debt of gratitude for persuading the king to send reinforcements. It means that I might be able to make them my ally just by helping them.


    However, Roserun is geographically adjacent to many countries. It¡¯s not a good place. In this respect, Bridget was different. Formed by several islands in a row along the coast, it was a land that was quite suitable for secretly cultivating an army.


    Roserun Yurasia, with her, I can lead Roserun troops. With those troops, we can stop Bridget, and with the troops from Lunan, I can even conquer Bridget!


    The King of Bridget will personally lead his soldiers to attack Roserun. Bridget succeeds in destroying Roserun, but then it is attacked by Narja and destroyed. What if I can do what Narja has done?


    There are many ways to bring down Bridget, if only I can kill their king, he¡¯s not an S-class being like the king of Narja. I couldn¡¯t let an opportunity like this pass me by. It was a chance to gain someone else¡¯s land using someone else¡¯s troops while preserving my own!


    ¡°Your Majesty, my goal is not Roserun. If you leave the reinforcements to me, I will stop Bridget from invading Roserun and then counterattack and destroy Bridget. Once Bridget is yours, you will have no need to worry about Narja. You will truly be the victor of this age!¡±


    It was only natural that the greedy king would be intrigued by the idea of having Bridget; Roserun was a country that paid tribute anyway.


    ¡°I have a strategy. It¡¯s the same one that allowed Narja army to march quickly to our capital. If I can¡¯t do what Narja strategist could, I won¡¯t have the face to show. At that time, I will return to my territory and became an ordinary nobleman!¡±


    When I said that much, the king gulped down his spit and hurriedly asked back.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to conquer Bridget for Lunan? All that land?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    As soon as I assured him, the king made eye contact with Ronen. He looked confused and Ronen didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°There has been little damage to the southern territories in the recent war. We sent our troops late and the war was already over by then. If you can only gather 50,000 troops from the southern territories, we will have enough troops to attack Bridget!¡±


    It¡¯s no wonder that as soon as Bridget is destroyed, it will become Lunan land. I don¡¯t have the manpower to manage that land now. It¡¯s not time for me to become independent yet. Of course, I¡¯ll just leave it with them for a while after I occupy it.


    As soon as Lunan royal capital will be occupied after the great conquest of Narja, I planned to absorb the land of Bridget that Lunan had been managing without shedding a single drop of blood.


    It was a strategy that would allow me to target large areas without using any of my own troops. To do so, I must first destroy Bridget. I never know if I¡¯ll succeed or fail! That¡¯s why this world is so interesting.


    The king looked at me tempted. My proposition was irresistible.


    * * *


    The king spoke with Ronen after everyone left.


    ¡°Is it true that there has been no movement in Narja?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If we gather only the southern troops we will be fine for a while. Erhin has said that he will settle the matter within six months, so his plan will work. I think we don¡¯t need to worry. The northern territories are being rebuilt by Erhin and we are also sending spies to read the enemy¡¯s movements.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Erhin can do it. In the last war, the enemy strategist who had targeted the royal city of Lunan left without being able to do anything about it. If we use that tactic on Bridget, who lost their king, it will be an easy win.  Of course, that¡¯s only if he can kill the king of Bridget with Roserun, but I think it¡¯s worth a try.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems to be well worth a try.¡±


    Ronen opened his mouth cautiously to the pleased king.


    ¡°But, Your Majesty if we get Bridget, Erhin should be called back to King¡¯s Landing immediately. We must not give him a share of the territory!¡±


    ¡°Of course, we just need Erhin to fulfill his role in fighting Narja. Then, you can kill him when there are no more enemies. We don¡¯t need them unless they are affiliated with the Lunan royal family. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t give him any rewards in the last war.¡±


    The Duke of Ronen is a relative of the royal family of Lunan. He, too, had shown his desire to make the land he hadn¡¯t even acquired into his own domain.

 CH 43

    Chapter 43: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (6)


    ***


    Sixty thousand elite soldiers gathered at Luxenbaum, a border territory in the southern part of Roserun.


    The king of Bridget, Bautor, immediately gave the order to attack. With that 40,000 infantrymen began to charge at once. Bautor watched the scene with a satisfied expression on his face; a faint smile appeared on his lips.


    Compared to the Lunan and Narja kingdoms, Bridget had always been a rank lower, Bautor didn¡¯t like that. That was why this war had great significance.


    It was impossible for Luxenbaum troops to stop 60,000 elite soldiers. The defensive force was about 4,000 and if the troops that had been hastily recruited in response to the declaration of war were added, the total would be 7,000, but even that was not enough.


    The terrified soldiers and the lord were unable to fulfill their duties. Ganev, who had climbed the city walls, sneered at the lord. He was one of the three most powerful swordsmen in Bridget.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    The lord stepped back in surprise but Ganev sword was faster than him. As the name ¡°Ganev the Good¡± suggested, his sword pierced the lord¡¯s heart.


    Bautor smiled broadly when he saw this. Roserun kingdom was not so different from what he had expected.


    ¡°This is the moment you¡¯ve been waiting for, jump into the castle!¡¡Enjoy it!¡±


    Immediately, the soldiers started cheering. It was like a death sentence for the people of Roserun.


    ¡°Aaaaah!¡±


    ¡°Come here!¡±


    The soldiers, turned into beasts, looking around madly for young women.


    ¡°Help me¡­¡­!¡±


    Everyone except the young women was killed on the spot. A woman hiding inside a house was grabbed by her hair and pulled out. Dozens of soldiers slobbered and attacked her.


    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡­!¡±


    There were screams of desperation everywhere. The king, however, did not kill the 100 people he captured at random. He let them witness this hell before releasing them.


    ¡°Go and tell them what you have seen. We, Bridget, have no mercy!¡±


    This was done not only to relieve the stress of the soldiers but also to teach the people of Roserun that there would be no mercy.


    His next destination was the Briant territory. Of course, that territory also fell without any resistance at all. Bautor created another hell in the fallen castle and like before let some of the captured leave to spread the rumors.


    After marching onward with no difficulty, Bautor advised the two lords of Kesenbein and Cilant to surrender.


    ¡°Surrender and I will spare your life. It¡¯s better to live than to resist us and die!¡±


    Day after day, he made a surrender call in front of the castle. The lord of Cilant, who had already heard many times how cruelly the people in other territories ended up had no intention to even fight, raised the white flag in surrender.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯re willing to open the gates immediately if it will guarantee our safety!¡±


    ¡°All right, then. Disarm the enemy soldiers.¡±


    Winning without fighting is the best way.


    ¡°Good! Massacres in Cilant territory are forbidden. Spare his life.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that just a deception tactic?¡±


    Ganev tilted his head and asked, but Bautor looked frustrated.


    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing!¡±


    ¡°The territories that have not yet surrendered are to be razed to the ground. Kill all the men, take the women to the Cilant territory, rape them and then kill them. Let it be engraved in the brains of the Roseruns how big is the difference between a surrendered territory and a non-surrendered one!¡±


    This very tactic had a major impact on later battles. It created confusion among the lords, the people, and the vassals. One after another, the territories surrendered. As a result, Bridget lost less than 1,000 men in the course of their march to the royal capital.

 CH 44

    Chapter 44: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (7)


    ***


    In the midst of the daily grief and confusion, good news arrived at the royal palace of Roserun for the first time in a long time. Reinforcements were coming; Yudante was overjoyed and unfolded the letter from Yurasia. After reading a few lines, he shouted with joy.


    ¡°Rejoice! Reinforcements are coming from Lunan!¡±


    Hearing this, the nobles began to buzz.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    However, the king¡¯s expression changed as he read the letter. His expression lost its brightness.


    ¡°But¡­¡­.The number of reinforcements is¡­¡­.only 30,000¡­¡­.¡±


    At those words, the air in the royal palace instantly froze. Bellac, the general of the royal army, asked with a wrinkle between his brows.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I think you¡¯ve got the wrong numbers. We can never win with such numbers. In the last war, Lunan used 100,000 troops to stop Narja 70,000 troops. How in the world can we fight with 30,000 troops!?¡±


    The king¡¯s words were no longer heard by the nobles. The only thing that mattered to them was the number of reinforcements.


    Even Duke Lucheek, who had proposed the request for reinforcements, shook his head, saying that it was a moot point. This was the moment when the option of fleeing to a third country came to the minds of the nobles who remained in the royal capital believing in reinforcements.


    Bellac left the palace with a frown on his face. How could they fight with only 30,000 troops? The Royal Army of Roserun was also in a state of disarray due to severe deserting, and there were only about 10,000 troops left.


    10,000 troops with no will to fight and 30,000 reinforcements. The enemy, on the other hand, had 60,000 elite soldiers. Not only that, but they had also absorbed the territorial armies from all over Roserun that had surrendered and obtained slave soldiers to serve as arrow shields. With the addition of 20,000 slave soldiers to the existing army, the total army strength was over 80,000.


    Bellac, who knew well the morale and training level of the Royal Army, concluded that it was a battle that could not be won. However, his subordinate chief of staff, Kaiten, who was standing next to him, had a different idea.


    ¡°General! Even with 30,000 troops, with Count Aintorian here, we can somehow protect the capital.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to say, the number of soldiers is still the same!¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s a general who has won a larger war¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That story is probably exaggerated, that¡¯s what rumors are all about. Besides, in the current situation, the terrain is not the same. We will have to fight on the plains in front of the royal capital. What kind of strategy do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think like that. The lords who have already surrendered are also wrong. The country is in this situation because they only think about surrendering¡­¡­.We should change our minds and think about fighting seriously now!¡±


    ¡°Will you shut up? Don¡¯t talk to me as if you understand!¡±


    Bellac was angered by Kaiten words.


    * * *


    I met up with Lunan Royal Army in the southern territories. The training level was 30, morale also 30, it was a terrible unit.


    Two Earls, five Viscounts, and ten Barons were placed in command. This was Ronen¡¯s intention, the Viscounts and Barons were local aristocrats who led the soldiers from their respective territories, but the Earls were vassals sent by him. In other words, he would monitor me.


    For reinforcements I called only Zint. My other vassals were probably busy with military training in the territory. Since it was a war in another country Zint alone was enough.


    The problem was that the king had sent us only 30,000 reinforcements. He explained that we will fight with 30,000 for now, and he would send more troops after us. In other words, he wanted me to make something possible with 30,000 troops first, something like killing the king of Bridget.


    Well, that¡¯s the king. It¡¯s a good that he sent 30,000 troops before he changed his mind. Anyway, we arrived at the royal capital of Roserun without any hindrance. I went straight to the palace and had an audience with the king. He was still very young, about the age of a junior high school student.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve brought reinforcements! This is Earl Aintorian, general of the reinforcements.¡±


    I knelt down next to Yurasia, who introduced me.


    ¡°I see! So you¡¯re that Earl Aintorian!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by that, but that Earl Aintorian is definitely me.¡±


    When I shook my head, the king asked again with an earnest look on his face.


    ¡°I know that there are 30,000 reinforcements from Lunan, but is it possible for more to be sent later?¡±


    The nobles looked at me at the same time as the king asked that question. They seemed to be dissatisfied with the number of soldiers. Well, I admit it. It is true that there are not many.


    ¡°This 30,000 is all I have.¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡­..You can¡¯t stop the enemy with only 30,000 troops, can you?¡±


    All the nobles nodded at the king¡¯s words then Yurasia shook her head.


    ¡°Your Majesty, even 30,000 is not an easy number to obtain. Besides, 30,000 troops are more than enough to fight. Don¡¯t worry I will definitely defend the capital in the name of Roserun!¡±


    As if she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, Yurasia, who had been listening silently, shouted.


    ¡°I think I can fight well enough!¡±


    It was a good argument, so I agreed with her but the nobles just sighed. All of them already had a defeated look on their faces.


    * * *


    On the battlements of the royal capital, the place which would soon be the site of a fierce battle, I was talking with General Bellac.


    ¡°What is the status of the Royal Army?¡±


    Of course, I could see it in the system, but I needed to hear it anyway. Because it would be weird if I knew before he explained.


    ¡°The Royal Army has 10,000 left. We should have gathered troops from all the territories, but they all surrendered and ran away, so we only have the garrison of the royal capital.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Most of the territories surrendered without a fight?¡±


    When Yurasia, who was listening, interrupted, Bellac nodded and said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is Your Highness.¡±


    In other words, there were no territorial troops that came to support the royal capital. Furthermore, it seemed that no support troops had come from the territories north of the capital that had yet to be invaded.


    While the King of Lunan was taking his time to prepare reinforcements, Bridget¡¯s invasion was breaking out at a breakneck pace, making the situation even worse. If we could have come before the invasion the situation would have been completely different. However I still don¡¯t intend to give up.


    ¡°But how do you propose to fight them? With the kingdom¡¯s army and reinforcements combined, we only have 40,000 troops¡­¡­.¡±


    General Bellac asked me.


    ¡°We¡¯d better make the most of the siege.¡±


    That¡¯s it for now. However Bellac let out a chuckle at my words.


    ¡°A brilliant strategist best tactic is siege warfare? Hahaha.¡±


    He sneered, turned his back on me and went down the castle wall on his own. The general of the kingdom army has no intention of fighting. If the general was like that it was only natural that the morale of the kingdom¡¯s army was only eight.


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡±


    Yurasia bit her lip with a sorrowful expression as she watched him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think Roserun was this pathetic. They all seem to think that 30,000 troops won¡¯t be of any use, even though 30,000 isn¡¯t a small number¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because there are so many enemies, especially if you¡¯re not used to war.¡±


    ¡°I believe that we can win if we resist desperately. If we all unite our hearts, we can do it!¡±


    Well, that¡¯s true, we all needed to get our minds together. In other words, I had to raise the troop¡¯s morale. If the soldiers of the country were only thinking about escaping, the morale of the reinforcements would not rise. No matter how good the strategy was, it was meaningless if it could not even be implemented.


    She was grateful to me because I was the one who persuaded the King of Lunan to send the 30,000 reinforcements. That¡¯s why she even knelt down in Lunan to express her gratitude to me but that was as far as it went. She didn¡¯t trust me completely, it¡¯s not surprising, since I¡¯ve never presented her with a strategy or shown her any kind of ability.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask you to die in another country¡¯s war. If you knew that Roserun was in such a bad situation and didn¡¯t said such things to the King of Lunan you could¡¯ve left now. I admit that the situation has gotten worse but I will fight. I will not let Bridget step on this land until I die!¡±


    She said while looking at me sideways but I don¡¯t have that option. Where would I go without a fight?


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. After invading Roserun, the next target for Bridget will definitely be Lunan. We will fight together until the end; please don¡¯t forget that, Your Highness. No matter what happens from now on, you must never give up. If only Your Highness can endure without giving up, I will create a miracle.


    The princess bowed her head and thanked me.


    ¡°I am very grateful for your help!¡±


    Then, turning her back to me, she put her hand on the castle wall and looked out from above. The silence continued for a while until she asked me a question.


    ¡°Will a miracle really happen?¡±


    ¡°If you follow my strategy, Your Highness, I will definitely create a miracle.¡±


    Yurasia clenched her fists and said.


    ¡°Then I will repay your kindness by any means necessary!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a favor. If you continue to fight, a miracle will happen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never give up!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make a miracle happen.¡±


    I answered with a voice full of conviction; because that was the reason I came to this place.

 CH 45

    Chapter 45: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (8)


    ***


    ¡°Your Majesty only Rhonav and Beygen are standing between us and the capital.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s right in front of us!¡±


    The king of Bridget, Bautor, nodded at the steady progress.


    ¡°Have the Lunan reinforcements arrived in the capital?¡±


    Isenbahan, Bridget¡¯s chief of staff, answered Bautor question.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Bautor stroked his chin briefly and called Errante the heavy sword of the three swordsmen.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to occupy Rhonav and Beygen and then head for King¡¯s Landing. You must bypass them and go to the capital first. No siege is allowed until I arrive.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Your Majesty!¡±


    When Errante replied, Bautor shifted his gaze to the soldiers with a satisfied look on his face.


    Lunan¡¯s reinforcements were only 30,000. After all, Lunan had no power left. Confident that this war would be won, Boutros shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry soldiers! In the remaining two territories, you can kill and rape as much as you like. Whether they resist or surrender, it doesn¡¯t matter. Enjoy yourself to the fullest in preparation for the decisive battle in King¡¯s Landing!¡±


    * * *


    In front of the capital yellow military uniforms began to appear. It was much earlier than I expected. The preparations were not complete and the morale was as bad as usual. It was only natural since I had only been in the capital for a day.


    [Bridget Kingdom Army]


    [Strength: 20,000]


    [Morale: 90]


    [Training level: 80]


    The number of enemy troops that showed up was 20,000. From the looks of it, it seemed to be a spearhead force. It must mean that the main force was still occupying other territories.


    The problem was our morale, which was only eight. Perhaps that was all, but the mere appearance of the spearhead force had thrown the soldiers of Roserun into chaos. They just couldn¡¯t break out of the camp because all the castle gates were closed.


    If this confusion was the aim of sending the spearhead team ahead, the strategy was working well enough. Furthermore, the enemy seemed to have no intention of launching a siege. Instead of attacking the castle, they just wanted to pass the time by pressuring us.


    ¡°The enemy, the enemy is coming!¡±


    In the meantime, startling news came in from the top of the city walls.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡­They¡¯re citizens of Roserun!¡±


    Yurasia shouted in surprise. It was the captive people of Roserun who were coming in as she had said.


    Bridget had released the people and was killing them as they drove them from behind. This meant that if anyone who lagged behind would die. People rushed to the citadel in a desperate attempt to stay alive. While those around them were falling, being trampled to death, they ran, looking only ahead.


    ¡°Oh, my God, help me!¡±


    ¡°Please help me!¡±


    ¡°Open the gates!¡±


    They managed to reach the front of the castle gate, but the gate did not open. If we opened the gate in this condition, the cavalry would come inside. So, I couldn¡¯t open the gate. However, if I did not do anything, I would just have to watch the people being killed by the enemy army right in front of me.


    It was a despicable method, but it was quite effective in tormenting Roserun. Whether they opened the gates or not, Roserun would collapse like this. The princess, who had been watching the scene gritted her teeth and ran down to the castle gate.


    ¡°Open the gates now! Can¡¯t you see your own people screaming for help?¡±


    Yurasia shouted to the gatekeepers. However, Bellac blocked her way. He kicked the gatekeeper and stood in front of the castle gate.


    ¡°You must never open the gates. Are you willing to put King¡¯s Landing in danger for the sake of a few insignificant lives?¡±


    Yurasia immediately kicked Bellac and shouted with a furious look on her face.


    ¡°Shut up! What¡¯s the point of trying to scream desperately for us to fight for our family and country while leaving our people to die in front of us! They are Roserun family and citizens too!¡±


    Yurasia drew her sword.


    ¡°Open the gate now!¡±


    The gatekeepers opened the gates in a panic, and at the same time, people came pouring in from outside. The people were surprised by the speed of the horse and stepped aside as Yurasia rode up in front of them.


    ¡°Follow Her Highness! Come on, soldiers!¡±


    Kaiten, the chief of staff of the Royal Army shouted, ignoring the glaring Bellac.


    ¡°Fihatri¡±


    I called for Earl Fihatri, the vice-captain of the reinforcements, he was also a vassal of the Duke of Ronen, but for now I had to trust him. Anyway, I knew that he and Duke Ronen would share the same fate, so at least I could trust him more than Bellac.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way to the princess. Reinforcements are to stay in the capital. When the cavalry approaches the city gates, close them!¡±


    The number of soldiers in King¡¯s Landing is far smaller than the number of reinforcements. This means that the reinforcements are in control of the royal capital. In other words, as long as the reinforcements were in the royal capital, Bellac could not close the gates on his own.


    ¡°General! To face a trap like this alone would be to invite your own death! I won¡¯t let that happen!¡±


    Fihatri stopped me with a surprised look on his face. He doesn¡¯t know anything about my strength; he only knows that I use strategy well. But I didn¡¯t have time to explain that to him.


    ¡°Fihatri! That¡¯s an order!¡±


    When I ordered him Fihatri stepped back as if he had no choice.


    ¡°Keep in mind what I just told you! As long as no enemy approaches within 200 meters, keep the gates open! Don¡¯t let Bellac have his way!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. However, the reinforcements will retreat immediately if anything should happen to the general.¡±


    If I died, there would be no point in helping Roserun. I had no intention of dying, so I nodded and ran outside the castle with Zint.


    The princess had run off. It was the worst thing she could have done, but it was also an opportunity. If only she could move the soldiers of Roserun with her actions to protect the people! I just had to believe in her struggle because she was the only one who could raise the morale of Roserun.


    * * *


    She was a hero who fought with her soldiers in the territories before King¡¯s Landing. She was always the first to swing her sword.


    However, the situation was a little different now that it was not a game. Because she visited the Lunan Kingdom to ask for reinforcements, Roserun front line could not hold on at all and was pushed all the way to the royal capital.


    The reality was completely different from the game. However, her existence has not changed. She should be able to convince the soldiers!


    To buy time for her people to enter the castle, Yurasia rode her horse up to the cavalry. Actually, this cavalry was special among the soldiers of Bridget. There are many iron mines in Bridget. Therefore, Bridget¡¯s cavalry was the Iron Cavalry, armed with steel armor. An assault force with overwhelming strength in plain combat!  They fell to the king of Narja in the game¡¯s history, but that was just because they were fighting the wrong guy. If they had attacked other countries first, they might have played a bigger role in the history of the game.


    The only one who could stop the Iron Cavalry was Yurasia!


    ¡°The city gates are open. Advance!¡±


    When the captain of the iron cavalry shouted this, the assault formation was set up. The soldiers of Roserun, who had no choice but to follow her, were all frightened at once.


    ¡°Hiiiiiiiii!¡±


    Instead of stopping the soldiers began to move backwards. In addition, some soldiers took advantage of the fact that they were outside the closed gates to run away. Those who didn¡¯t run away stood there trembling.


    Kaiten, who was following behind, fell off his horse without putting up a good fight. He was the chief of staff. His strength figures were infinitely low. So, as it turned out, Yurasia was the only one to fight.


    Five thousand soldiers went out of the castle in the confusion, but they only ran away or stood back to watch. No one wanted to fight.


    But Yurasia didn¡¯t say a word. Alone, she took her sword and charged toward the iron cavalry. As she swung her sword, blue mana pierced the chest of an Iron Cavalry soldier she passed. Ten Iron Cavalrymen attacked at the same time, but every single one of them was pierced through the chest by the whirlwind of dark blue mana released from her sword.


    Blue mana!


    [Rossade]


    [A treasure sword handed down from generation to generation in the royal family of Roserun.]


    [The higher the martial force, the stronger the effect]


    [Martial Force +3]


    I thought the scabbard was an unusual piece of work, but it was a treasure. After releasing the blue mana from the Rossade, Yurasia defeated the iron cavalry armed with steel armor one after another.


    Every time she did, the blood of the iron cavalry would wet her body. Even though her entire body was stained with blood, Yurasia continued to slay her enemies. The captain of the iron cavalry, who had been looking down on her, shouted as he had finally come to his senses after about 20 soldiers had died


    ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re only dealing with one person!¡±


    The Iron Cavalry charged at Yurasia in unison. The more she advanced, the more enemies there were, but she still managed to defeat them with her mana. Everywhere Yurasia passed, there were only the corpses of the iron cavalry and the rampaging horses that had lost their masters.


    ¡°Attack her horse!¡±


    The captain of the iron cavalry that was charging towards Yurasia shouted, and before she knew it, the iron cavalry that surrounded her. And soon¡­.


    ¡°Heeeeen!¡±


    Her horse was pierced by an enemy spear. The soldier who wielded the spear was cut down by Yurasia, but she fell from her horse immediately after.


    The princess rolled on the ground. However, she wobbled but quickly stood up and held her sword towards the iron cavalry. Blood was flowing from her forehead, like she had been hurt by the fall.


    She swung her sword at the iron cavalry again, not caring about her own body. But the problem was that she was surrounded. The iron cavalry in front of her fell by the dozens with each swing of her Rossade, but she also enemies behind her.


    Blood spurted from her back, and her face contorted in pain but that didn¡¯t stop her from sitting up. She stabbed Rossade into the ground, removed the pendant from her neck and closed her eyes. Then, a huge mana formation appeared on the ground. The formation glowed white and created a huge explosion around her.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Explosion called explosion, and the chain of white light explosions swallowed the entire Iron Cavalry. After the huge explosion, she was the only one left. The iron cavalry that had surrounded her had all disappeared.


    The white mana formation was the power of the treasure tool. The same thing happened when I fought Fran.


    When Yurasia managed to support herself with Rossade, as she had used up all her strength, Bridget¡¯s infantry, who had been watching from the sidelines, came rushing in. A huge man holding a large sword as tall as he was leading them.


    ¡°Excellent. Brilliant. I didn¡¯t know there was such a woman in Roserun. Now I¡¯ll deal with you myself!¡±


    [Modideh Errante]


    [Age: 41]


    [Martial force: 92]


    [Intelligence: 31]


    [Command: 71]


    The man who showed up had a martial force of 92. When he appeared, Yurasia¡¯s expression suddenly darkened.  It is a fact that he is strong. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to change her expression like this.


    Errante quickly swung his heavy sword at Yurasia. Yurasia pulled out her Rossade and hurriedly blocked, but the blue mana was no match for the heavy sword.


    She was flung backwards by the powerful mana sword pressure generated by the swinging heavy sword. Her martial force was just 90 with the bonus from Rossade while Errante¡¯s martial force rose to 94 with the skill he just used. It was only natural that she would lose.

 CH 46

    Chapter 46: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (9)


    ¡°Oh, come on. I thought you¡¯d entertain me a little. Is that all you got?¡±


    Errante holds up his heavy sword towards Yurasia with a disappointed tone in his voice.


    Yurasia was covered in scratches from rolling around on the ground but she got up. Rossade is a treasure that embodies mana with skills. It can release blue mana even if the user is not a class A mana user, but the mana that is released is only the mana that the user has accumulated.


    In order to unite the soldiers of Roserun, her struggle was essential. So I just watched from the sidelines as bloodshed was unavoidable. Still, I wasn¡¯t going to let her die. She seemed to be at her limit, so I shouted at the Roserun soldiers.


    ¡°Soldiers of Roserun! Don¡¯t you feel anything when you see the princess like that!?¡±


    Now everyone had Yurasia image in their eyes, it was the trigger that I was waiting for. If no one reacted to that horrific sight, Roserun was truly helpless. It would be better to give up and go back to Aintorian if that happened. I pulled the trigger and rushed to Yurasia side. Then a change happened!


    ¡°Shit, I¡¯m coming with you!¡±


    ¡°Me, too!¡±


    ¡°Her Highness always took care of us, didn¡¯t she? She was the only one who helped us when we were attacked by the nobles!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Besides, I remember that Her Highness even took care of a strange old lady who collapsed while passing by. Damn it Bridget people!¡±


    Eventually, one or two of the soldiers of the kingdom army drew their swords. Their eyes, which had been dead with no intention to fight, began to change color.


    ¡°Save Her Highness!¡±


    ¡°Protect Her Highness!¡±


    Roserun soldiers jumped out ahead of me. As their numbers gradually increased, their motivation became contagious. Yes, this is crowd mentality. Once this kind of mentality is born, it spreads in an instant! The soldiers rushed in unison.


    ¡°Protect Her Highness!¡±


    They began to throw themselves in front of Yurasia with such force that it was hard to believe they were the same dead-eyed soldiers that couldn¡¯t to do anything.


    [Royal Army of Roserun]


    [Strength: 5700]


    [Morale: 90]


    [Training level: 20]


    At that moment the morale that was only 3 jumped up to 90. Thanks to this, Errante¡¯s blow that was heading for Yurasia landed on dozens of Roserun soldiers and she was safe.


    Of course, there was no change in the training level, just an increase in morale. I gritted my teeth and fought but the enemies were elite soldiers. If we fought on the plains without any strategy we would only be defeated.


    If they can maintain this morale, I can use any strategy. This means that it is possible to carry out operations across the castle walls. For this reason, morale was essential, and now we have it! She has awakened the soldiers.


    Zint led me to the princess, wiping out the enemies in front of me with his impressive attack power. I was going to use my skills to help her but that was no longer necessary. The soldiers of Roserun did not hesitate to shield Yurasia.


    ¡°Your Highness, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s get out of here!¡±


    I put her on the horse first and rode in front of her. I didn¡¯t think she could ride alone.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re running away?¡±


    Zint asked with a puzzled look on his face. I told Yurasia to follow me meekly, using him as a springboard.


    ¡°Fortunately, while your highness was stalling for time, most of the captured citizens entered the capital!¡±


    We have achieved our goal of boosting morale. That is why we must now escape.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Yurasia took out a few items and threw them at the enemy. At that moment, a powerful light diffused forward. The effect was like a flashbang.


    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s retreat to King¡¯s Landing while we still can!¡±


    As soon as Yurasia shouted that the soldiers began to retreat. Apparently, she had some treasures in her possession. Thanks to this, we were able to pull away a bit, but of course the enemy would chase after us as soon as the flash disappeared.


    ¡°¡­¡­Damn, the light is too bright! Get after them now! Call the iron cavalry in the rear! We¡¯re going to push right through the city gates!¡±


    I could also hear Errante giving orders.


    ¡°Did you know that man? He was a rough guy.¡±


    The system knew his name and abilities, but not much more. So I asked her and got an answer right away.


    ¡°That one is Errante the Heavy Sword. He is one of the three swordsmen of Bridget.¡±


    ¡°Three swordsmen? Is he the strongest of them?¡±


    ¡°No. Rumor has it that the strongest is the one called Kaiken¡­¡­¡±


    This is the reality of Roserun, where there is not a single warlord with a military strength over 90, but Errante is not a problem. The king of Bridget must have sent him here only to use the captives to drop our morale.


    Not to mention Roserun, Bridget would not have assumed that there would be a warlord stronger than him in this royal city. This situation was created by his ego. Therefore, he absolutely could not miss this opportunity.


    ¡°But more importantly, are you okay? We were able to leave them behind, but¡­¡­.If we don¡¯t, they might break through the castle gate¡­¡­.¡±


    Yurasia put her arms around my waist, grabbed me tightly and asked. She has defeated 1,000 Iron Cavalry, but there are still 19,000 men left. It¡¯s natural to be worried.


    ¡°First to the city gates!¡±


    I passed through the gates of the royal city with her.


    * * *


    ¡°That¡¯s Errante the Heavy Sword! Look at how that confident man is running away! Hahahahahaha! I love it!¡±


    On top of the castle wall, Bellac starts laughing but Fihatri thought it was the right choice. There was no need to fight an opponent you knew you would lose to. The fact that he had used mana meant that he was a class A warlord. If that¡¯s the case, then the princess and the general don¡¯t stand a chance, Fihatri decided.


    ¡°Archers, aim at the enemy to buy time!¡±


    Fihatri prepared his archers to cover Erhin.


    ¡°Kiki, yes. Roserun deserves to die.¡±


    Bellac muttered to himself with a wicked smile on his face.


    * * *


    As soon as we entered the castle gate, I set Yurasia down. She was limping a bit, but still seemed to be able to walk; she had a little bit of mana left in her.


    ¡°Close the gate as soon as all the soldiers return!¡±


    From the top of the castle, Fihatri archers were covering them but the problem was the iron cavalry.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!¡±


    The men who appeared with Errante were all infantry, and there were two units of iron cavalry among the 20,000 troops. One of them had been wiped out by Yurasia, but the other unit in the rear was advancing at a very fast pace. Those iron cavalrymen are the problem; they were faster than our infantry.


    ¡°Fihatri!¡±


    I called out to him on the battlements.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need backup, just hand over 2000 archers and 3000 cavalry to Zint immediately. Zint, you are to lead them out of the West Gate, not the South Gate. The west gate will be closed immediately. Follow the plan I told you about. Fihatri! You lead the rest of the 25,000 reinforcements and follow me. We¡¯re heading for the central square!¡±


    After giving orders to Fihatri and Zint, I talked with Yurasia.


    ¡°Your Highness, here¡¯s the thing. The iron cavalry is not afraid of arrows. At that speed, they¡¯ll probably break through the city gates before our infantry who hasn¡¯t returned yet. If the incoming iron cavalry defends the city gates, the rest of the enemy¡¯s army will be able to enter the capital without difficulty. The only way to stop them is to close the city gates now!


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    Yurasia couldn¡¯t answer right away and slurred her words. However, she quickly shook her head.


    ¡°These are the soldiers who took a stand against Errante on my behalf!¡¡It would be impossible to move their hearts again after abandoning them because they couldn¡¯t make it in time. The morale of the Roserun is at stake here!¡±


    It was the right thing to do, for the sake of morale.


    ¡°I¡¯m still all right. I¡¯ll deal with the iron cavalry in front of the city gate. I¡¯ll hold on even if I die!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. With all due respect, it¡¯s impossible for Your Highness to take on a thousand iron cavalrymen with the little mana you have left. Do you have other treasures?¡±


    Yes, it would take time for her mana to recover. Right now, she was in a state where she could only fight like a soldier. Every time she moved, her wounds would hurt. She was still bleeding even now.


    ¡°No, not at the moment.¡±


    The princess bit her lip and shook her head.


    ¡°We will go to the central square. Leave the gate open for the soldiers who haven¡¯t returned yet, and Your Highness, please lead the returned soldiers and the south gate guards to the central square!¡±


    I said that much and turned away. Honestly, the calm and advantageous decision would be to close the gates and let the rest of the soldiers go. However, the most important thing right now is morale. Abandoning the soldiers who didn¡¯t make it here in time would not have a good effect on morale.


    I could have killed Errante outside the castle as many times as I wanted but then I would only be able to kill Errante. Even though they would be upset about losing their commander, they were well-trained soldiers. If we pursued them, there was a greater chance that they would counterattack. A pursuit battle on the plains would be disadvantageous for our poorly trained troops. Furthermore, it would mean leaving the castle empty. If there were other enemy troops, it would be the worst possible choice.


    * * *


    It is true that he used a superior strategy in the battle against Narja. However, I don¡¯t understand his strategy this time. I can¡¯t blame him for running away from the strength of the enemy general, but to open the gates and run away?


    Yurasia thought that with the help of reinforcements, she could struggle at the south gate even if the iron cavalry came in. She thought that if she gave it her all, she would be able to get all of her soldiers back.


    This turned out to be the worst possible choice. Was I overestimating my chances?


    Eurasia clenched her teeth as she thought about this.


    It would be worse to be destroyed individually in this situation. That¡¯s why she needed to get Roserun soldiers to join up with the reinforcements.


    As he said, I¡¯m now in a state where I can¡¯t release mana. I also ran out of treasures.


    The iron cavalry didn¡¯t care about the soldiers who were returning to the city, they were running only with the determination to break through the south gate.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯re heading for the central square!¡±


    She had no choice but to give the order.

 CH 47

    Chapter 47: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (10)


    Yurasia and the Roserun soldiers joined me in the central square. The iron cavalry that had taken control of the south gate was still nowhere to be seen, perhaps waiting for Errante. They would probably follow us here as soon as he arrived.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting you, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Why in the world are you in the central square? If we let the enemy in here, they¡¯ll take King¡¯s Landing!¡±


    I shook my head at the princess¡¯ words.


    ¡°Your Highness, that won¡¯t reduce the number of the enemies. Even if we hold the south gate, once the gates are closed, the enemy will retreat for the time being, they won¡¯t suffer any major losses.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the best we can do? What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    Yurasia raised her voice with a look of disapproval on her face.


    ¡°Your Highness did a fine job outside the castle. Please watch over the rest. I¡¯ll take it from here!¡±


    ¡°How can I rest under such circumstances? You really are a piece of work!¡±


    Yurasia¡¯s doubts remained unanswered and it was the same for Fihatri and his soldiers. They would think it crazy to leave the city gates open and draw the enemy into the city.


    In the meantime, the iron cavalry led by Errante appeared. Interestingly, there was a separate horse dedicated to carrying his heavy sword, as if it was impossible to ride a horse while holding it.


    Was the reason why Errante, unlike the other commanders, didn¡¯t attack while riding because his sword was too heavy for the horse to bear?


    ¡°Kukkuk, are you a bunch of idiots? Pfft! I didn¡¯t expect you to give way to the central square instead of waging an all-out battle at the castle gate!¡±


    Errante shouted and dismounted. The three men from the iron cavalry carried the heavy sword to him. Errante grabbed the heavy sword with both hands and held it up towards us.


    Troops were pouring in from behind us as well. According to the system, there were 10,000 of them; those 10,000 troops were encircling the central square. Except for the iron cavalry, the rest were infantry. The remaining 10,000 were probably still passing through the city gates. At this point, I headed for Errante alone.


    ¡°Hey, you! Stop!¡±


    Yurasia shouted, but I ignored her. Fihatri and the reinforcements who saw his mana from the top of the citadel also looked astonished. They were completely intimidated by a mere 92 martial force warlord. That¡¯s why I needed to show the Royal Army of Roserun and my soldiers the reality. There was no need to be afraid of a warlord of that level.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s start with the Iron Cavalry.¡±


    That¡¯s what I said.


    [Do you wish to use Earth Resonance?]


    I launched my skill at the Iron Cavalry.


    Dum dum dum dum dum!


    Immediately, the ground shook and numerous cracks appeared. It was like a dry riverbed after a long day of sunshine! Then, a red light leaked out from the bottom of the cracked ground, it was lava.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh!¡±


    Before long, the place was engulfed in red flames and turned into a burning hell.


    ¡°Huh, what the hell!¡±


    Errante snickered and stabbed his heavy sword into the ground and then a yellow light appeared in front of him. He had used his defensive skill. Using the defense skill instantly raised his martial force from 92 to 94, but it was meaningless.


    I had 200 points left, which meant I could use the skill 2 more times. I brought the surviving Iron Cavalry and Errante into range and used Earth Resonance again.


    ***


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Unless it was a special treasure like Rossade, only warlords with A-class or higher martial force could use skills to release the mana collected in their bodies through weapons.


    The skill I used caused the ground to crack and an explosion of flames to occur. With that one blow, the battle line of the Iron Cavalry was broken. The battle line is the most important thing in war, when it collapses, a gap is created.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡­!¡±


    Yurasia blinked her eyes in surprise.


    I heard that he was a genius at strategy, but I had never imagined that he was a class A mana user.


    It was something she had never dreamed of.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think the general is¡­¡­!¡±


    It was the same for Fihatri. No, almost everyone there was astonished.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this alone!¡±


    Yurasia said, and picked up Rossade. Maybe if the two of us fought together! That was what she thought. But at that moment Erhin used the same skill again. Errante trusted his heavy sword into the ground, sneering.


    ¡°Enemy general, do you know the difference between confidence and arrogance? Knowing your enemy and knowing yourself is confidence.¡±


    Erhin said and threw away the sword he was holding. He then extended his hand, a white light was generated and another sword was summoned in his hand. Immediately, he threw the summoned sword at Errante. The earth-shaking effect disappeared; Errante wrinkled his brow as he pulled the heavy sword out of the ground.


    ¡°Screw you ¡­¡­You¡¯re wasting your breath!¡±


    Surprised by how fast it was, Errante tried to block [Crush] with his heavy sword. His martial force was 92 and even if he used his skill it would only be 94. The enemy¡¯s carelessness and ego allowed me to lure him here.


    And the result was that Daitouren shattered the heavy sword and pierced Errante¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Errante heart was pierced and he collapsed while screaming. The army of the Bridget Kingdom, which had been advancing vigorously, had their mouths open in astonishment. That¡¯s how famous Errante was in Bridget. Erhin walked over as if it was no big deal and pulled out from the ground.


    ¡°Your commander is dead. If you still want to fight, come at me. I¡¯ll take you!¡±


    Erhin said and jumped into the middle of the enemy. Not more than 200 of the 1,000 iron cavalrymen were left standing. Their numbers began to dwindle rapidly as Erhin launched a barrage of 94 martial force attacks.


    ¡°Fihatri, what are you doing!? The enemy is in chaos, now!¡±


    Fihatri, who was just watching the scene in amazement, came to his senses at Erhin¡¯s shout and gave the order to his soldiers.


    ¡°Attack immediately. The enemy is in disarray, we have the advantage. All units, charge!¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!¡±


    Confident in Erhin¡¯s martial force, the Lunan soldiers rushed toward the enemy.


    ¡°¡­¡­we should go too. This is our capital. We can¡¯t just leave it to the reinforcements!¡±


    Although her body was exhausted, Yurasia joined the battle. The approximately 10,000 soldiers who had marched into the royal capital were panicked and confused.


    ¡°Fall back. Damn it, the captain¡¯s dead. We have to retreat!¡±


    Bridget, deputy commander, remembering the basic military law of retreating in such a chaotic situation, shouted. However, this sent word of Errante¡¯s death to the soldiers in the rear, and the Royal Army of Bridget became even more confused.


    ***


    Zint led the archers and cavalry out of the west gate and moved to the south gate. He then asked Viscount Joren, a subordinate of Fihatri, who had come with him.


    ¡°What the hell is the Crane Wing Formation?¡±


    ¡°Crane and wing formation? It means to form a semi-circular formation with wings spread out against the south gate!¡±


    All he knew about Zint was that he was Erhin¡¯s vassal, so he couldn¡¯t help but reply that way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here. Just set up that formation!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. It¡¯s one of the easiest formation methods.¡±


    Viscount Joren replied and gave orders to the soldiers.


    ¡°Good. We will now shower the enemy army with arrows as they attempt to leave the city!¡±


    ¡°What? Will an enemy with the power to bring down King¡¯s Landing come out soon?¡±


    Joren¡¯s question was answered by Zint, who showed a slight pretense of thinking.


    ¡°Well, you know. I just do what I¡¯m told.¡±


    Even if it is an order to die, Zint held his sword in hand with that thought. After a while, surprisingly enough, the Bridget Kingdom army really started to leave the capital. It was for this very reason that Erhin had sent every last archer in his reinforcements here.


    ¡°The enemy is really coming out!¡±


    Viscount Joren exclaimed with a look of disbelief.


    ¡°Then we must fire the arrows.¡±


    At the same time as Zint¡¯s signal, a large number of arrows rained down on the Bridget Kingdom army coming out of the castle gate.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do. Arrows!¡±


    The Royal Army of Bridget could not turn back at the sight of the arrows. It would have been better for them to fight inside the castle but as the officers confused by the loss of their commander ordered them to retreat at once. They were urging people to retreat quickly but when they came out there was a storm of arrows waiting for them.


    ¡°When you¡¯re done shooting arrows, stay in formation. Cut down the enemies running towards you. Don¡¯t let them escape!¡±


    Zint took the lead and drew his sword as he said this, the war demon appeared.


    ***


    King¡¯s Landing has turned into a sea of blood. I had no choice; this war would drag on endlessly if I let the 20,000 remaining soldiers leave. I needed to take advantage of this opportunity to shorten the war. Although my troops were undertrained, if I could throw the enemy into chaos and then block their way out, I would have an advantage.


    In the central square, we were able to block their retreat by using the castle walls. But if I would¡¯ve killed Errante outside the castle, the enemy army would have fled to the vast plains, the difference was huge.


    Besides, the most important thing in this battle was Roserun¡¯s morale, which was still 90. The princess who had thrown herself in front of the soldiers to fight, as long as she was alive, this morale would be maintained.


    Letting Yurasia fight the enemy alone was a painful measure but her sacrifice was priceless because it resulted in the destruction of the enemy.


    ¡°This is indeed another country¡¯s war. But if Roserun loses, then the next battlefield will be the southern territory of Lunan. What kind of place is the southern territory of Lunan? Yes, that¡¯s where your homes are. If you win here, the battlefield will not be extended to Lunan, so this war is also your war. If you do as I say, you will have great glory with few casualties! And the day we win the war and march into the land of Bridget His Majesty will reward you greatly. You¡¯ll have so much money that you won¡¯t have to farm and live in great hardship!¡±


    Reinforcements that are coming to another country¡¯s war need something, and that¡¯s motivation. That¡¯s why this moment, when I showed my power and won a great victory, was the perfect opportunity to raise the morale of the reinforcements.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!¡±


    As I finished, the call of reinforcements rang out.


    [Morale is now 80]


    Some enemy generals are probably even stronger. If there are two or more A-class generals [Crush] alone will not be enough to win. This is where the strategic battle will come into play. Fortunately, Yurasia struggles gave the soldiers enough morale and now I can put my strategy to use.

 CH 48

    Chapter 48: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (11)


    Previously on I Become a Rogue Lord¡­


    The protagonist possessed the body of the rogue lord Aintorian Erhin.


    After obtaining Daitouren he uses the history he knows and his own unique strategy to repel the invasion of the Narja Kingdom and succeeds in recruiting the talented Yusen and Zint.


    After the war he focuses on developing his territory in order to achieve his goal of unifying the continent.


    The Bridget Kingdom invades the weak Roserun Kingdom. Roserun¡¯s princess, Roserun Yurasia, asks for reinforcements from the Lunan Kingdom, to which Erhin belongs. Erhin decides that there is something to be gained from the war and convinces the King of Lunan that there is a way to occupy Bridget¡¯s territory if he sends reinforcements.


    The hero arrives in the Roserun Kingdom with the reinforcements. The spearhead force led by Errante, one of the three swordsmen of Bridget, marches in front of the royal capital, but Erhin succeeds in raising the morale of his army through the efforts of Roserun Yurasia, and kills Errante, winning the battle.


    With the morale of his army raised, the hero is now ready to take on Bridget¡¯s main army in earnest¡­¡­.


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯ve had the pleasure of watching you in action. It was brilliant!¡±


    The young king shouted with joy, as if he had completely vanquished Bridget. But the war was not over yet. Of course, they gained the advantage. Still, this wasn¡¯t the time to be happy.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the real battle begins here. Let me hear your praise after we defeat Bridget.¡±


    The king nodded.


    ¡°You will be rewarded handsomely then!¡±


    This battle changed the attitudes of the king and the nobles; it was the same for the princess. Yurasia, who had bandages all over her body, nodded vigorously and agreed with the king¡¯s words, fortunately, her wound did not seem to be deep. It was only a cut and no serious injury like a broken bone. She was even moving as soon as she woke up after sleeping for a day.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    The king raised his voice and the nobles nodded at the same time. I left the audience room with the princess after the ceremonial audience, realizing that my reputation had changed.


    I was going to head to the barracks for a strategy meeting but as the two of us walked shoulder to shoulder through the corridors of the royal palace, Yurasia suddenly stood in front of me.


    ¡°Your power¡­¡­It¡¯s too bad you had to hide it from me too! The three Bridget swordsmen are very famous¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to explain, and you didn¡¯t ask¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡±


    Yurasia touched Rossade strapped to her waist and stopped.


    ¡°Next time¡­¡­.I¡¯d love to fight you, to know your limits¡­¡±


    The look in her eyes showed her will to become stronger, I nodded my head.


    ¡°I understand. But you might get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but I¡¯m so excited to fight an A-class mana user.¡±


    Yurasia says this while putting her hand on her chest.


    ¡°Incidentally, the guard who came with me, Zint, is just as strong as that Errante.¡±


    ¡°What? Is that true?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this.¡±


    Yurasia couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut. There was not a single warlord in Roserun who had a martial force of over 90. She was the strongest, so it was a natural reaction.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I need you to trust me. Even if I give you some crazy orders, it¡¯s all strategy.¡±


    I took another step closer to her. Close enough that I could see the pores in her translucent skin. Her white skin was covered with scars from yesterday¡¯s fierce battle. Yurasia didn¡¯t back away from the close distance. Rather, she looked up at me with a willful gaze and said.


    ¡°I will follow your strategy no matter what!¡±


    She tried to kneel, so I grabbed her arm to stop her. She was covered in bandages and should not make any sudden moves.


    ¡°Your Highness, you don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°But!¡­¡­If there had been even one treasure left at that time, the enemy might not have gathered in the central square. To think that this strategy would have been ruined because of me¡­¡­even kneeling a hundred won¡¯t make up for it¡­¡­¡±


    She talked with a depressed look on her face as if she was guilty. Fortunately, I seemed to have gained a lot of trust from her.


    ¡°Instead, could you show me Rossade? That sword was amazing!¡±


    ¡°Rossade?¡­¡­But how did you know the name of the sword?¡±


    With a curious look on her face, Yurasia unsheathed Rossade from her waistband and handed it to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s a famous sword. I¡¯ve heard of it.¡±


    The sword was beautiful. However, it seemed that the only effect I got from using it was +3 martial force. It was a treasure sword that would release mana like a skill even for B-class mana users, but I guess I don¡¯t have enough accumulated mana to use this effect.


    ¡°It seems that the Roserun family has many treasures and tools that have been passed down from generation to generation. Could it be that there are still others?¡±


    I asked as I returned the sword, and the princess nodded immediately.


    ¡°There are other treasures as well. I¡¯ve already used up what I had, but I¡¯m sure there are still some left in the royal treasury.¡±


    ¡°The royal treasury?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to go to the treasury? If there¡¯s anything you need, I¡¯ll give it to you!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no point in storing them away for safekeeping if they can be used in the war.¡±


    The princess turned away as soon as she said that.


    ¡°Come this way, then!¡±


    She quickly moved to the basement. The treasury seemed to be located in the basement of the royal palace. As she descended into the basement, I saw a huge door. There were no guards there.


    When the princess held out her hand, the door opened automatically, emitting light in response to the ring she was wearing. It was a white light, similar to the one in the basement of my castle. Since white light is related to divine power, doesn¡¯t this mean that these ancient facilities that remain on this continent are also related to the administrator of the game?


    Rossade that emits blue light is a treasure. Unlike it, anything that emits a white light is probably related to a perk like Daitouren. What if there are still other hidden perks that I can collect? I thought about this when I saw the treasures and tools associated with the white light, but now I had no clue. I followed her first and stepped into the treasure room.


    ¡°This is Roserun Royal Treasury¡­¡­¡±


    There were a large number of jewelry boxes containing gold and silver. There were also a variety of weapons on display, along with what appeared to be expensive trinkets. Of course, not all treasures in the treasury were recognized as game items.


    Artifacts are rare. In addition, the concepts of treasure and artifact are completely different. A treasure can be used many times, while an artifact disappears once it is used, like the explosives she used yesterday.


    ¡°This is the pendant I used yesterday, I don¡¯t have many left.¡±


    She explained as she placed a pendant around her neck.


    ¡°If there are any weapons or anything else you need please don¡¯t hesitate to ask. If you¡¯d like, you may also use this pendant.


    She asked, holding up the only remaining pendant besides the one around her neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to find a weapon.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I began to seriously examine the treasure room, and then I found an unusual item in the jewelry box. The system recognized it as a game item.


    [Rinkit] ¨C [Increase the user¡¯s charm]


    It looked like just a simple bracelet, but on the inside it was intricately crafted. No matter how I looked at it, it did not look like an ordinary item. I tried to fit it lightly, but it was meaningless


    ¡°Do you like that bracelet?¡±


    When Yurasia saw it, she looked at me with a strange expression because it was a women¡¯s bracelet.


    ¡°Yes. I like it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    I laughed and approached her. Then I gently grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know this, but this is a treasure that contains ancient mana. Actually, I have the ability to appraise, so I can identify treasures at a glance. This is meaningless for me to use so I thought it would be the perfect treasure for Your Highness.¡±


    And then I put the bracelet on her hand¡­


    ¡°What?¡­¡­For me?¡±


    [Roserun Yurasia¡¯s charm value has been increased.]


    [Roserun Yurasia¡¯s command has been increased by 2.]


    Charm value has a lot to do with command. The higher the charm, the more people will follow. Perhaps because of this, her command has gone up by a whopping +2. Even if it¡¯s her, who has an excellent ability to inspire soldiers and her command is high.


    ¡°It suits you well. It looks like it was made exclusively for Your Highness. The golden glow is a perfect match for the color of your hair.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Does it look good on me?¡±


    Yurasia stared at the bracelet; it didn¡¯t look like she was going to take it off. I left her alone and took another look around the treasure room. In addition to Yurasia bracelet I also found a sword with an earthy color without any kind of workmanship. The color made me think it was not iron, but when I struck it, it was unmistakably iron.


    [Unnamed Sword]


    [Martial force +2]


    It didn¡¯t have any special effects like the Rossade, but it had a +2 martial force bonus. This alone makes it a treasure of great value because ordinary weapons don¡¯t have this kind of effect. Of course, as soon as I saw the +2 martial force I thought of Zint.


    ¡°Your Highness, this sword is¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°The color is strange, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a very old sword, my father, the king, told me. Rossade is a treasure that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Roserun family, and this sword was one of the treasures shared by the twelve families of the continent when they destroyed the ancient kingdom of Aintorian.¡±


    The Twelve Families of the Continent are the families that destroyed the ancient Aintorian Kingdom and divided the continent into twelve countries; each of them became a royal family.


    ¡°So it¡¯s quite valuable?¡±


    ¡°No, if you need it, go ahead!¡±


    Yurasia agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°Is there a secret to this sword? You said you had an eye for appraisal, so¡­¡­From the looks of it, it¡¯s just an old sword¡­¡­¡±


    She snuggled up against my shoulder and looked at the sword curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a secret, but it¡¯s not just any old sword. It¡¯s harder than most swords, I would be happy to have it. Of all my men, Zint doesn¡¯t have any weapons, so I¡¯ll let him use it in the war.¡±


    ¡°By all means, do so!¡±


    In the midst of all this, her ring caught my eye as she curiously picked up the [Unnamed Sword] and looked at it.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s with the ring?¡±


    [Sacred Ring ¨C ancient treasure]


    That was the only explanation that came up in the system. There was no indication of any additional effects, so I had to ask her directly. All the rings and pendants that she wears are artifacts. No, the ring is a treasure because it can be used more than once.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the key to the treasury.¡±


    ¡°What else could it be used for?¡±


    I have a key, too. It¡¯s the key to the treasury that stores the gold in the basement of the Aintorian Castle.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I know.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Speaking of these treasuries in the Aintorian Castle and the Royal Palace of Roserun, there might be others like them located under the capitals of the kingdoms built by the Twelve Families. These facilities are the perks of the game or some kind of special items? I should investigate them.


    ¡°Could it be that the King of Bridget also has some sort of treasure?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never heard of it. It seems that none of the treasures that the twelve families shared after they destroyed the ancient kingdom are as great as this earth-colored sword.¡±


    If there was really nothing to it, they wouldn¡¯t have bothered to share the treasures, there must be some secret. I will check once I occupy the Royal Capital of Bridget.¡±

 CH 49

    Chapter 49: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (12)


    ***


    [Earned Experience List]


    [Strategy Grade B x2]


    [Defeat an A-grade opponent with D-grade power x4]


    [You are now level 21]


    Having defeated Errante, my level jumped twice, from 19 to 21. From 19 to 20, I got 300 points and from 20 to 21, I gained another 300 points. Combined with the remaining 100 points, I now have 700 points.


    The higher my level, the more experience I need to reach the next level. Even with the x4 multiplier I only leveled twice. Well, it¡¯s still important that I¡¯ve leveled up. Since I had 700 points, I decided to improve my martial force.


    [Martial force is now 65]


    I was left with 400 points so I decided to buy one more skill. Since I had used flashy skills to boost morale in this war, I decided to get one defensive skill this time. There seemed to be a lot of enemies with high martial force, and I needed a defensive skill that would allow me to escape if my strategy failed.


    The problem is that I can¡¯t buy the skills I want to. The system automatically generates skills when I purchase them. This way all the generated skills are equally powerful. By using them over and over again my proficiency will increase and the skills will become stronger.


    Anyway, what I needed now was a defensive skill. So, I spent 200 points to buy it.


    [Gained invincibility for 30 seconds]


    I obtained a skill necessary for escape, but I felt that the time it lasted was not enough. It would have been nice if it had a longer duration.


    * * *


    ¡°What did you say!? Have you lost your mind?¡±


    Bautor glared sharply at him and asked again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve checked over and over, and it appears to be true!¡±


    The look in his eyes frightened the thousand-man captain into answering.


    ¡°20,000 troops wiped out and even Errante dead? That¡¯s bullshit!¡±


    Bautor kicked the thousand-man captain. He fell to the ground and hurriedly knelt down again to adjust his stance. But the fact remained unchanged, and he continued to bow his head.


    ¡°I told him that sieges are forbidden. How can 20,000 troops be annihilated!?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m not that far from¡­¡­.¡±


    Bautor swung the sword he had drawn. Then, after receiving Rhonav surrender and killing all the nobles he returned to the castle and started killing the maids.


    ¡°Oh, my God, please help me!¡±


    ¡°Aaaaah!¡±


    Screams echoed in the lord¡¯s castle for a while. After the carnage was over, Bautor muttered to himself under his breath.


    ¡°Errante¡­¡­¡±


    He was one of the three swordsmen who had been most loyal to him and who would play an active role in the war to come. Errante was not the kind of person who would die in vain like this.


    How dare they kill one of my most important men?


    ¡°Is Errante really dead?¡±


    Isenbahan, who had been working to find out as much as he could about the situation, rushed in and knelt before Bautor, who was shaking with anger.


    ¡°It appears to be true, Your Majesty¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What are the details?¡±


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know yet, Your Majesty. But I¡¯ll do everything I can to make it clear!¡±


    Bautor shook his head at Isenbahan¡¯s words.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I will march towards King¡¯s Landing immediately. I must kill the entire royal family of Roserun to comfort Errante¡¯s soul!¡±


    Bautor¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he shouted.

 CH 50

    Chapter 50: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (13)


    The first thing I did after the battle was to get rid of the food around the royal capital. There are large fields surrounding the city, fortunately, the rice and wheat were not yet harvested. I used my 30,000 troops, harvested everything nearby, and burned the fields farther away. I had no choice because if I left them as they were, they would become food for the enemy.


    Soon after, we received a scout¡¯s report from Rhonav that the enemy had started to advance; this was good news for me. The death of Errante and the annihilation of 20,000 troops stirred their anger and the more they hurried, the better it would be for my army.


    My thoughts were right since the enemy army hurriedly marched to the capital and set up a garrison in front of the city walls.


    [Bridget¡¯s Royal Army]


    [Troops: 35,500]


    [Morale: 90]


    [Training level: 80]


    The well-trained troops were the only ones who could keep up with the rapid advance, so the first to arrive was the enemy¡¯s iron cavalry. However, when it came to a siege, the iron cavalry would be of no use. That is, at least until the gates are opened. Because once the gates are opened, the iron cavalry will be the main attack force.


    After organizing the garrison, the Bridget Kingdom¡¯s army immediately began their siege on the royal capital.


    The fact that they had marched from Rhonav to King¡¯s Landing without rest was a major blunder on their side. There was no way the supply troops could match the speed of their advance. In other words, they left their rations at Rhonav, and only the main force marched forward. The infantry troops marched with only enough food on their backs to eat immediately. So if this becomes a long-term battle, they would probably plan to receive supplies through Rhonav, but that idea was just deadly poison.


    * * *


    ¡°Your Majesty, that is the royal capital of Roserun.¡±


    Bautor clenched his teeth as he looked at the royal city. He still couldn¡¯t get over his anger.


    ¡°I think it would be best to figure out how the enemy defeated Errante before we charge in.¡±


    Isenbahan, the chief of staff, urged the hastening Bautor to be cautious once more, but Ganev, who was known as the Good Sword, glared at Isenbahan and raised his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know that when you fight!¡±


    Bautor nodded at Ganev¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Isenbahan, don¡¯t make me say the same thing over and over again.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    When Bautor glared at him, Isenbahan stepped back in panic.


    ¡°Ganev, you will lead the assault, don¡¯t be careless! Soldiers, it¡¯s time to conquer the capital of Roserun! A bloodbath awaits us!¡±


    At the king¡¯s command, Bridget¡¯s infantry began to charge at once.


    * * *


    I greeted the enemy troops on the battlements.


    The morale of the Roserun Kingdom¡¯s army was 92, but thanks to the bracelet found in the treasury, Yurasia¡¯s command increased to 97, and the morale of the Kingdom¡¯s army was raised by 2. The princess was leading the Royal Army again this time, commanding the troops at the front.


    ¡°Release the arrows! Shoot as many arrows as you can and don¡¯t forget the stones!¡±


    Each commander shouted according to Yurasia¡¯s orders, and the arrows were fired at once. Lunan¡¯s reinforcements followed suit and the situation was in our favor.


    The training level of both the Royal Army of Roserun and Lunan¡¯s reinforcements was at a terrible level. However, the siege battle was a great weapon that offset the low level of training. With the large shield of the castle walls and high morale, we have a good chance to win.


    The battle between the [29,443 Allied Forces] and [Bridget 35,500 army] began. A battle in which my army had an overwhelming advantage! The enemy was met with a rain of arrows, their screams spreading across the land.


    [Allied Forces ¨C 29,443]


    [Bridget¡¯s Royal Army ¨C 34,230]


    Bridget lost about 1,000 soldiers in that attack. The enemy used their sacrifice as a springboard to build ladders on the city walls. The more they did so, the more we kept firing arrows and showered the enemy troops coming up the ladder with stones.


    [Allied forces ¨C 29,300]


    [Bridget¡¯s Royal Army ¨C 32,110]


    By the time the arrows had run out, the numbers of the enemy soldiers dwindled even further. But as soon as the support of the arrows disappeared, the number of enemy troops coming up the ladder increased.


    Meanwhile, the allied forces also desperately tried to stop the enemy soldiers. They threw down stones and pushed them down with spears and swords to prevent them from advancing on the castle walls. This battle continued for more than two hours.


    I, Yurasia, and Zint mercilessly cut down any enemy that came up the ladder with a single blow.


    From the top of the castle, I could see at a glance the situation of the Bridget garrison. There was the King of Bridget in his fancy armor, with the flag of the Bridget Kingdom fluttering in the air. I only needed him to be in my field of vision to check his abilities. But when I tried to use [Crush], I got a message saying that I couldn¡¯t use it because he was too far away.


    [Bautor Bridget]


    [Age: 54]


    [Martial force: 93]


    [Intelligence: 69]


    [Command: 98]


    98 command, consisting of strong charisma and a domineering leadership. He¡¯s the opposite of Yurasia, who uses charm and friendliness to keep her soldiers in line. He also has a high martial force, however, I¡¯ve raised my martial force again and I¡¯m fully capable of fighting him. The problem was the man next to him.


    [Pohorizen]


    [Age: 29]


    [Martial force: 95]


    [Intelligence: 4]


    [Command: 5]


    He was bigger than Errante and had red hair like a beast. His intelligence and command were worse than a child¡¯s. If I had to guess from the ability values, that¡¯s why they are using him as the king¡¯s bodyguard. So, the only one left was the skinny guy approaching the castle. He was probably the reason why the Bridget king regained his composure.


    [Katekin Ganev]


    [Age: 45]


    [Martial force: 98]


    [Intelligence: 40]


    [Command: 74]


    As he had the title ¡°Good Sword¡±, his martial force was unusually high. Yurasia considered him the strongest of the three swordsmen. With 98 martial force he was the most problematic existence in this siege.


    Ganev started to climb up the ladder. Boutor¡¯s plan would be for him to go up to the castle walls and create chaos to make it easier for the soldiers to advance. It was obvious, but it was a tricky strategy if the person who would carry it out was this strong.


    ¡°Pour the boiling oil and throw the stones!¡±


    Fihatri gave orders to the soldiers as I looked at him.


    ¡°Erhin! That¡¯s the one they call the ¡®Good Sword¡¯, Ganev!¡±


    Yurasia shouted and tightened the grip on Rossade. After all, this battle would be decided by whether or not we could stop Ganev. I was not sure about this at all, because when I checked his ability, he was much stronger than I expected. Still, I couldn¡¯t stop fighting; it was a mountain we had to cross!


    Not intending to be bathed in the boiling hot oil, Ganev thrust his sword into a gap in the castle wall and released mana through it, creating a strong reaction force that sent him soaring into the sky. However, in that state, he would be defeated by gravity and fall to the ground. Since humans were not birds, it was impossible for him to land where he wanted. Then, Ganev swung his sword in the air and released his mana. Using the powerful blast of mana from his sword as a propulsion force, he adjusted his direction and landed on top of the castle wall.

 CH 51

    C52: Things you can obtain in someone else¡¯s territory (14)


    ¡°Attack him now! Don¡¯t let him create a gap!¡±


    The soldiers rushed to Ganev at once, Zint was at the head of the group and attacked Ganev with the [Nameless Sword]. Ganev¡¯s expression changed at the unexpected attack, and he focused on Zint. This was the moment I had been aiming for, when Ganev was distracted by Zint!


    [Do you want to use Crush?]


    With my martial force now at 95, the power of [Crush] is a whopping 100! I summoned Daitouren to use the skill that had reached the S-class.


    In the midst of this, Ganev, who was fighting Zint, suddenly sheathed his sword. Zint seized the opportunity and attacked him. I also quickly activated [Crush]. Then, Ganev pulled out the sword from its scabbard activating a skill. A powerful blade of light erupted and his martial force instantly increased to 102. I reflexively used [Invincible for 30 seconds] on Zint to save him.


    After offsetting Ganev¡¯s mana skill with [Invincible for 30 seconds], [Crush] would pierce his chest! That was my plan; however, Ganev noticed [Crush] and twisted his body. He changed the direction of the light blade that was pointing at Zint and used it to parry my attack.


    Because of the sudden change in direction, he couldn¡¯t repel [Crush]. As a result, my attack that flew at his chest was deflected and went through his shoulder. The power of the skill he used was 102, if it had been a head-on collision, [Crush] would have been completely obliterated, fortunately, I was able to injure him.


    Ganev lost one of his arms, at the same time he was pushed off the railing by the impact of my attack and fell off the castle wall!


    In the midst of all this, Ganev pulled out the third of the four swords he had on his belt and swung it towards the ground. The mana released from the sword created a repelling force which slowed down his falling speed. As a result, Ganev succeeded in landing without getting hurt. Blood spurted out like a fountain from the mangled section of flesh where his arm had been severed, after he landed Bridget¡¯s soldiers rushed to his side.


    This could be seen from a distance, and the signal of retreat began to sound in the enemy camp. Too bad I couldn¡¯t kill him, but I did blow off one of his arms. Judging from the amount of blood that he lost, it was not an injury from which he could recover quickly.


    As the enemy retreated I checked the status of the armies.


    [Allied forces 28,700]


    [Bridget¡¯s Royal Army 30,110]


    We won thanks to the advantage of the city wall. The number of the enemy was greatly reduced, but there was little damage to our army.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he survived that.¡±


    Yurasia forgot the joy of victory when she saw that Ganev survived.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t kill him, but this much is enough for my plans. Because this is where the real battle begins.¡±


    I emphasized my strategy once again so she won¡¯t lower her guard. Yurasia nodded strongly at my words. Today¡¯s victory was not a big deal, because this is where the real war begins.


    The plan was to kill Ganev here, because it was obvious that the Bridget king would use him to attack the city walls. We were unable to kill him, but the core of the enemy army was badly injured, so there should be no problem in implementing my strategy. If we hesitate here, we will lose the opportunity to end this war sooner.


    For this reason, I entrusted the royal capital to Yurasia as I had told her beforehand and I left the capital with the 1,000 cavalrymen I had prepared through the north gate, which was located on the opposite side of the south gate where the enemy was stationed. The enemy will be able to grasp our movements through reconnaissance, but I don¡¯t care if they know, because it¡¯s too late.


    * * *


    ¡°How dare they attack our supply route?¡±


    Bautor was unable to contain his anger at the report of the chief of staff. His self-assured expression was a little gloomy. It was no wonder that even the king had not eaten any food today.


    He ordered his men to search the surrounding fields, but they couldn¡¯t find any food nearby. Still, if he sent his troops too far away they might get attacked by the enemy. Eating the rice and wheat that had just started to grow green was no different from eating grass. Rather, the unfamiliar food would just give them a stomachache.


    ¡°If we continue to send troops to resupply it will interfere with our ability to attack King¡¯s Landing!¡±


    Just as Isenbahan, the chief of staff, said this with a troubled look on his face, a new report came in.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    When Bautor raised his voice, Isenbahan hesitantly opened his mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.Even the iron cavalry we just sent to protect our supply route has¡­¡­disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Bautor clenched his teeth and shouted. But the more he did so, the hungrier he got.


    ¡°If this keeps happening why don¡¯t you send Pohorizen?¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t. If we send him, he might eat up all our provisions to satisfy his hunger and the enemy might trick him into not coming back!¡±


    Isenbahan listened to the king and was immediately convinced. Pohorizen was not the right man for the mission because he pushed forward without thinking.


    Weakness is a curse. They were hungry and tried to attack, but there was no progress in the capture of the royal capital. In fact, all of their siege weapons were burned today.


    If the king starved for a day, it means that the average soldier starved for more than three days. The lack of progress is a natural result. Ganev, who had lost one of his arms, still hadn¡¯t woken up so Bautor could only be angry.


    ***


    [Allied forces 28,700]


    [Bridget¡¯s Kingdom Army 30,110]


    [Allied Forces]


    [Troops: 27,300]


    [Training level: 20]


    [Morale: 95]


    We were victorious in a siege that lasted three days! Our army¡¯s morale was boosted by this battle. Due to the nature of siege warfare, there were not that many casualties. However, a major change occurred in the army of the Bridget Kingdom.


    [Bridget¡¯s Kingdom Army]


    [Troops: 26,110]


    [Training level: 80]


    [Morale: 50]


    The number of their soldiers was less than our army because of the many deaths in the ensuing defeats. Perhaps because of this, morale plummeted from 90 to 50. It is natural for morale to drop after a series of defeats, but the reason it dropped so drastically was, of course, because they were starving.


    Bautor and his soldiers were unable to receive supplies and I managed to erode the morale of the enemy. A thousand cavalrymen, led by Zint and me, had been destroying the enemy¡¯s supply units like a ghost. When the enemy scouts reported in, their supply route was already destroyed.


    Bautor could no longer stand the hunger and began to retreat from the royal capital to Rhonav Castle on the fifth day. Of course, this was largely due to the success of Yurasia, who defended the capital without losing morale with her 97 command ability.


    There is only one thing the enemy can do. After they finish preparing their army at Rhonav Castle, they should march slowly to the royal capital with all their provisions.


    Of course, I could have occupied Rhonav Castle before the main army retreated and burned all the provisions but I didn¡¯t do that. If I occupied Rhonav Castle, the enemy would have received the report and would have retreated to another occupied area. No matter how hungry the enemy was, a force of 1,000 men would not be able to defeat their main army.


    So I watched as the enemy retreated to Rhonav Castle. Of course, I wasn¡¯t just watching, my next plan was already in effect.


    * * *


    Bautor was taken by surprise by the allied forces with Rhonav Castle in front of him.  However, he sent Pohorizen and the attack was easily stopped.


    ¡°Look at them running away!¡±


    Bautor smiled broadly as he watched them. He was able to confirm that no enemy was a match for his elite soldiers.


    During the retreat, Bautor¡¯s mood was terrible. He was so angry that he wanted to take control of the royal city of Roserun as soon as possible, but there was nothing he could do because he had no provisions. It was his own fault for being so hasty but after repelling the surprise attack his spirits rose.


    ¡°Even without Ganev, we can open the gates of King¡¯s Landing if we have enough food. The Royal Army of Roserun that we fought is such a weak army. In addition, they are also stupid. If they hadn¡¯t just targeted the supply troops and retaken Rhonav, we would have been forced to retreat further back!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. We only had a thousand men left in Rhonav because we kept sending them back to keep bring more supplies.¡±


    Isenbahan replied in agreement.


    ¡°They were so focused on cutting off the immediate supply that it didn¡¯t occur to them to dispose of the food in Rhonav. Idiots.¡±


    Bautor sneered even louder, highlighting what he thought was his enemy¡¯s blunder in an attempt to rub out his mistake this time.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because I let my guard down. I¡¯ll get my troops in order immediately and head back to King¡¯s Landing with provisions. I will not be careless anymore, this time I will ruin King¡¯s Landing!¡±


    Bautor¡¯s self-esteem had already been damaged by the retreat, and all he could think about was the fall of the royal capital. His chief of staff, Isenbahan, wanted him to consider the enemy¡¯s strategy a little more carefully, since the enemy seemed stronger than he had expected, but it was impossible to broach the subject.


    It would be a blow to Bautor¡¯s self-esteem and Isenbahan did not have the courage to risk his life on it. There was no one to stop him, so Bautor repeated the word ruin over and over again.

 CH 52

    The reason for the surprise attack on Bridget¡¯s army in front of Rhonav Castle was quite simple. I wanted to infiltrate the enemy forces while they were confused by the attack. We wore the enemy¡¯s uniforms, blended in naturally and entered Rhonav Castle. No one paid any attention to us.


    In any case, even in the same Royal Army, soldiers only knew the faces of their ten-man squad, or at most the hundred-man squad, the kingdom army is made up of soldiers from each territory.


    ¡°There is a stockpile of provisions in the warehouse next to the barracks. Everyone, let¡¯s go to the barracks!¡±


    The soldiers were so hungry that they rushed towards the barracks as soon as they entered the castle. Naturally, there was no way that Bautor would stand idly by and watch.


    ¡°His Majesty has given me strict orders! Be patient for a moment, food will be distributed soon. Each unit is to stand by at its assigned location. If you cause any confusion, you will be beheaded immediately. All troops, with the exception of the supply troops, leave the warehouse area!¡±


    When the commanders shouted out Bautor¡¯s instructions, the soldiers began to retreat, while showing their discontent. Thanks to this, we were able to check the situation at the supply depot. Soldiers, presumably belonging to the supply unit, were carrying rations out of the warehouse and piling them up.


    ¡°Move your ass! We have orders to leave for King¡¯s Landing again tomorrow!¡±


    It seemed that Bautor was planning to take all of his provisions and move again tomorrow as soon as possible. But I won¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°Hey! Get your ass back to your unit! Do you want to get your head chopped off?¡±


    The commander shouted at Zint and me, who were looking at the warehouse the whole time. I patted his shoulder and gave him a look, he nodded and ran to the commander. In the blink of an eye he cut him down. At the same time, I used [Earth Resonance] to hit the food and supply troops piled up in front of the warehouse. The ground cracked, flames started spewing from below burning the supplies and the enemy soldiers


    ¡°Zint, secure the warehouse entrance!¡±


    I left Zint to block the entrance while I went inside to burn the remaining supplies.


    * * *


    Isenbahan came running out of the lord¡¯s castle when he saw the flames.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re wearing our uniforms, but we think they¡¯re spies. They¡¯ve broken into the warehouse!¡±


    ¡°What? Why don¡¯t you just kill them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡±


    Of course, the commander who was questioned was thinking the same thing. However, the one standing in front of the building was none other than Zint. They attacked from all sides, but the hungry soldiers could not do anything to him.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    Soon Bautor arrived at the scene with an angry look on his face. He was accompanied by Pohorizen.


    ¡°What do you mean our rations are on fire and we can¡¯t even get rid of two enemies? Pohorizen tore him to pieces!¡±


    At Bautor¡¯s order, the soldiers split up and made way.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving! I¡¯m hungry! I¡¯m hungry!¡±


    Pohorizen screamed.


    ¡°Kill him, and I¡¯ll feed you until you¡¯re full.¡±


    ¡°Him? If I kill him, you¡¯ll give me food? Really?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him!¡±


    At the word ¡°food,¡± Pohorizen ran toward Zint. As the two swords crossed, a loud frictional sound covered the surroundings.


    ¡°Ahh! Die! I¡¯m hungry! So die!¡±


    Howling furiously, Pohorizen swung his sword. However, he was evenly matched with Zint. Zint¡¯s actual martial force was 93, and now it had risen to 95 with the +2 bonus from the [Unnamed Sword]. Seeing his attacks blocked, Pohorizen roared at Zint.


    ¡°Geez, why don¡¯t you die? You¡¯re troublesome. Die. You can¡¯t stop this. [Flame wave]!¡±


    With that, he swung the sword he held in both hands downward from above. When the sword touched the ground, a tremendous explosion occurred around Zint. Bautor nodded in satisfaction as the skill hit Zint.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be able to withstand Pohorizen¡¯s [Flame Wave]. Start extinguishing the fire in the warehouse immediately!¡±


    Bautor ordered, but the soldiers came out screaming as they rushed into the warehouse through the smoke from the explosions created by the [Flame Wave]. When the smoke subsided, Zint revealed himself. Although he had minor burns all over his body, Zint released the maximum amount of mana with his sword and survived the [Flame Wave].


    Zint looked sideways at the [Unnamed Sword]. He thought it was a mysterious sword, but there was no time to check it right now. He picked up the sword and aimed it at Pohorizen.

 CH 53

    It took longer than expected to burn it all due to the large amount of food they had. When I returned from the warehouse, I found Zint in a terrible state, his clothes and hair had been burned off. However, his skin was relatively undamaged in comparison. The enemy he was dealing with was Pohorizen, one of the Three Swordsmen; it was natural for him to struggle.


    ¡°Zint, are you okay?¡±


    Zint nodded.


    "All right, let¡¯s kill him and get out of here!¡±


    I''ve done what I had to do. So now the priority is to get out. I pounced on Pohorizen with Zint. He swung his sword around with a frenzied look on his face. However, I equipped Daitouren, and my martial force rose to 95. I could¡¯ve ended the fight quickly by using [Crush] but there was no need since Zint was here.


    As I used the [Attack] command to cross swords with Pohorizen, Zint, who was now free, took advantage of the opportunity to get behind him. Although he was not as fast as Ganev, Zint''s speed was also quite high.


    ¡°When did you get there?¡±


    Pohorizen turned around, distracted by Zint. He turned his back on me, as expected of someone with less than 10 intelligence. While ridiculing his behavior, I immediately stabbed him in the neck with the [Attack] command. He fell down after being pierced from the front and back by our swords and never got up again.


    "Kill them quickly! Whoever kills them will receive knighthood! Do whatever it takes to kill them!¡±


    (TLN: Official knights are minor nobles)

 CH 54

    As soon as I jumped down from the castle wall and joined the army, I sent Zint to the military doctor and then gave orders to my army.


    ¡°Form a horizontal formation and surround the castle! Do not approach without my orders!¡±


    It was impossible for the enemy to hold out in the castle. There was no food for them, and they would only starve to death if they persevered. So they had no choice but to come out. With sustenance available, they would have tried to save their strength before coming out but they have been starving for 5 days. In other words, besieging them would not make any sense.


    But without provisions, it was the other way around. It was the enemy who was in a hurry. Moreover, the fact that there were no rations made them panic even more.


    [Bridget''s Royal Army]


    [Morale: 10]


    As a result, their morale was down to 10. Naturally, the enemy would come out to break the siege and escape. If that happened, we would have the advantage. No matter how much of a difference there was in the training level, if there was this much of a difference in morale, we could win even on level ground. The situation was reversed, in other words, we could aim to annihilate the enemy that was coming out of Rhonav Castle.


    Of course, the Royal Army of Bridget knew that the longer they were inside the castle, the more disadvantaged they would be. So their decision was quick. The enemy eventually came out of the south gate. Perhaps they realized that it would be reckless to march on the capital again without food, so they went in the opposite direction. They were probably trying to retreat to another occupied territory to get food.


    ¡°Maintain the formation at the south gate. The troops in the other directions should rush from behind and flank them!¡±

 CH 55

    And so the march began. As we climbed up the mountain, the temperature began to drop. The biggest problem in crossing the Krill Mountains was exactly the temperature. The climate of this world is basically mild, and the winters are not cold. That¡¯s probably why they are vulnerable to the cold.


    In fact, the notoriety of the Krill Mountains probably stems from this cold. But if anything, the Japanese winters felt even colder to me. It was cold enough for me to endure, but not for the cold-sensitive soldiers. They were shivering and complaining. They didn¡¯t seem to be able to adapt at all.


    The steep terrain was not as bad as I thought it would be. It¡¯s not as high as the Alps, maybe around 2000 meters. Of course, it was dangerous terrain. I had [invincibility for 30 seconds], but there were soldiers who fell off cliffs or lost their lives in landslides. In other words, the number of my soldiers was dwindling.


    Thanks to this, the morale which I managed to keep up, started to drop. Even so, they seem to be holding out for the prize money that will guarantee them a lifetime of riches if they take over the Bridget Kingdom. Even Zint just shrugged silently.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine¡±


    ¡°Are you shaking?¡±


    ¡°No. I did it on purpose. I¡¯m not shaking.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Although he¡¯s trembling, his self-esteem is high. As I was talking with Zint, Fihatri came to me with a lot of blankets.


    ¡°¡±Fihatri.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡±


    ¡°What do you think is the most important thing for a commander?¡±


    I asked him a somewhat abrupt question.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s courage, because if the commander is afraid, there¡¯s nothing he can do.¡±


    ¡°Of course, courage is important. But isn¡¯t the most important thing maintaining morale? If the morale is high, the soldiers will naturally follow. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t need a blanket.¡±


    If only the commander uses a blanket, it would increase the jealousy of the soldiers. Instead, I needed to show them that I was struggling just as much as they were. I had to do something to stop their morale from dropping. I quickly made my way through the soldiers, ate with them and showed them that I too shiver in the cold. To raise their morale I also gave a speech.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired from all the walking we did today. I¡¯m sorry to have to ask you to gather here during your much-needed rest, but let me make this clear. It¡¯s hard for all of us, even for me. And yet, I endure under the same conditions as you. So you must endure, too. If you endure here and now, Bridget will be ours. That means you¡¯ll get your prize and also be remembered in the history of the continent. You will be a living witness to history that your descendants will be proud of for the rest of their lives!¡±


    The prize money they would receive and the pride they would feel after returning. With these things, I was able to win over the soldiers. Thanks to this, the number of grumbling soldiers steadily decreased. The look in the soldiers¡¯ eyes changed, and their morale did not drop any further, it stayed above 70.


    We braved the cold and kept walking; I was with the soldiers until the end. It was hard work, of course, but we persevered because we had to overcome it to reach the Bridget Kingdom.


    After stopping the morale from plummeting in this way, I moved on to take a more practical approach, a way for the soldiers to stay warm, if you will. Shivering in the cold would only exhaust their strength. If I could keep them even a little warm, wouldn¡¯t we be able to get through this summit area? Then I thought of one of the videos I had seen on the Internet. I don¡¯t know if it will work, but it¡¯s worth a try.


    ¡°Fitri! Gather only stones that are half the size of a person¡¯s head and burn them in a bonfire. Gather as many stones as you can with the soldiers!¡±


    ¡°No way, general! You want me to hold that baking stone¡­¡­? It¡¯s too hot! I don¡¯t think that¡¯s quite right¡­¡­¡±


    Fihatri shook his head in astonishment at my words.


    ¡°That¡¯s not so bad. What do you say we give it a try?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, we can¡¯t hold a baking stone¡­¡­! No, I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    Fihatri was dismayed.


    ¡°If you hold it directly, it will be hot and burn you. Gather all the rocks in one place and put out the fire. Rebuild the fire in another place and dig the ground where you put out the fire!¡±


    I immediately started digging with the soldiers.


    ¡°Throw in all the remaining stones!¡±


    Baking stones have the property of not cooling down easily. This means that the heat will last longer. Especially on the ground warmed up under the fire.


    ¡°Cover the top with dirt!¡±


    Soon the stones were out of sight. I touched the ground where the stones were buried, and it looked pretty good.


    ¡°Lie down on this.¡±


    Fihatri, who looked far, more convinced than when I told him to hold the baking stone, quickly lay down.


    ¡°General¡­¡­it¡¯s warm!¡±


    ¡°I see. But you didn¡¯t need the stone earlier, did you?¡±


    ¡°No, not when it comes to this!¡±


    ¡°All right, now get up. You¡¯re a noble.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡­¡­is for.¡±


    ¡°No commanders, including myself, are to use it. Give it to the soldiers!¡±


    I dragged a reluctant Fihatri out and had the soldiers dig and use the same method to heat the stones. Of course, no matter how hard the stones heat up, they only last a limited time.


    ¡°Take turns trying to warm yourself up a little, even ten minutes lying down will warm you up a bit.¡±


    Even if it is not of that great use, isn¡¯t it important to show that the general is trying to do something? When I went around showing such a figure to each of the 1,000 soldiers, the morale indeed went up by 5 and became 73.


    ***


    Thanks to all the efforts to encourage the soldiers, we passed the top of the mountain and finally began our descent. The further down the mountain we went, the more we were relieved of the cold. Of course, we lost soldiers due to the rugged terrain, but it was not so bad that we could not cross.


    Still, the reason why we haven¡¯t fought a war across this mountain range is because they were soldiers stationed in the Bridget royal capital. But now it¡¯s different, Bridget capital it¡¯s empty. So, if we get to the capital before the enemy does, it¡¯s game over. The enemy¡¯s capital is just down the mountain and as we hurriedly descended the mountain to reach our goal.


    ¡°What¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Yurasia, who had been following me so meekly in the cold that I couldn¡¯t tell if she was there or not, suddenly stopped and tilted her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­.Suddenly there was a light from the ring. I¡¯ve only ever seen it glow when I open the treasure vault¡­¡­¡±


    Indeed, there was a white light emanating from her ring. At that very moment the ground suddenly began to shake, as if an earthquake had occurred. The ground started to crack where she was standing. As the ground began to collapse, she fell down the cliff.


    ¡°Keep marching, Fihatri! I¡¯m going to save the princess and then come after you!¡±


    After shouting that, I jumped off the cliff without hesitation.


    ¡°General!¡±


    Of course, I wouldn¡¯t do this without any precautions. Jumping off this high cliff with no way to save myself is just plain stupid. After all I have skills; no matter where I fall from I can stay safe!


    As soon as I jumped, I spotted her, but she was too far from me. The speed of our fall was almost the same, so it would be impossible to catch up with her at this rate. I summoned Daitouren and used [Crush].


    Normally, I would have thrown Daitouren, but now I didn¡¯t let go of it. It was as if [Crush] was pulling my body along with it. As a result, I caught up with her.


    I guess I arrived at her precisely because I set the target of [Crush] to her. Just before I caught up to her with the thrust of [Crush], I disabled it and picked her up. Deactivation meant that it would take five hours for the skill to recover but I had no time to think about this now.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Erhin¡­¡­.? Why¡­..?¡±


    ¡°Just hold on tight!¡±


    I used [Invincibility for 30 seconds] just as I landed on the ground. My body hadn¡¯t received any shock, so of course Yurasia was safe in my arms. She looked at me in disbelief.


    ¡°What in the world is this¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mana skill.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the one you used to jump down from the castle wall! But no matter what, it¡¯s still¡­¡­It¡¯s too dangerous to jump down like that without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness is a friend who fought with me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t abandon my friends, especially when I can save them. Even if it¡¯s dangerous, if there¡¯s a chance that they can be saved, I will definitely save them. I always want my friends to be happy. Well, I have such an ironclad rule.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡­that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡±


    I set her down on the ground and looked towards the cliff. The huge gate on the cliff was still shaking with a white light; it was the cause of the earthquake.


    ¡°Your Highness, do you happen to know anything about that gate?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡­.I¡¯ve never seen that gate before.¡±


    She said as she looked at the glowing ring that seemed to resonate with the mana formation of the giant gate. That gate must have a deep connection with the relics of the Ancient Kingdom. If that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t just overlook it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the gate? We can¡¯t climb the cliffs anyway¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Yurasia, who had been sitting down, nodded and stood up, having regained some composure. I walked with her to the gate that was still generating vibrations and stopped.


    ¡°Do you want me to open it like the royal treasury?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    When I nodded, Yurasia looked a little nervous and placed her palm on the gate. When the mana formation on the gate lit up, the vibrations stopped and the gate opened.

 CH 56

    ¡°It¡¯s open! But if it¡¯s in the territory of the Bridget Kingdom, why can I just use the key from Roserun¡¯s treasury to¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°The ring is a treasure of the Ancient Kingdom, so the territory may not be relevant. The Ancient Kingdom was a country that claimed the entire continent.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see!¡±


    The [Unnamed Sword] I gave Zint is also from the ancient kingdom. There might be some good things inside, I was intrigued.


    ¡°Your Highness, please equip your sword. Let¡¯s go in as carefully as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I stepped into the room cautiously, as it was not a place where safety was guaranteed. Then the ceiling lit up, removing the darkness from the depths of the passage. There was a small mana formation painted on the ceiling that was glowing.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡­.¡±


    Yurasia, who had followed me with a nervous look on her face, also looked around the cave curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad there¡¯s light. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any other way in, so let¡¯s go deeper.¡±


    Yurasia nodded at my words, and we continued down the passage for a while. There was nothing out of the ordinary, just a straight path that went on and on. The mana formation painted on the ceiling also continued all the way.


    Half an hour had already passed, so I had no choice but to use an ordinary sword instead of Daitouren. The only thing I could count on was [invincibility for 30 seconds].


    It was a dicey situation, but as I continued walking without any danger or way out, a change finally came. At the end of the narrow, straight road, we saw a huge space. We looked at each other, nodded and stepped out into the space.


    Right at that moment!


    ¡°Aaah!¡±


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    Suddenly, the ground opened up and we began to fall. As we fell into the darkness of an unknown depth, I didn¡¯t hesitate to use [Invincibility for 30 seconds]. I only had enough points for one use left but I had no choice. If there were something like spears at the end of this trap we would die.


    Fortunately or unfortunately my preparations were in vain, I landed on empty ground. The open ground quickly closed up and darkness came into the hole, a jet-black darkness where nothing could be seen. A smooth wall with nothing to grab onto, it was a perfect trap for one to starve to death.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see her in the dark, but she was lying on top of me on the ground. It¡¯s the same posture that often appears in romantic comedies. In addition, something chunky and soft made its presence felt.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It looks like you¡¯re the one who¡¯s underneath me¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡±


    I raised my upper body and we reluctantly fell into a sitting position, hugging each other. I felt more volume. This softness was definitely the feel of her breasts. Her assertive breasts made my head spin, and perhaps to her surprise, we pulled apart at the same time as if we were pushing each other away.


    ¡°What is this trap? It¡¯s so dark I can¡¯t see anything¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t like the darkness?¡±


    ¡°Not really, but it¡¯s closed and dark¡­¡­.¡±


    That¡¯s true. The darkness itself would not be a problem. She didn¡¯t have any problem spending the night in the mountains. Then maybe she¡¯s claustrophobic?


    ¡°It¡¯s more than scary, it¡¯s disgusting. I can¡¯t see anything, so I feel even more alone¡­¡­ Since the death of my father, I¡¯ve always felt alone. After my brother became king, I couldn¡¯t treat him as a brother anymore¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re trapped in here, but you¡¯re not alone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Time like this is precious, so I think it will be worth remembering.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know falling into a trap was worth remembering.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good thing that we fell here, because it gave us time to talk alone. So, why don¡¯t we stop using honorifics with each other? I want us to get away from being a princess, a lord, a general, a noble, etc., and get to know each other as people. In order to do that, I think we need to lose the distance, don¡¯t you think? If we don¡¯t do this, I have a feeling that Your Highness will only show me that stiff princess expression forever.¡±


    Ever since I first met her at the royal palace in Lunan, she had only shown a stiff expression. Her face was filled with the dignity of a princess; she had never shown any signs of joy, anger, or sorrow. People have emotions. She should have had emotions too and yet, she always looked like a machine. I desired to know her true face, to get to know her as a person.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    She stared at me when she heard that. It was too dark to see, but somehow the silence made me feel that way.


    ¡°Was I a little cocky?¡±


    Unable to endure the frustrating silence, I asked her, and this time she answered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anyone say that before.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Well, no one would ever say that to a princess.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I think it¡¯s an interesting proposition.¡±


    Interesting? Then let¡¯s do it.


    ¡°Okay, no honorifics from now on!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a habitual honorific, so¡­¡­it may be difficult for me to do that right away. I¡¯ll try to make an effort, but¡­¡­.By the way, you said that it would be worth remembering but wouldn¡¯t it be a memory only if we could get out of here? If you have the skills to get out of here by yourself, please go ahead and do it without worrying about me. I don¡¯t want to slow you down!¡±


    What¡¯s she saying?


    ¡°Have you forgotten everything I¡¯ve ever said to you? If you say that again, I¡¯ll get really angry.¡±


    ¡°Even at¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°When I said that being trapped here might be worth remembering, I meant that there is a way out. We¡¯re going to get out of here in one piece. Of course, we¡¯ll have to wait for my mana to recover, so it¡¯ll take some time, but I think in five hours I¡¯ll be able to use my skills again and get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie about something like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡±


    Five hours later, I could use [Crush] again.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re mad at me¡­¡­.Pfft¡±


    At that moment I heard a slight laugh in the darkness. A woman who had never shown any emotion was laughing!


    ¡°You just laughed, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been angry since my father-king told me so when I was a little girl¡­¡­.It made me lose my nervousness. My acting is¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just casually say something amazing?¡±


    Yes. I think it¡¯s an act to live as a princess. My father-king told me to always maintain my dignity so as to not be underestimated. Eventually, my expression became stiff. Then I started to act in front of people.¡±


    ¡°So, when you laughed, does that mean you¡¯ve stopped acting?¡±


    ¡°In front of you, at least.¡±


    ¡°In front of me?¡±


    ¡°When I heard you wanted to get to know me, it seemed like I didn¡¯t have to act.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m flattered.¡±


    ¡°But expressing my emotions and showing my true face are two different things. The real me¡­¡­that is hidden is different from the princess. I don¡¯t think anyone will be able to handle it.¡±


    No one will be able to handle it?¡­¡­.I¡¯m really curious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it¡¯s like. So you can show me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t regret it?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve never known regret in my life.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t run away when you find out who I really am.¡±


    Run away? What¡¯s the big deal?


    ¡°I promise. I¡¯ll be there for you no matter what.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that a¡­..marriage proposal?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­..Pretend that didn¡¯t just happen.¡±


    Then the silence came again. However, the silence was somehow different from before.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just secretly laugh again?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! I was just speechless. Anyway, your true face doesn¡¯t come out that easily.¡±


    That being said, I¡¯m definitely motivated to see it.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Well, that¡¯s that. For now, let¡¯s get some rest; we have five hours left, so we have a chance to recover. I don¡¯t think you slept a wink in the mountains, and I haven¡¯t either.¡±


    Yes. This was the perfect place to rest and not be cold. I was trapped in the dark, but on the other hand, it also meant that there was no other danger.


    ¡°That would be great!¡±


    Hearing her pleasant reply, I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes. Then I felt a rush of exhaustion, the sleepiness overtook me.


    .


    .


    .


    When I woke up from my sleep and opened my eyes she hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. Her face was nestled against my shoulder. Probably, this happened naturally while I was dozing off. Well, sure enough she was probably more tired than I was. She hadn¡¯t slept much in the mountains, let alone all through the war.


    I didn¡¯t dare wake her up and checked the system first. I could read the system messages without any problem, as they were glowing. When I checked, I found that [Crush] had recovered. That meant that we would be able to escape.


    ¡° Haa¡­¡­¡±


    She woke up sounding like a high school student who almost dozed off in class.

 CH 57

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°I was asleep?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You slept well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve recovered my mana. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    She was awake, and there was no need to drag out the time any longer. I got up quickly; I was going to use [Crush] to destroy the ceiling.


    ¡°Yurasia hold on tight to my body. No matter what happens, don¡¯t let go.¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Hold on tight!¡±


    Shortly thereafter, I activated [Crush]. Our bodies were instantly flung up above the ceiling by [Crush], finally we escaped from the trap. The light flowing from the mana formation on the ceiling greeted us.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing! I never thought you¡¯d use that move like that.¡±


    ¡°Right? But that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t fall in love with me, okay?¡¡Because Your Highness is not my type.¡±


    When I said that, Yurasia angrily waved her hands.


    ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden? You¡¯re not my type either!¡±


    Something is clearly different from before. She began to express her emotions.


    ¡°Your Highness. You¡¯re drooling.¡±


    Yurasia turned her face away with a shocked expression at my remark. Astonishment and embarrassment could be seen on her face. In the trap, she smiled for a moment, but it was too dark to see her face. I had never seen her expression change so much. After all, her face, filled with emotion, was completely different from the stiff expression she had been wearing. Up until now, I had felt like I was looking at a cute doll, but now I felt as if the doll had life in it.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re tired and it happens. I¡¯ve never seen that kind of expression before, but it¡¯s pretty cute.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not! Besides you said I¡¯m not your type so this doesn¡¯t count. It¡¯s invalid!¡±


    What¡¯s invalid?


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    She coughed, as if she was embarrassed, and finally diverted the conversation.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not the point right now. Let¡¯s just go deeper.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. Let¡¯s proceed while hitting the ground with our swords, just in case.¡±


    Suddenly, I felt so embarrassed that I stopped her from trying to run and started moving cautiously. Soon, what appeared in front of us was a huge hall.


    The floor of the hall was covered with a huge mana formation, so it was not an ordinary place. Yurasia¡¯s ring was silent; it seemed that the only place the ring reacted was at the gate. She looked around and said.


    ¡°There¡¯s something a little off about this place.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s weird? What do you feel?¡±


    ¡°The amount of mana in the air is different. It¡¯s like the mana is very thick¡­¡­.¡±


    Does that mean there¡¯s more mana here than in other places? I don¡¯t know, because I can¡¯t feel the mana.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t having a lot of mana a good thing? It¡¯s good for training, right?¡±


    ¡°Since there is so much mana, the mana you consume will be quickly recovered, but the maximum amount of mana you can collect in your body is limited by talent. Of course, even if you don¡¯t have talent, your mana might increase after a long period of training, but there is no way that it will increase in a short period of time just because there is a lot of mana in the air¡­¡­.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s true. Increasing the maximum amount of mana itself means an increase in martial force. It also means that the person will be able to store even more mana in the body. There is a definite difference in the maximum amount of mana that can be stored in the body of an A-class and B-class warlord.


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    But this time, her reaction was stranger than before. Her expression changed from moment to moment.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. The mana in¡­¡­my body is shaking violently¡­¡­!¡¡What?¡±


    Yurasia stood and closed her eyes. At the same time, the huge mana formation on the floor began to glow white! Yurasia held out her hand in front of her, and then a round mass of energy glowing blue was generated on her hand. The blue mana lump was sucked into her palm, and at that moment! A change occurred in Yurasia¡¯s ability value. Her martial force, which had been 87, increased to 89.


    ¡°You just increased your maximum mana value, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The maximum value of¡­¡­has increased due to the mana entering my body. What does this mean¡­¡­?¡±


    Yurasia looked at me with quite a surprised look.


    ¡°By the way, I can¡¯t feel any mana at all since my mana increased all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°At all?¡±


    She nodded.


    This mana formation should have the effect of increasing the maximum amount of mana. It wasn¡¯t in the game, but maybe it¡¯s some kind of extra quest or extra perk?


    Furthermore, the mana formation was still glowing; this meant that another person could increase their mana. So that means I can too. But I¡¯m not actually using mana so, unlike Yurasia, no change occurred to me. No matter how much I stared at the system there was no change.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    Yurasia came up to me and I was at a loss for a response.


    What about the Daitouren? Daitouren emitted a white light and it was also an item with a level. The mana formation also emitted a white light. In other words, they were part of the same family. Daitouren and the mana formation were both created by the game¡¯s management!


    Thinking that if I couldn¡¯t do it, I couldn¡¯t do it, so I decided to thrust Daitouren into the mana formation. Then a change occurred, Daitouren began to emit a powerful white light that resonated with the mana formation. Furthermore, the white light created countless fine particles of light that filled the space we were in.


    [Daitouren is now level 2.]


    [Daitouren martial force limit has been increased to 105.]


    And the messages just kept coming!


    [True Crush has been generated]


    [Enemies with up to +5 martial force can be instantly killed or stunned.]


    [Neutralizes opponent¡¯s mana skills]


    Daitouren gives me +30 to martial force for 30 minutes. However, the limit of +30 was 100 previously. This means that if I equip Daitouren when I am at 70 martial force, my martial force will become 100. However, even if my martial force reaches 71, my martial force will not reach 101, since the maximum value of my martial force is fixed at 100.


    That limit of martial force has been raised by +5. In other words, if I equip the Daitouren with a 75 martial force, my martial force will be 105. Of course, in this case as well, even if my martial force reaches 76, my limit is still fixed at 105 after equipping Daitouren.


    So I was fully convinced about this. However, it was unclear what the newly generated special move, neutralizing the opponent¡¯s skills, meant.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­.I wonder.¡±


    Yurasia looked happy as she saw the white twinkling lights that filled the hall. The shimmering background made her look like a shining goddess.


    I think her charm could captivate men all over the world. If she were a modern person, she could be a top star who makes a lot of money from commercials alone, even if she can¡¯t act. Not only that, but she was also very noble. In fact, as a princess, her beauty was doubled by her nobility, which made people think that she was a flower of the highest order. Of course, she was a flower of great beauty to me as well.


    This world is a reality like the game. I don¡¯t think that unification is something that can be accomplished while being in love. So, the most important thing for me to think about now is to conquer this world. By doing that, I will be able to see the future. Will I return to my original world, or will I live in this world?


    Anyway, the goddess looked curiously at the light-absorbing Daitouren, and snuggled down next to me to talk.


    ¡°It was a hundred times more awesome than me, but¡­¡­.Could it be!¡¡Are you a hundred times stronger?¡±


    She asked with an expectant look in her eyes.


    ¡°No, of course not, just a little.¡±


    As the level of the Daitouren increased, the light of the mana formation also disappeared. So does that mean that the limit is two people? That would mean that all the mana released by the mana formation had been consumed.


    Maybe there are places like this in other kingdoms. The fact that it reacted to Yurasia¡¯s ring meant that it had been created during the time of the Ancient Kingdom, and if that was the case, it couldn¡¯t have been created in just one place.


    What if there is a facility that hides something even more amazing in a place like the ancient kingdom¡¯s royal capital of old? If I can find such a place, I can develop not only my own abilities but also those of my vassals. In the game, I could use items to increase the abilities of my subordinates.


    If that¡¯s the case then these are all perks. Everything is related to the Ancient Kingdom. The problem is that I don¡¯t know where they are.


    Come to think of it, the Twelve Families split the Ancient Kingdom treasures. Could the treasures of the Ancient Kingdom, including Zint¡¯s [Unnamed Sword], possibly be clues leading to places like this? Hmmm¡­..I have no idea.


    It was Yurasia¡¯s ring that found this facility. The pendant used to enter the gold vault in the basement of the Aintorian castle didn¡¯t show any reaction. So it must mean that the facilities in the lord¡¯s castle were not made during the time of the ancient kingdom.


    The gold was collected after the fall of the Ancient Kingdom by the descendants, who wanted to recreate the glory of the Ancient Kingdom. So the only thing that can find such a place and get inside is the ring of Yurasia for now.


    ¡°Yurasia. That ring¡­¡­.Can I borrow it sometime?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can lend it to you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±

 CH 58

    What do you mean, you can lend it to me but you won¡¯t?


    As I was thinking about this, she held out her finger in front of me.


    ¡°It¡¯s been stuck on me since I put it on. Even my father didn¡¯t manage to get it off¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡±What? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Originally, I thought that this ring was the key to the treasury, and that¡¯s why my brother, the king, should have it¡­¡­ However, once I tried it on, I couldn¡¯t get it off, so I had to wear it¡­¡­¡±


    I gently took her hand and tried to remove the ring. Sure enough, as she said, it didn¡¯t falter. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s become one with her finger. Does that mean that she is the only one who can open the other ancient structures? That is, if there is no other ring.


    ¡°Do you need it so badly that you look so wistful?¡±


    ¡°No, well¡­¡­¡±


    As it concerned something left behind by the game administrator, I seemed to have unintentionally made a wistful face.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to amputate it as a way of repaying you. I won¡¯t die without a finger.¡±


    Yurasia said flatly and picked up Rosette.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. What the hell are you talking about? You could¡¯ve just helped me directly later, you don¡¯t have to cut your finger.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. So don¡¯t be so crazy. Even if I got your finger, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh! You don¡¯t need the fingers of a woman who isn¡¯t your type?¡±


    No, I¡¯m not talking about my type; I don¡¯t need your fingers.


    She looked at her fingers for a long time. If I leave it as it is, she might really cut her finger, so I divert the conversation.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get moving. We need to find a way out!¡±


    ***


    After half a day of walking, we finally reached the exit. To our surprise, the exit led to the wall of Bridget¡¯s royal palace. No one seemed to know that the wall was connected to such a secret passage and everyone was astonished by our appearance.


    Yurasia and I escaped from the royal palace while fighting the palace guards and ran to the gates of the royal capital. Then we opened the gates and called in the Lunan army. Fortunately, the occupation was going well, as Fihatri and Zint had arrived in front of the royal capital as I had ordered.


    My original plan was to enter the castle by pretending to be the army of the Bridget Kingdom, but I guess that was no longer necessary. While I was opening the gates, Yurasia fought against the royal guards, and we were able to bring Lunan¡¯s army into the capital without any problems.


    There was no problem in occupying the royal capital. In fact, the capital was practically empty. Even with the palace guards and the royal guard, there were only about a thousand of them. We took over the capital without difficulty and seized the royal palace. All that remained was the final battle.


    I suddenly pointed at Yurasia¡¯s hair to welcome the end of the battle in a beautiful way. For the sake of her prestige, I guess.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not going out there like that in front of the enemy, are you? Shouldn¡¯t you have a cool look at the end of the battle?¡±


    ¡°What ¡­¡­? Is there something wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a mirror in the other room, you might want to check it out.¡±


    Yurasia walked dubiously towards the room I had pointed to and a few moments later.


    ¡°What? Kyaaaa!!!¡±


    Naturally, what came back to me was a scream. Her hair was a mess, just like the famous ghosts that pop up on TV. She was beautiful, though.


    ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡­?¡°


    With trembling hands, Yurasia held the comb in front of the mirror and began brushing her hair. But it was a mess. She had always lived with a sword in her hand. The maids must have done all the brushing for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can fix it, but I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    I felt like it was getting rather bad, so I took the comb away from her.


    ¡°Intelligence indicates that the King of Bridget will be arriving shortly. We don¡¯t have much time. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°What? You will?¡±


    She looked at me with an untrustworthy look. Of course, there are maids in this palace but I don¡¯t trust them at all. It¡¯s not impossible that they might try to assassinate Yurasia while brushing her hair.


    ¡°Just stay still.¡±


    I gently stroked her head down from top to bottom with the palm of my hand. Her very beautiful hair shimmered in my hand. Then, using a comb, I began to slowly brush it from top to bottom. Her hair, which had been straggling all over the place, began to come together little by little. It would have been best if I could have washed her hair, but since that was not an option, it was best to bundle or braid it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll braid it like I always do.¡±


    ¡°Braiding? That¡¯s impossible. Even I might not be able to¡­¡­do it myself¡­¡­!¡±


    Well, in my case, it was because of my sister. Thanks to my mother, who was busy with her work, and my sister, who had to take care of me all by herself, I was able to acquire the skills to do my hair. When I was in elementary school, I always had to do my sister¡¯s hair for her.


    She was always asking me to do her hair, and she was quite troublesome anyway. My sister is a real pain in the ass. That¡¯s why I was so confident about fixing Yurasia¡¯s hair. I started braiding her hair as hard as I could.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Not bad at all ¡­¡­but! How many women¡¯s hair have you touched before you became this good?¡±


    She looked at me with suspicious eyes. She seemed to have some kind of strange misunderstanding.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. You are the first person outside of my family. There are those who have many women at their beck and call because they are lords, but not me. I¡¯m the kind of guy who values love.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    She looked at me in disbelief. What the hell is wrong with my image?


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°What kind of love is that?¡±


    ¡°What kind of love is¡­¡­.The kind that makes you throb just thinking about it, whether you¡¯re together or not?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­.You¡¯re that pure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you really think you can date and marry anyone?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not!¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you take off your princess face and fall in love? If you stay in Roserun forever, you¡¯ll end up in a political marriage with some unknown noble or royal family from another country.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that. If that happens, I¡¯ll kill myself on my wedding night after cutting off the head of the man I¡¯m marrying!¡±


    Suicide? Isn¡¯t that a bit extreme?


    ¡°No, you should have refused political marriage from the beginning. If that doesn¡¯t work, you can run away!¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I should cut and run?¡±


    Of course not, I meant run away before you marry. You know that, don¡¯t you, woman?


    ¡°You want a fight?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just laugh ¡­¡­? You laughed like you were happy!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What are you talking about? I¡¯m not laughing.¡±


    In an instant she returned to her princess face.


    * * *


    All Ganev could do was retreat while protecting Bautor. If he was not careful, he could be surrounded by tens of thousands of enemy soldiers and lose his life. This was no time to be fighting the enemy. Therefore, he had to concentrate only on breaking through the siege.


    Bautor also had no choice but to give the order to retreat in order to save his life in the face of the tragic outcome. The number of soldiers who fled with him was less than 3,000. By all accounts, it was impossible to continue the war. The situation was a sure sign that there was no way to go to another occupied territory with such troops. Therefore, the retreat destination this time was their country, the Bridget Kingdom.


    ¡°¡­¡­retreat. I¡¯m going to go back to my kingdom and start over. I¡¯ll never forget what happened this time. Never¡­¡­!¡±


    Bautor gritted his teeth and fled to his own country. Naturally, the Royal Army of Roserun pursued him. After such a chase, the army of the Bridget Kingdom barely managed to cross the border. This was only possible because of Ganev¡¯s presence.


    Even the Roserun army, who had been chasing them so persistently, did not cross the border as expected. Bautor snickered as he looked at the enemy.


    ¡°They¡¯re not much to look at. They¡¯re so afraid of stepping on Bridget¡¯s land that they can¡¯t even cross the border! Kuh-ha-ha!¡±


    Bautor still believed that the defeat was caused by their own blunders, not that the enemy was superior! So, with his ego as high as ever, he thought that he could reoccupy Roserun if he was careful.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, soldiers?¡±


    However, the soldiers had different ideas. In particular, they did not want to see Lunan¡¯s reinforcements, who destroyed them at every turn. The soldiers, who had been filling their stomachs with only water, did not agree with Bautor.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you cheering?¡±


    Angry, Bautor slashed the soldier next to him.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything if we¡¯re losing our energy! Come on, let¡¯s have a cheer!¡±


    Seeing this, the soldiers around him began to cheer forcibly, not wanting to die. But that was the worst thing he could do. His command, which had been maintained by his charisma, plummeted. His command, which had reached 97, dropped below 70. Of course, he was unaware of this. He led his soldiers in such a coercive manner that they arrived at the border territory and starved.


    ¡°Ganev, we¡¯re going back to Brosion, I¡¯m going to prepare the army and then I¡¯m going to kill the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty! This enemy must be defeated!¡±


    Ganev¡¯s eyes blazed, too. This time, he was determined to finish it by cutting off my head immediately. As they did so, Bautor and Ganev crossed the various territories and came within sight of the royal city of Brosion. However, the gates of the royal capital were enveloped in silence. Seeing this, Isenbahan exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°How dare no one greet His Majesty on his return?¡±


    It was only natural that all the nobles in the royal capital as well as the attendants and maids of the royal castle would greet the king. When they were in the nearby territory, they sent a message beforehand. As it was not a war to be won, it was natural for everyone to greet the king, even if it was not a grand welcome.


    This was nothing but a challenge to the royal authority. Bautor approached the castle gate, his face red with indignation. For some reason, there were no guards or even gatekeepers at the huge gates of Brosion. There was no sign of life on the main streets, and no one was walking around in the royal city. Looking around at the quiet city, the soldiers who had entered tilted their heads. The commanders did the same.


    ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡­?¡±


    Isenbahan also murmured with a doubtful look on his face. As they all entered the capital with such doubts, the gates suddenly began to close. At the same time, soldiers who had been hiding in the alleyways came running out from everywhere. These soldiers were not from Bridget¡¯s army. What suddenly appeared in the middle of the capital was Lunan¡¯s military uniform.


    ¡°Why are you here¡­¡­? How the hell did you get here!?¡±


    Bautor clammed up at the unbelievable situation. Naturally, Erhin was at the head of the Lunan Kingdom army.


    ¡°This was the plan all along. From the moment you invaded Roserun! I will have your head for the slaughter Bridget committed!¡±


    Erhin said and dismounted from his horse. He left the soldiers behind and walked alone to the king.


    ¡°You ¡­¡­! You¡¯re coming at me yourself. You look like you want to die.¡¡Okay, I¡¯ll play along!¡±


    Erhin¡¯s face was full of confidence as Ganev stepped forward.


    * * *


    He¡¯s a really disgusting man but this is the end. The gates of the castle were closed and they were surrounded by soldiers. There was no chance of escape. Even Ganev couldn¡¯t fight against more than 20,000 soldiers in a completely closed castle. To make sure that no one would be able to escape using the castle walls, archers were placed on the walls without any gaps.


    It was only in this situation that I walked in front of him for the experiment. The situation itself was already overwhelmingly favorable and even if my experiment failed, it wouldn¡¯t affect many people, so I thought I¡¯d try using [True Crush].


    It would be best if I kill him with my own hands and end the war. He is a warlord with 98 martial force, if I kill him directly the experience I gain will be substantial. It¡¯s a good chance to level up so I didn¡¯t hesitate.


    [Do you want to use True Crush?]


    I used [True Crush] and then threw Daitouren at Ganev. As usual, Daitouren flew toward Ganev, emitting a white light. There has been no change at all so far. I had no idea how to neutralize my opponent¡¯s skills.


    ¡°This skill again? You¡¯re wasting your time! It doesn¡¯t work on me!¡±


    Ganev swung the sword using his own skill, the [Blade of Light], as a blue streak appeared on his face.


    ¡°Everyone, run to the sides!¡±


    I immediately ordered the soldiers. There was no need for them all to be killed anywhere within the range of that skill.  The [Blade of Light] is an S-class skill with a power of 103. [Crush] can kill opponents with up to +5 martial force. I could have killed Ganev, who had 98 martial force, but I couldn¡¯t because of this skill.


    What in the world has changed? It was an appalling situation, but I couldn¡¯t just sit there dumbfounded. Ganev was alive and well, if this continues, I have no choice but to assault him with the entire army and kill him. With that in mind, I was about to set up a siege again, but then! A sword suddenly appeared above my head. And that sword flew towards Ganev.


    It was so fast that he could not react. The sword, glowing with white light, went straight through Ganev¡¯s body! As soon as it pierced through, a blast of white light erupted, and even the enemy soldiers in the vicinity were completely engulfed and exploded. An incredibly powerful skill!


    As the white light disappeared, Ganev pointed at me and collapsed, not moving any further. He was dead. The strongest enemy in this battle was dead! And it was all too easy with [True Crush].


    In other words, [True Crush] can kill even if the enemy uses a skill! I ran over to the sword stuck in the ground.


    [Shoutouren]


    [Divine sword]


    Shoutouren?


    A surprising sword name. I immediately tried to grab the sword, but Shoutouren disappeared just before my hand touched it. So does that mean that Shoutouren will appear as an auxiliary effect when [Crush] fails? In other words, [True Crush] is a joint attack by Daitouren and Shoutouren?


    Does that mean that somewhere on the continent, the real Shoutouren is also lying dormant? If so, I want to get my hands on it. Because there might be some bonus, if I collect all three divine swords, I¡¯ll become even stronger!


    ¡°You think you can stop me? Impossible! I am the master of this continent!¡±


    That¡¯s when the Bridget King shouted at me. A man I don¡¯t even see, just a butcher, nothing more, nothing less.

 CH 59

    He¡¯s not an awe-inspiring strategist or a great character like Fran of Narja, he¡¯s just a butcher.


    ¡°Attack! Annihilate the remnants of Bridget!¡±


    When I gave the signal to attack, Lunan¡¯s army, which had surrounded Bridget¡¯s Royal Army, jumped out from everywhere. A one-sided battle soon began.


    Yurasia also ran towards the King of Bridget. Her martial force was almost equal to his, however Bautor also had to deal with ordinary soldiers, so he was no match for Yurasia. In the end she pierced his throat with Rossade.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa!¡±


    Cheers rang out all around as the enemy king died. Seeing this, the soldiers of Bridget began to surrender. No, they did not have the will to fight from the beginning. So, at the moment the king died, the war was as good as over.


    ¡°Waaahhhh!¡±


    Lunan¡¯s soldiers shouted louder than before. And I shouted in the middle of them.


    ¡°All credit goes to you; the promised reward will surely be paid. I will allow you to drink today but you must never touch a Bridget citizen. Those who violate military law will be dealt with harshly!¡±


    ***


    Fihatri slammed his fist down hard on the desk. The King of Lunan had ordered Erhin¡¯s return. As a vassal of Duke Ronen, Fihatri had heard the news before Erhin and shook his head. He did not like the king¡¯s decision.


    With an additional 50,000 troops from Lunan, it was only a matter of time before the territory of Bridget would surrender. Therefore, it was the Lunan king¡¯s idea to recall Erhin before he took over Bridget and give all the war merits to his own line.


    ¡°I never knew this country could be so corrupt.¡±


    For Fihatri, Erhin was already a friend who had fought with him. He had treated him sincerely and entrusted him to the front line to make the biggest impact. That¡¯s why Fihatri had changed his opinion of Erhin.


    At first, he had only intended to monitor him, but he had completely changed his mind. He had fought with Demasin Elheat, who was also a vassal of Duke Ronen. He respected Elheat, of course, but there was something about Erhin that Elheat didn¡¯t have. His ability to handle soldiers as well as his intelligence and charisma.


    For this reason, Fihatri ran out of the temporary office with the intention of trying to persuade Erhin even if it meant going against the will of Duke Ronen.


    ***


    I was preparing to leave. The situation changed abruptly when we captured the royal capital of Bridget. When the king of Lunan heard the news, he sent an additional 50,000 troops to protect Roserun and destroy Bridget. I guess it was an act of greed that put the huge prey in front of them as the top priority over the dangerous element of Narja.


    Of course, that¡¯s exactly what I wanted. This greed will eventually lead to the destruction of Lunan. If they use their forces against Bridget, it will be even more difficult to stop Narja¡¯s great conquest.


    If Narja invades and occupies Lunan¡¯s royal capital, I will absorb the Lunan territory that will become chaotic! I¡¯ll probably have to fight with the Narja Kingdom, but in any case, it¡¯s all a battle of strategy. So there was no need to waste time here now that I had achieved my goal.


    We did not take over the whole of Bridget. But that¡¯s what the newly-deployed Royal Army of Lunan should do. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what the King of Lunan intends to do.


    It was uncommon to replace the general who had accomplished the most dangerous task, but the treatment was rather desirable now. The real enemy was Narja, an enemy so powerful that Bautor was no match for them. Now that I¡¯ve accomplished my goal I can go home without any regrets. I can always get this place back later.


    ¡°The general is ordered to return to Lunan as soon as the 50,000 troops arrive!¡±


    ¡°If the king says so, I¡¯ll have to return.¡±


    When I answered without the slightest interest, Fihatri asked with a frustrated look on his face.


    ¡°After they remove the general who occupied Bridget¡¯s royal capital from this war, His Highness Ronen¡¯s men will be sent out in force. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what that means?¡±


    What it means. How could I not know that? It means that the king and the duke will seize all of Bridget¡¯s territory and take the credit for it from me.


    ¡°Besides, you¡¯re one of His Highness Ronen¡¯s men, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re worried about me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­!¡±


    Fihatri shook his head, surprisingly.


    Delphina Fihatri, a man of ability for sure. The problem¡¯s that he was a vassal of Duke Ronen. He was an Earl, but he was a nobleman of a lower grade than me because he didn¡¯t have a territory. There are a lot of nobles who don¡¯t have territories even if they are Earls. In particular, there were many such nobles who were vassals of dukes, who were large nobles.


    He would probably take this opportunity to get a fiefdom. Unlike me, who was not affiliated with Ronen, he was Ronen¡¯s vassal. Most of the credit for my success should go to him. Even so, the fact that he would say such a thing to me indicates that he has had a change of heart.


    It¡¯s not a bad thing, talented people are always welcome. In a number of battles, Fihatri led his soldiers well. He had an excellent ability to follow and execute orders, but it was still early. Considering the situation he was in, it would be better to welcome him into my ranks a little later.


    ¡°Oh, well. I¡¯m not going to get into a political fight, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get one of Bridget¡¯s territories. Congratulations.¡±


    ¡°I thought this was not the time to be laughing! Besides, it¡¯s outrageous! I can¡¯t accept it if the general can¡¯t take anything!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°If you think of me, you should stay in Bridget. If you are given a fief, take it. And you must remain loyal to Duke Ronen. As you build up your strength, there will come a time when you will be of great help to me.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°I have more important things to do now, like rewarding my soldiers. I¡¯ve always said I¡¯d give them rewards to motivate them.¡±


    ¡°But will His Majesty pay for it? His Majesty¡¯s character is¡­¡­.¡±


    Fihatri asked with a look of impossibility in his eyes. Well, that¡¯s a fair question. There is no way that the king of Lunan will reward his soldiers.


    ¡°He probably won¡¯t help me. But it¡¯s important to keep your promises. If I don¡¯t follow through with what I¡¯ve said, the soldiers who served me this time will never follow through with me again.¡±


    It is very important to win the hearts and minds of the soldiers. It is even more important if I want to absorb Lunan¡¯s troops later on.


    ¡°If His Majesty doesn¡¯t pay, I will do it. I¡¯ll send you some money; can you give it to the soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Of course. In my honor, I will make sure that no other nobles can embezzle it. But are you sure you want to leave? It would be better for you to stay in Bridget¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Look at the big things. If you get too attached to the little things, you¡¯ll miss the big things.¡±


    When I said this, Fihatri looked dazed.


    * * *


    There were others who were full of questions.


    ¡°Erhin, since you¡¯re leaving here, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°A question?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have a question I¡¯d really like to ask. Can you answer me honestly?¡±


    ¡°Anything I can answer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very vague answer.¡±


    Yurasia looked at me sharply.


    ¡°Whoa, that expression! Even if you¡¯re staring at me, it¡¯s still better than your usual stiff expression.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. No more staring. I¡¯ll answer honestly as a parting gift. What do you want to ask me?¡±


    When I said that, Yurasia took a deep breath.


    ¡°What are your goals? Because no matter how you look at it, you don¡¯t seem like the kind of person who would be satisfied with just being a lord.¡±


    I¡¯m surprised she can sense that. She¡¯s more observant than I thought. Fihatri didn¡¯t seem to be able to sense it at all.


    ¡°What are you dreaming of? Could it be¡­¡­?¡±


    Eurasian looked around, made sure no one was around, and said something shocking.


    ¡°The King of Lunan?¡±


    I was honestly surprised to hear that.


    ¡°What can I say? It¡¯s too small.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡­? Did you just say small? You think Lunan is small?¡±


    ¡°To answer your question, my ideals are not that great, just happiness for me and my friends. That¡¯s all. The continent is in turmoil right now. Most of the countries are dreaming of war, that¡¯s why the wars never end. To find happiness in such times? I think the only way to do that is through unification. Because once the continent is unified, peace will naturally come.¡±


    This is just an exaggerated version of the truth. My goal is to conquer the game, in other words, the unification of the continent. Of course, if one of the things I obtain is peace wouldn¡¯t that be great? History has shown us that a period of unification is better for the people than a period of war.


    Comparing life in the Warring States Period and the Tokugawa Shogunate, or Edo Period, it would naturally be the latter. A world where war breaks out every other day and a world where peace still dwells superficially are two completely different things. This is even more so since the continent was originally a single country.


    ¡°So I¡¯m going to fight, to end the wars. Of course, even if we are unified, war will happen again someday. But there will be a time of peace, and there will be a time of war. Doesn¡¯t the former make more sense to anyone else?¡±


    Once united, there will not be another war so easily. As long as the united kingdom has a decent government, there will be peace for several hundred years. In fact, if you substitute the history of the earth, it would be the same.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yurasia just stared at me.


    ¡°The people of Roserun¡­¡­.And everyone on the continent will be at peace¡­¡­.Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Everyone, regardless of country.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We just have to try. So, if you¡¯re willing to drop the name Roserun and join me as an individual named Yurasia, I¡¯m always open to that.¡±


    Yurasia just blinked at my suggestion.


    ¡°The scale of the conversation is too large for me to follow. You¡¯re¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Yurasia.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t confuse me any more than you already have¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°When you get back to Roserun, things might get a little troublesome.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®troublesome¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Something bad will happen to royalty who becomes too much of a hero. Anyway, a royalty that is more popular than the king is a problem. If you can¡¯t stay in Roserun, I¡¯ll at least give you a place to stay in my domain. Of course, you may or may not share my intentions. So just remember, you have other places to go. You don¡¯t have any friends, do you? I¡¯ll be your friend.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no! I do have friends!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°I have a good friend, the¡­¡­lady-in-waiting!¡±


    ¡°Is that a friend?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡±


    Yurasia began to tremble as if she had been hit by a bull¡¯s-eye.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any friends, either. We¡¯re the same. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to have to rely on each other. If you ever decide to come to Aintorian, I¡¯d love to see what you¡¯re really like.¡±


    ¡°Idiot¡­¡­¡±


    Did she just call me an idiot?


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it after I go through that nasty incident or whatever it is, I¡¯ll also take your advice to heart. Your ideals it¡¯s too big for me to digest, though.¡±

 CH 60

    The Royal Palace of Lunan.


    ¡°Ha ha ha ha! You did really well!¡±


    The King of Lunan greeted me with a joyful face.


    ¡°Well done Erhin.¡±


    Duke Ronen was also full of praise. The problem was that he only offered praises. He didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest intention of giving out any rewards. It was a bit too obvious that he treated people like fools.


    ¡°Your Majesty, won¡¯t the entire Bridget Kingdom belong to Lunan soon?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. It seems that the troops we sent in later are doing well. Hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what anyone says, it was me who made it possible.¡±


    I declared to the king¡¯s smiling face. The king and Ronen looked at each other as if the time had come. The smiles on their faces disappeared. It was as if they had already decided to get rid of me when they were done using me in the war.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not so sure about that. You never know the outcome. It might have been possible even without you. Maybe even with Fihatri alone.¡±


    The king started with his nonsense. Anyway, they are greedy people.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t want much. Besides, I am destined to continue fighting for you. But could I have a small reward?¡±


    When I mentioned another war, the king gave a light cough and nodded. He looked as if he had no choice, because he still had places to use me for now.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ve got to give credit where credit is due. What¡¯s the reward? Just gold, right?


    Don¡¯t be silly. I have enough gold. More than Lunan¡¯s treasury, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t gold an asset you should be using, Your Majesty? I only want one of your coastal territories in the Bridget Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°A coastal territory?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is a place called Loctoin. I hear the coast is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Loctoin? Bring me a map right away!¡±


    As soon as the King of Lunan heard about it, he spread out a map in front of the audience room. Then he pointed directly to the territory.


    ¡°Why a coastal territory?¡±


    Then Ronen asked a sharp question, as if he was not willing to give me that small territory.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a piece of land along the coast, a quiet little seaside. I plan to use that territory as a vacation home, to play with women.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Come to think of it, you¡¯re quite a womanizer. Well, if it¡¯s this big, I¡¯ll give it to you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Then can I have the imperial document with the Imperial Seal affixed right here and now?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any hurry. Erhin, why don¡¯t you just come back tomorrow?¡±


    Ronen is a greedy man. He wouldn¡¯t give up a single piece of land easily so I had no choice but to nod my head. The next day, I had another audience with the king.


    What Ronen had been doing that night was well known. He must have thoroughly investigated the land that I wanted. I¡¯m sure he has no intention of handing over any land where I can expand my influence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve discussed the coastal territory you mentioned with His Majesty.¡±


    Ronen said and pointed to a spot on the map.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found a place that¡¯s even better than the one you mentioned, a territory called Berthaquin. It¡¯s really in the middle of nowhere, so you can enjoy all the relaxation you want without the world knowing about it. It¡¯s a territory completely surrounded by mountains, the coast is blocked all around. No matter what you do, it¡¯s not an easy place for anyone to escape, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The place he pointed to was a corner of the Bridget Kingdom, a flat land that is not even a city, to be honest. It was a territory with nothing but mountains.


    ¡°Will you give me that territory?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already prepared the imperial document with the Imperial Seal on it. I had a hard time finding a better territory for you. Don¡¯t you like it?¡±


    No, I don¡¯t¡­¡­!


    They both saw my expression turn cloudy and looked at me at the same time.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Well, well, I¡¯m glad you like it. Hahahahahaha!¡±


    The king, thinking that he had been able to substitute a useless piece of land for a reward, burst out laughing. I scoffed at him in my mind as I received the royal decree and came out of the palace. Yes. I ridiculed him. Berthaquin, this empty territory was exactly what I had been aiming for from the beginning.


    I knew that if I asked for a place to rest, he would suggest this land, which was the most useless land in Bridget¡¯s territory. Ronen probably chose this land while laughing at my mistake of calling it a resting place. He seemed to think that since I said the word ¡°resting place,¡± I would not be able to refuse Berthaquin, which was the best place for it. Of course, I had no intention of refusing from the start.


    Berthaquin has the most iron mines on the continent. Aintorian does not have much iron, we import it but the royal family is in charge of managing it. Therefore, it was something of a challenge to get iron because iron is a war material; all countries have strict control over it. To be able to obtain iron under such circumstances is an enormous profit.


    Of course, the iron of Berthaquin is not known even in Bridget. In the game, after I obtained the Berthaquin territory and started developing it, the iron began to overflow. So, at this point, I¡¯m the only one who knows about it. That¡¯s right, what I wanted more desperately than Bridget Kingdom in this war was the iron.


    * * *


    Zint had a rare smile on his face as he looked at Aintorian.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a very good mood. I can¡¯t believe Zint is laughing.¡±


    He was a man who didn¡¯t care what you gave him, but when it came to Mirine, he was different. There were many things that I found in the treasure room of the Royal Palace of Bridget and I let Zint choose a gift for her from among them.


    There were so many treasures that I could have gave Mirine as many as she wanted. However, receiving so many treasures at once is not very inspiring. A man returns from war and hands over one beautiful treasure, wouldn¡¯t that be cooler?


    ¡°I¡¯m not smiling! I was just managing my facial expressions.¡±


    What¡¯s that?


    ¡°More importantly, I still can¡¯t get the bandage off, so that¡¯s a problem.¡±


    Zint¡¯s chest wound was still healing and he was wearing a bandage.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If a man goes to war, he¡¯s bound to get hurt. What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. You talk big in front of me, but you can¡¯t say anything in front of Mirine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    Zint adamantly denied it but I imagine him being dragged away by his ear. Anyway, that¡¯s how Zint and I got back into the territory.


    ¡°Master! Welcome home!¡±


    When we arrived at the gate of the territory, we were greeted by the chamberlain and all the retainers, who had gotten the information from who knows where.


    ¡°Your Excellency!¡±


    The vassals kneeled but right now, I wanted to rest. To be honest, I¡¯m pretty tired. I¡¯m not an iron man; I¡¯m just an ordinary modern man. So I¡¯m going to get my vassals to their feet, give them their orders, and then I¡¯ll be on my way.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the lord¡¯s castle for now. Haddin and Yusen will report to me tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    ¡°Zint, you go and see Mirine.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I got on the carriage right away. I¡¯m going to sleep; I¡¯ll organize my items and everything else after I wake up. When I arrived at the lord¡¯s castle and went inside, the maids bowed their heads in unison.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Everyone go back to work. Chamberlain I¡¯m going to my room.¡±


    I told the chamberlain that, and started to walk up the stairs.


    ¡°Master, you have a visitor.¡±


    ¡°A guest?¡±


    All of a sudden I have a guest?


    ¡°I¡¯m tired today. Can we do this tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°So, who is it?¡±


    I stopped walking up the stairs and asked. There were no guests scheduled to come.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.It¡¯s a woman. She calls herself a princess¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I stopped at the royal capital of Lunan. So, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be able to get to Aintorian faster than I can.


    ¡°She¡¯s here, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here.¡±


    I was supposed to ask the chamberlain, but the reply came unexpectedly from the second floor parapet. There is a guest room on the second floor for visitors.


    ¡°Why are you¡­¡­?¡±


    Yurasia tilted her head as she gracefully came down the stairs.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too surprised? You¡¯re the one who said you¡¯d welcome me as a friend, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, I did.¡±


    Yurasia then looked around. She seems uncomfortable because there are so many people.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the study first.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    I told the chamberlain not to come in and then went to the study with her.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot of books.¡±


    Yurasia said as she looked around the study.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s less than a study in the palace, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You were right.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°As soon as I got home, I was in constant trouble. There was a group of nobles who pestered me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean that?¡±


    Yes. It can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°They asked if I was planning to become the king. I¡¯m not kidding. That¡¯s not all they wanted me to give up the position of general of the kingdom¡¯s army to my brother in order to take away my military authority. It was getting ridiculous so I ran out and said that I would cut them all down if they threatened my brother¡¯s royal authority. I would go and help if Roserun would be in trouble but I don¡¯t want to think about it now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God.¡±


    ¡°That was a joke.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°It seems that my power in Roserun is stronger than I thought. My brother also asks for my advice when something is wrong, and that seems to be more of a problem than anything else, so I¡¯ve decided to leave Roserun for a while.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±


    Yurasia wrapped her hair around her fingers then she chuckled. It was unlike her. In all the time they had been together in Roserun, she had only smiled twice, once in the dark and once for a brief moment.


    ¡°There¡¯s another reason I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Another reason?¡±


    Yurasia took another step closer in front of me.


    ¡°There was something I really needed to hear. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Something you needed to hear?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve come all this way just to ask me a question?¡±


    When I asked her back in dismay, she slowly opened her mouth with a straight face.


    ¡°You said I¡¯m not your type, right? Then what is your type?¡±


    Martial force 92 ¨C [89+3].


    Command 97 ¨C [95+2].


    This person with extraordinary abilities unexpectedly asked me what kind of women I like.

 CH 61

    Fran Valdesca crossed the border dressed as a peasant. He also abandoned his horse since peasants do not travel by horse. So he approached Aintorian on foot.


    However, the physically weak Fran soon showed signs of fatigue. Even though his men tried to stop him, he continued to walk without resting, following his own will. And then, barracks appeared in front of Fran¡¯s eyes.


    Fran Valdesca had crossed the border to see for himself what was going on in Aintorian. It is obvious why he was keeping a close eye on Aintorian among all Lunan¡¯s territories. It was for the sake of Aintorian Erhin, the noble who defeated him.


    In addition, there were reports from the spies that Aintorian¡¯s movements had been suspicious lately. He needed to see for himself, that¡¯s how highly Fran thought of Erhin. He also wanted to beat him no matter what it took, no matter what strategy he used, he was preparing for war with the sole intention of avenging his past defeat.


    Of course, there was no hurry. The preparations for the great conquest were going well. If he rushed because he was blinded by the desire for revenge, he would not be able to defeat his enemy. Knowing this well, Fran steadily built up his strength.


    ¡°A barracks in the middle of nowhere? I didn¡¯t see anything like that in the last intelligence report.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    There was no way that Milton, his man, could know what Fran didn¡¯t know. A drill going on near the barracks, Fran watched it blankly. However, reconnaissance is something that stands out regardless of the era. Naturally, a soldier came from the distance and shouted.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Then a surprised Milton answered quickly.


    ¡°We¡¯re just farmers passing through.¡±


    Then the soldier huffed and said.


    ¡°This is a military zone. Where do you think you¡¯re going? Did you take a wrong turn?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the Eln Castle.¡±


    ¡°Not this way. If you go all the way down that way, you¡¯ll see it.¡±


    The soldier gave them directions and even kindly explained that the number of farmers wanting to move to the area had been increasing recently due to the tax policy. But he immediately changed his expression and made a hand gesture to send them away. Fran had no choice but to turn back. When he got farther away from the soldier, he finally said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Morale is great. The training conditions and the soldiers were all excellent. I¡¯m sure any soldier would like this kind of outdoor camp¡­¡­¡±


    In the little time he had, Fran had gone through everything from training status to military discipline.


    ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±


    This was not the Lunan territory that had been reported to them. Fran continued to advance, this time, a small village came into his sight. Strangely enough, there were soldiers helping to work the fields. What¡¯s more, everyone except the soldiers seemed to be women.


    ¡°Um, can I ask you something?¡±


    Because it was such a strange scene and before Milton, who was next to him, could stop him, Fran asked a question without acting. Even so, Fran had no special talent for acting. He was just a guy with a good head on his shoulders.


    ¡°Please be careful!¡±


    Patrick rushed over and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡±


    Fran also realized his blunder and hastily changed his tone. Then a soldier stood up from the field and looked at him, sarcastically.


    ¡°Are you some big shot?¡±


    I look like a beggar, right? The soldier had that look on his face.


    ¡°Huh, I think I misspoke.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The soldier had a suspicious look in his eyes. Fran coughed then he tripped over a stone and almost fell.


    When the women saw this, they couldn¡¯t hold back their laughter and giggled. Even the soldiers, seeing their shabby appearance, quickly dismissed their suspicions. If this was Fran¡¯s own plan, it was brilliant.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to keep your eyes on the road.¡±


    Milton hurried to support Fran¡¯s body.


    ¡°Why is there always a stone in front of me?¡±


    ¡°If you have such a broad perspective on the world¡¯s affairs, why can¡¯t you see the stone in front of you?¡±


    Patrick sighed next to him. Still, Fran posed another question to the women. This time, he was suddenly respectful.


    ¡°Is this a new village? I don¡¯t think it was here before¡­¡­¡±


    He could see a lot of houses under construction here and there in the village, so he was trying to find out what was going on.


    ¡°Yes, it is. It¡¯s a village that was recently established under the Farmers Resettlement Policy. Are you planning to move there?¡±


    ¡°Well, something like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a border area, so I¡¯m not sure what to expect, but the soldiers always come and help us, and we¡¯re very happy.¡±


    That meant that he was increasing the number of citizens. In the end, it was impossible for Fran not to notice that it had a lot to do with the number of troops.


    Increase the number of citizens in the territory. Increase the number of soldiers in the territory. Isn¡¯t he supposed to be loyal to Lunan¡­¡­?


    Fran stroked her chin, because the more he looked around the territory, the more proactive he seemed to be in thinking that Erhin wasn¡¯t loyal to the king of Lunan.


    Fran took the road to enter Aintorian Castle. Erhin¡¯s absence was a known fact, so, without much tension, Fran looked around the city. He was astonished by the tax policy. Tax exemptions for 1 year, he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    If he did that, the territory¡¯s finances would go bankrupt. It would mean that there would be no more taxes to pay to the king. Unless Erhin was hiding a huge amount of assets, it was impossible. He became more and more suspicious.


    Barracks outside the castle, the newly built village and the village under construction he saw on the way over. Fran¡¯s head hit the bulletin board and he banged his forehead against it. He finally felt as if he could concentrate a little.


    Aintorian Erhin what are you up to? As he thought about this, a shiver suddenly ran through his body. Fran realized something.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Milton asked in a whisper, but Fran didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°If he¡¯s after Lunan. If he¡¯s after Lunan¡¯s king¡­¡­.If he¡¯s planning treason¡­¡­¡±


    Fran turned around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home. We have to capture Aintorian while the lord is away before anything untoward happens. Hurry!¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡­? What do you mean by that?¡±


    When Fran rushed off, Milton and Patrick hurried to follow. Fran knew how much of a risk it would be to suddenly pull out his troops and attack Aintorian, and how much it would ruin the great conquest Narja was preparing.


    ¡°As soon as I return, I¡¯ll mobilize the Valdesca family troops!¡±


    He was only going to move his troops. If Erhin became the king of Lunan, the great conquest he was planning might become an even longer war. That was all Fran could think about, so he moved quickly.


    ¡°No, wait!¡±


    In his panic, Fran paused again. Perhaps, he thought, this could be a trap, too.


    ¡°We¡¯ll move the troops, but first we need to make sure we have a clear picture of the battle situation in Roserun.¡±


    After giving the order to Milton again, Fran went straight to a territory near Aintorian. When he changed his mind and was about to attack, the memory of the last battle caused him to hesitate, but in the end he decided to attack, that¡¯s when.


    ¡°Sir! Sir!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°I have urgent news that the Royal Capital of Bridget has fallen, and Erhin has been restored to the Royal Capital of Lunan!¡±


    At these words, Fran stood up energetically.


    ¡°Turn back the troops at once. We¡¯re returning to the capital!¡±


    The Aintorian had a large number of troops with a high level of training. If it came to a siege, it would be a long war, besides, there was no way Erhin wouldn¡¯t have any countermeasures. No, Fran was dumbfounded even before that.


    How in the world could he capture the royal city of Bridget in such a short time? If it were me? Absolutely impossible.


    Fran was confident in himself. He thought it was possible to protect Roserun. But beyond that, it was impossible. Clenching his fists, Fran urged his man to investigate the situation in detail and headed for the capital as he fled from Aintorian.


    £ª£ª£ª


    When I woke up in the morning, I felt like I hadn¡¯t gotten over all the fatigue I¡¯d been feeling. Yawning, I got up.


    There was no change in the appearance of the room and the territory spread out through the window was peaceful. The scenery hasn¡¯t changed, but the reputation of the lord has changed dramatically.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since I was called a rogue lord, but now, thanks to the tax policy and land cultivation, Aintorian had become a territory where refugees would come to after hearing the rumors.


    The biggest change while I was in Roserun was the population. It went from 220,000 to 230,000, an increase of 10,000 in two months. This is still short of my goal of 300,000, but the fact that the population is growing is important.


    The people¡¯s spirit is a whopping 80. If I just maintain this number, your territory won¡¯t have any problems. As long as I don¡¯t do anything that would cause it to drop, I¡¯m fine. The new influx of population also had no negative impact on the people¡¯s spirit, as they had migrated with high expectations for the lord. And while I was away, the training of the 20,000-strong army continued.


    [Aintorian Territorial Army]


    [Strength: 20,000]


    [Training level: 89]


    [Morale: 80]


    It was a number that was possible because of the high level of [command] the officers had. A small, elite army of 20,000 strong is a large enough number to be effective as long as they follow my strategies. Twenty thousand may not seem like much, but it¡¯s not little either. The training will continue and so will the compensation policies to boost morale.


    My current level is 25. After killing Pohorizen, my level was 22, but after killing Ganev, my level went up by a whopping three. The fact that I killed a warlord with 98 martial force had a big impact.


    I gained a total of 900 points from the three level-ups. I kept 300 points in case I needed a skill, and used 600 points to raise my martial force from 65 to 69.


    This battle also strengthened Daitouren, although it could only last for 30 minutes, but for that time, I could reign as one of the most powerful men on the continent.

 CH 62

    It¡¯s a pity that there were no treasures from the Ancient Kingdom era in the Bridget Kingdom treasury, in other words, no [Items] of the [Unnamed Sword] class that Roserun kept. The treasures which should have been shared by the Twelve Families were not in Bridget¡¯s possession.


    Since Bridget was one of the Twelve Families, it was certain that they had a share of the Ancient Kingdom treasures. It was likely that they were lost due to neglect. Even the King of Bridget didn¡¯t use any special items.


    Later, when I asked the chamberlain and maidservants who served in the royal palace of Bridget, they also didn¡¯t know, the same went for the other royals. Well, it was true that even in Roserun; the abilities of the ancient treasure were unknown. I guess it can¡¯t be helped since so many years have passed since the Twelve Families each founded their own countries.


    To me, the treasures of the Twelve Families have great significance. It could be a secret or, given the nature of the game, another perk. I wanted to find them even more, but the fact was that there was no way to do so right now. I had no clue whatsoever.


    There may be some clues in Lunan¡¯s royal palace. The end is near for Lunan and if all goes according to plan, I should get a chance to check out Lunan¡¯s treasury, I can only hope to find some clues then.


    Well, with that said, the next step was to distribute the items. There were no Ancient Kingdom treasures in Bridget¡¯s treasury, but there were several treasures that could be recognized as [items]. Of these, there were two treasures that could raise ability values.


    [Jade sword]


    [Martial force +1]


    [Sword made of ancient jade]


    [Black armor]


    [Command +2]


    [The black color enhances the user¡¯s dignity]


    Since neither of these items were necessary for me, I decided to use them to raise the ability values of my vassals. I immediately activated the system to display the attributes of all my vassals in front of me.


    [Merja Haddin: 60 Martial force, 57 Intelligence, 70 Command]


    [Bente: 49 Martial force, 38 Intelligence, 82 Command]


    [Zint: 94(+2) Martial force, 41 Intelligence, 52 Command]


    [Yusen: 82 Martial force, 69 intelligence, 90 Command]


    [Givens: 70 Martial force, 34 Intelligence, 76 Command]


    [Roserun Yurasia: 89(+3) Martial force, 57 Intelligence, 95(+2) Command]


    Sword effects can¡¯t be overlapped so neither Zint or I can use the [Jade Sword]. Yusen is someone who will play a major role in the future. His abilities are high overall, and his loyalty to me is also high. So it was better to use the [Black armor] to enhance Yusen¡¯s dignity and improve his command.


    I decided to keep it for now because I can get stronger vassals in the future.


    If there is any inconvenience, it is that this is reality and not a game, so abilities do not automatically increase.


    * * *


    Hayna went to visit a slave trader in the capital. Even in the world of slaves, human trafficking as a main business was strictly forbidden, on the surface, of course. As in any age, the more forbidden something is, the more powerful people are attracted to it. Slavery was also the greatest pastime for the nobility.


    In Lunan, where the greed of the aristocracy was shaking the country, there were quite a few large-scale slave traders working in the dark. Of course, even the slavers who enjoy the patronage of the powerful class can¡¯t operate with impunity. Their headquarters in the capital was located in a top-secret location.


    ¡°Well, well, well.¡±


    Although it was called the Doro Chamber of Commerce, it was a group that specialized in underworld affairs such as human trafficking, kidnapping, and assassination. It was also a huge business organization whose power extended to the whole of Lunan and Narja.


    Gensema, the owner of the Doro Trading Company, was stationed in Lunan, where the main customer base gathered. He was a man who could be called a dark slaver, and he was famous for making slaves out of any noble or lowly person and offering them to his clients as long as they paid him. And the greatest power of the Doro Trading Company was its group of assassins.


    The aristocrats could not get their hands on them because they used them for all kinds of requests. Gensema recognized Hayna at a glance. He welcomed her with that devious look on his face.


    ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    ¡°Information is the power of business. Of course I know you. Heh heh.¡±


    The sneer made Hayna raise an eyebrow, but she held her ground and spoke her purpose.


    ¡°You seem to be using that power to do something else behind the scenes?¡±


    When Hayna asked directly, Gensema nodded his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. Hahahaha.¡±


    Gensema, who had been laughing, suddenly turned serious and said with a ghastly look on his face.


    ¡°But that¡¯s why you¡¯re here, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m at your service Lady Hayna. If you¡¯re interested in a male slave, all you have to do is tell us your preference¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested in something else. There is someone I want to kill at all costs!¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Hayna clenched her fists. The stares from Ronen and the scorn of the nobles, she had completely lost her chance to advance.


    Hayna blamed Aintorian Erhin for her failures. She could never forgive him for destroying her and her family. However, it was impossible to challenge him in a straightforward manner. This fact deeply hurt her pride and made her even more determined to kill Erhin.


    Without him, she would have another chance to be Lunan¡¯s strategist. There was also a glimmer of hope that Ronen would call her back. That was why she had come to visit Gensema, despite her disgust.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one you can¡¯t kill?¡±


    ¡°Huh. What are you talking about? There are people we can¡¯t kill. We can¡¯t kill the five rising stars on the continent. Well, if it¡¯s not them, then it¡¯s possible.¡±


    The five strongest people on the continent, in other words, there were only five S-class people on the continent. At the top of the list was the King of Narja.


    ¡°We are running a special assassination organization and have many excellent assassins that we have trained from an early age, so there is no difficulty.¡±


    Gensema smiled, showing absolute confidence.


    ¡°It is not necessarily to kill with a knife. There is also poisoning, you know. However, the cost of the request will be high. Even so, there aren¡¯t many noblemen in Lunan who would request it.¡±


    Gensema brought up the subject of the strongest warlord in the Lunan Kingdom. Elheat was strong, but he was not one of the five rising stars, so he could kill him, he said boldly. Of all the underworld groups operating in the dark on the continent, the largest was truly the Doro Trading Company.


    ¡°So, who do you want me to kill? The amount of money will vary depending on the grade, so can you tell me from the target?¡±


    Gensema said as she rubbed his hands together, and Hayna didn¡¯t hesitate to open her mouth.


    ¡°Erhin Aintorian. Kill him.¡±


    ¡°Oh ¡­¡­isn¡¯t this another person who has surfaced recently?¡±


    Gensema chuckled and rubbed his hands together again.


    ¡°Earl Erhin Aintorian is quite a brilliant strategist, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about his reputation! So, can you kill him or not?¡±


    ¡°As I said earlier, if I can kill Elheat, why can¡¯t I kill the lesser Erhin?¡¡War and assassination are two different things Lady Hayna. Of course, the higher the grade, the greater the cost.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is¡­¡­¡±


    Gensema held up five fingers with a creepy smile on his face.


    ¡°Five years of earnings from the territory, I estimate.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Hayna frowned at Gensema¡¯s demand for a huge sum of money. One year¡¯s earnings would be used to run the territory for one year. In other words, he wanted five years worth of operating funds.


    ¡°A man of great wisdom, it¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s expensive. The reason why we, the Doro Chamber of Commerce, are so rare is precisely because we can always accomplish what is expensive. Well, if you can¡¯t afford it, please give up. I¡¯ll pretend I never heard of it.¡±


    Gensema¡¯s decisive attitude made Hayna tremble with anger. But now, her wounded pride came before money.


    ¡°Are you sure you can do it?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can.¡±


    Gensema nodded strongly and Hayna bit her lip.


    ¡°The money will be paid after you finish the job.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. We at Doro Trading Company are famous for our thoroughness in paying after the fact. Kuhk.¡±


    Erhin Aintorian. While he was known to be an excellent strategist, his military prowess was not well known in Lunan. The people of Lunan did not see the battle between Bridget and Roserun firsthand. Nor had he used force in the war with Narja, except when fighting alone in Linon Castle.

 CH 63

    The sun was setting, I returned to my office after I inspected the territory and went to my desk to do some work. The most important thing I had to do was to make a decision regarding the budget.


    Even though there were many treasures in the basement, money would disappear in a flash if I used them without a plan. Just as I was about to grab a pen and start filling out the paperwork, I was interrupted. Suddenly, the window shattered.


    ¡°¡­¡­huh?¡±


    What came through were five enemies.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    They attacked right away without any greeting. There were four C-class warriors and one A-class. There are about 40 A-class warriors on the continent. What¡¯s really rare is the S-class, of which there are only five in the continent.


    Of course, 40 is not a large number. Besides, the 40 or so A-level warriors in the continent were all in the low 90s in terms of martial force. There were no more than 10 people in the continent with 95 martial force or above.


    In any case, an assassination team with A-class warrior was not an ordinary group. It would be dangerous if I were caught by surprise. My strength without Daitouren was as low as ever. Even so, I was able to remain calm thanks to Yurasia, who jumped in from the window at almost the same time.


    ¡°Who are you people?¡±


    Yurasia went straight to the masked man nearby and swung her sword mercilessly at him. The blue mana penetrated the masked man¡¯s chest sharply. At the same time, she swung her sword from left to right, and the body of the masked man next to her was cut in half. Blood gushed into the office.


    ¡°No, Yurasia¡­¡­.You don¡¯t have to fight so aggressively.¡±


    I don¡¯t know why, but the corners of her eyes rose in anger as she dealt with another masked man who attacked her without answering. I couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch. After all, there¡¯s an A-class enemy. The man also thought that he had to kill me first, so he left Yurasia to his men and attacked me.


    With 90 martial force he¡¯s the most powerful person in this group of assassins. However, when equipped with Daitouren, my martial force is 99, which is the highest among the 40 or so A-class warriors on the continent. So this guy is no match for me.


    Fighting the enemy with Daitouren was too easy. I swung my sword 2 times and the enemy died with a look of disbelief in his eyes.


    ¡°Wait, Yurasia!¡±


    I wanted to keep one of them alive to find out who was behind it, but Yurasia had already annihilated them when I shouted. With Rossade equipped she had 91 martial force, it was too easy for her to dispose of them.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    She replied with an oddly refreshed look on her face. She looked as if she wanted to be praised for a job well done, or was I mistaken?


    ¡°I wanted to keep one of them alive. To find out who¡¯s after me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Yurasia puffed out her cheeks lightly. I guess she thought I had a point, because she sat down and started slapping the cheek of the masked man who fell in front of her with an expressionless face.


    There¡¯s no way that¡¯s going to wake him up, he¡¯s already dead. She puffed out her cheeks even more and said as she threw the dead masked man out and stood up.


    ¡°I was just pissed off and couldn¡¯t adjust my strength.¡±


    ¡°Why were you so angry?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Yurasia said and disappeared through the window where she had come in.


    £ª£ª£ª


    The vassals gathered in the office of the lord¡¯s castle. Since the lord had been attacked, it was inevitable that everyone would gather. Yusen frowned when he saw the dead body and asked.


    ¡°Was he strong?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He was a mana wielder.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡­¡­Then someone with a lot of power must have sent him to¡­¡­.Do you have any idea who it was?¡±


    That rang a bell. I killed everyone I had to, Ronen and the King still needed me, so there was no way they were going to do this. Of course, there were people who had a grudge against me. Not that I had any idea.


    ¡°Not particularly.¡±


    But I couldn¡¯t be sure, so I just shook my head.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to look into it.¡±


    I nodded at Yusen¡¯s words. At that moment, Zint, who was examining the corpse with a serious face, lifted the corpse¡¯s wrist and said.


    ¡°This is ¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Zint?¡±


    ¡°They said assassins, so I looked it up, and it¡¯s¡­¡­them.¡±


    On his wrist was a tattoo that looked like a spider.


    ¡°Them?¡±


    In response to my question, Zint showed me his wrist. There was a tattoo of a spider, just like theirs. I looked at it and realized.


    ¡°You mean the slavers who took Mirine?¡°


    Zint nodded strongly, a fire rising in his eyes. It was only natural. That slaver was his archenemy.


    ¡°They¡¯re called the Doro Trading Company.¡±


    The Doro Trading Company, I knew that name. Since the fall of Lunan, they¡¯ve been active in the Narja and Mateen kingdoms, trafficking people, kidnappings, and assassinations.


    ¡°The Doro Trading Company? Is there such a thing?¡±


    Yusen, who was also from the royal capital, looked as if he had never heard of them before. The other retainers had the same reaction, even Haddin, a local nobleman, was the same.


    ¡°Think of them as black market dealers. As far as I can tell, if they are after me, the one who sent them is a noble from King¡¯s Landing.¡±


    ¡°You think a noble from King¡¯s Landing tried to assassinate you?¡±


    Yusen asked back with a surprised look on his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking but I need to go out there myself and check.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t hard to get rid of the Doro Trading Company. I had even destroyed the Bridget Kingdom. The current me is more than capable of taking care of them. If someone is targeting me, I have to take revenge.


    They deserved to disappear but there was something I had to find out. If I was right, I could use that to get Elheat on my side, since the Doro Trading Company had deeper ties to the Lunan nobility than I had imagined. If I could get my hands on Elheat, there I had no reason to hesitate.


    The problem is that I don¡¯t know where their headquarters is. In the game, they moved their headquarters when Lunan was destroyed but until then their headquarters was in Lunan¡¯s capital.


    £ª£ª£ª


    Mirine was reading a book. She had learned to read thanks to Erhin, and she read as many books as she could on various subjects.


    Mirine said she would do anything, even sew, to repay his favor but Erhin made her learn to read and write. She had thought that only nobles could learn to read, but since he was the benefactor who saved them, she decided to follow his advice. Surprisingly, she began to find letters interesting.


    [Mirine]


    [Age: 21]


    [Martial force: 5]


    [Intelligence: 59]


    [Command: 10]


    When she first came to Aintorian, her ability values were like this. But that changed after she learned to read.


    [Mirine]


    [Age: 21]


    [Martial force: 5]


    [Intelligence: 70]


    [Command: 20]


    She had basic wisdom, but she didn¡¯t know how to use it. By learning to write, her intelligence increased by 11, in addition, it increased her command by ten. Her ability values were like that of a child. Because only children¡¯s attributes could grow so quickly.


    ¡°Mirine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God. When did you get here?¡±


    She was reading a book and stood up in surprise to greet Zint.


    ¡°I just got here.¡±


    ¡°I was reading this. I don¡¯t know if this will be of any use to you, my lord¡­¡­¡±


    Mirine smiled unsurely as she said this. Zint was just happy whenever he saw her like that. She had been living as a fugitive, but now she was able to live happily doing something she liked.


    There was a moment of crisis during the Roserun war. Zint was willing to lay down his life for me but ended up saving me. That was the second time he had let himself go back to Mirine. And today he finally had a chance at revenge for her and for himself.


    ¡°Zint, what have you done this time?¡±


    Sensing something strange in Zint¡¯s expression, Mirine put her hands on her hips and yelled out loud.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! But I have to go to King¡¯s Landing for a mission. That¡¯s why I came by.¡±


    Zint didn¡¯t tell her about the slavers. There was no need to remind her about her past wounds.


    ¡°Yeah. Then you¡¯ll need food. I¡¯ll be right with you!¡±


    Miline ran into the kitchen, oblivious to Zint¡¯s clenching his fist.


    £ª£ª£ª


    ¡°Alright, is everyone here?¡±


    I decided to go into battle and gathered my vassals. This was because I wasn¡¯t only going to fight, but also had other things to do.


    [Merja Haddin: 60 Martial force, 57 Intelligence, 70 Command]


    [Bente: 49 Martial force, 38 Intelligence, 82 Command].


    [Zint: 94(+2) Martial force, Intelligence 41, Command 52]


    [Yusen: 82 Martial force, 69 Intelligence, 90(+2) Command]


    [Givens: 70 Martial force, 34 Intelligence, 76 Command]


    [Roserun Yurasia: Martial force 89(+3), Intelligence 57, Command 95(+2)]


    Looking at the attributes of the vassals brought tears to my eyes. That being the case, I first called Haddin, the only one of my retainers who was from a noble family.


    ¡°Haddin!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    ¡°I take it the border barrier has been repaired?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the wall extension towards King¡¯s Landing coming along?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take a little longer.¡±


    I was building walls not only on the border with the Narja Kingdom, but also at key points on the way to the royal capital of Lunan. Considering the chaos that was about to ensue, it would be meaningless to defend only the Narja side.


    ¡°Keep up with the expansion, make sure you don¡¯t let public sentiment drop. Continue to take in refugees, give them jobs, and provide as much food as you can.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to worry that Haddin would exploit the people. That was why he was the right man for the job.


    ¡°Yusen!¡±


    Yusen is truly a man of many talents. He was the best of all my retainers.


    ¡°You and Givens will go to Berthaquin. I¡¯ve told Earl Fihatri, who is stationed in the old royal city of Bridget, to send some soldiers. Your job is to make sure the iron ore and transportation routes are secured.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have enough time to go out there myself. So I decided to leave it to Yusen, who was very careful about everything and could be trusted completely.


    ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ll leave immediately!¡±


    ¡°Zint and Bente will go into battle with me!¡±


    [Do you wish to go into battle?]


    [Aintorian Territorial Army: 20,000]


    [Training level: 89]


    [Morale: 80]


    I don¡¯t need that many troops.


    [Cavalry: 100 men]


    I couldn¡¯t train iron cavalry until iron was supplied from Berthaquin, but I had no problem handling about 100 cavalrymen.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    At that moment, Yurasia appeared. She¡¯s not a subordinate yet so I¡¯m letting her do what she wants but I nodded, because I was sure she would be useful.


    [The morale of soldiers going into battle has temporarily increased by +10.]


    Suddenly, the morale of the soldiers who had decided to go into battle rose, was this the power of 97 Command?

 CH 64

    ¡°Lillian.¡±


    The girl looked up weakly when her name was called. A boy and two girls were trapped inside the bars; the three were from the same village. They had lost their parents in the war and had been sold by the villagers. It was the boy, Sedin, who called Lillian.


    ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡­¡±


    Lillian shook her head but her body was trembling. Sedin took off the jacket he had been wearing. When he pulled the vest-like, sleeveless jacket over her shoulders, Lillian¡¯s trembling calmed down a little.


    ¡°I lent Frill my clothes, so you¡¯re cold too, right?¡±


    Sedin laughed softly at that. Frill was asleep, looking comfortable with Lillian¡¯s clothes over her head.


    ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t have anything to worry about like Frill¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Sedin¡¯s shoulders slumped at Lillian¡¯s words.


    ¡°Is it really so hard being a slave?¡±


    They knew what a slave was, and the fate they were destined for. The only one who didn¡¯t know anything was Lillian¡¯s younger sister, Frill, who had just turned seven.


    The door to the prison opened and two men entered. The eyes of all the captives turned to them.


    ¡°You got anything new?¡±


    Gensema asked his men as he looked around the bars.


    ¡°Yes, there are three newcomers, this way.¡±


    Then a man led Gensema to the room. This was the very room where Lillian and Sedin were.


    ¡°Hmm, that girl looks pretty good.¡±


    Gensema opened his mouth while pointing towards the sleeping Frill.


    ¡°Well, I think I can satisfy him like this. He¡¯s a hard man to please.¡±


    Gensema smiled slyly. When he tried to pick up Frill, Lillian, who had grasped the situation, stood in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll go. Please let my sister go!¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡­¡±


    Gensema looked at Lillian with interest.


    ¡± Sorry, but you¡¯re already too grown up.¡±


    He lightly pushed Lillian away, and this time, unable to bear it, the Sedin tried to jump on him.


    ¡°Let her go!¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t even get close to Gensema as the man next to him kicked him on the floor. He was too young to have any power.


    ¡°Hey, come on. You kicked my product so violently. Boys are in demand these days.¡±


    Gensema picked up Frill while snoring at his subordinate. Then, the little girl opened her eyes.


    ¡°Big sister?¡±


    She looked around for Lillian, and Gensema stroked Frill¡¯s head.


    ¡°All right, all right. I¡¯ll make sure you live happily ever after. You want something good to eat?¡±


    ¡°Good food?¡±


    ¡°No, Frill!¡±


    Lillian tried to jump on Gensema, but was immediately blocked by the man next to her.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡­Frill¡­¡­!¡±


    Lillian¡¯s dying parents had asked her to take care of her sister. Everyone just looked at her and sighed with pity in their eyes. The hard iron door closed and Gensema walked out.


    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re sure that Earl Erhin has been handled?¡±


    ¡°I sent Hogg, just in case, the Earl is no match for him. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s already on his way.¡±


    ¡°Hogg? Aren¡¯t you being too cautious?¡±


    Gensema nodded, his shoulders shaking.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my sister?¡±


    Finally waking up, Frill began to look around for Lillian.


    ¡°Your sister¡¯s left first.¡±


    Gensema smiled falsely and disappeared into the darkness.


    ***


    The headquarters of the Doro Trading Company was located in the royal capital of Lunan. However, it was only the headquarters where the business dealings between the representatives of the Trading Company and the nobles took place. Their real headquarters was located in a fortress near the capital.


    The private armies, the assassination squads of the Trading Company, the slave camps and even the important ledgers, all of that was located in that very fortress and I was going to destroy it.


    ¡°Listen, Zint. I don¡¯t want any innocent people who have been caught or sold to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. They¡¯re in the same boat as Mirine, and we have to help them.¡±


    From the reply, he seemed to be fine.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go!¡±


    I immediately started the attack and the Aintorian¡¯s elite soldiers bravely charged forward. Their movements were very agile thanks to the training they had undergone so far. The main gate of the fortress collapsed due to Zint¡¯s assault.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    The private army of the Doroi Trading Company drew their swords and began to fight back, but my soldiers were not of the same caliber as Lunan¡¯s lousy army. They had a training level of 80, and thanks to Yurasia, their morale was over 90.


    My cavalry began to fight off the private army of the Trading Company. Of course, there were also assassination squads here, so there seemed to be a few guys with high martial force. But they already sent the A-class assassin to kill me so there was a hole in their strength.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive you for being a slaver.¡±


    There was no change in the one-sided battle, as even Yurasia had joined in and wiped out the assassination squad with Zint, who had turned into a war demon. At the same time, however, chaos broke out behind the iron doors where people were being held.


    A private soldier had opened the iron door with the intention of causing chaos. Thanks to this, the trapped people were able to see the battlefield outside.


    ¡°Kill them! They messed with my merchandise!¡±


    I sent my soldiers over there right away; protecting the people was the top priority. Naturally, the private soldiers of the Trading Company gathered there as well. Soon, the area in front of the door turned into the biggest battleground. No, it wasn¡¯t exactly a battleground because the battle was one-sided.


    [Aintorian Territorial Army]


    [100 men]


    Our numbers have not diminished.


    [Private army of the Doro Trading Company]


    [87 men]


    The private army of the Trading Company, which numbered more than 250, was quickly reduced. There were some wounded in our army as well, but thanks to Zint and Yurasia who were active in the frontline, the enemy¡¯s spirit was completely crushed and no one was killed.


    Taking advantage of the chaos, even the children started to come out. When I saw this, I felt indignant. Even the children were enslaved¡­¡­.I knew this, but seeing it first hand made me even angrier.


    £ª£ª£ª


    In the midst of the chaos, people cowered in dismay but Sedin was different.


    ¡°Lillian! Now, let¡¯s get out of here. I don¡¯t know what is happening, but it¡¯s our best chance!¡±


    Lillian, who had been leaning against the wall in a daze, murmured in a fading voice.


    ¡±But where is Frill?¡±


    ¡°You idiot, we have to get out of here to find her!¡±


    Sedin said, grabbing Lillian¡¯s hand and running out of the jail.


    ¡°Children, it¡¯s not safe out there! It¡¯s better for you to stay here!¡±


    It was a war of attrition and the private soldiers were blindly killing the slaves that escaped. Thanks to this, people were just shivering in fear behind the doors. However, Sedin thought that they would be trapped again if they kept staying there, but that assumption turned out to be wrong.


    ¡°Sedin!¡±


    A blade flew into the back of Sedin, who was running along with Lillian, and impaled him. He became a victim of random slaughter carried by private soldiers; Lillian sat down and cried out Sedin¡¯s name. However, with the amount of blood that was already flowing out meant that there was no chance of saving him.


    ¡°Sedin! Sedin¡­¡­! No, you can¡¯t die, not you too!¡±


    Then, a blade came flying at her but Bente blocked it.


    ¡°Get inside! It¡¯s not safe out here!¡±


    Lillian clung to Sedin and wouldn¡¯t leave, even though Bente that Erhin had sent shouted as he came toward the jail. And in no time at all, the stronghold was in ruins.


    Erhin received a signal from Bente and stepped into the jail because as long as the people who had been captured were there, he had to do something.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve gathered them all!¡±


    Bente said, and Erhin nodded, then he shouted to the gathered crowd.


    ¡°I am Earl Erhin, Lord of Aintorian. I have come to help you in my cause of cleaning up the slavers. Raise your hand if you¡¯ve been kidnapped by these people. If you have a place to return to, we¡¯ll send you home!¡±


    Then the women started to raise their hands fearfully, looking around here and there to see what was going on around them.


    ¡°All right, gather together in one place. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll send you back home.¡±


    Dozens of women gathered at Erhin¡¯s words. The rest of them were buzzing and couldn¡¯t take their eyes off him.


    ¡°The rest of you have probably been sold into slavery. When you return home, you will either be oppressed or sold into slavery again. I will give you a choice. If you want to go home, that¡¯s fine, but if you want to start a new life, I¡¯m going to give you all a new place to live.


    I¡¯m building villages all over Aintorian. If you don¡¯t want to go back to your homeland, you can come and live there. Of course, it¡¯s a border territory, so there will be risks. But don¡¯t worry, I will protect you. I can assure you of that.


    Those of you, who would rather farm without worrying about what others think than lead a miserable life, come forward!¡±


    People began to whisper at Erhin¡¯s words.


    ¡°Earl Aintorian is¡­¡­.Don¡¯t tell me you ended that war?¡±


    One of the women who had just been abducted screamed out in surprise. She had been kidnapped in a war zone and had heard rumors about Erhin. Even more so since the rumor of Erhin being a great strategist was already spreading all over Lunan.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Erhin nodded and the woman suddenly stepped forward.


    ¡°¡­¡­If I go back to my village I¡¯ll just be sold back anyway. I want to go to Aintorian. Can you take me with you?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s your choice.¡±


    Because of the location, 90% of the people being held were women. However, they were worried that they would be taken away again, but her words became a fuse. Their trust level soared, soon, the women came forward to take the lead.


    Furthermore, more than half of those who had said they were going back to their homeland decided to come to Aintorian.


    Due to the peculiarity of being a border region, Aintorian¡¯s weakness was its small population. Of course, many refugees had recently moved in due to Erhin¡¯s fame, but it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    In the midst of all this, Lillian, who had been pulled away from the body of the Sedin and forcibly brought to him, only looked up at Erhin with a dazed look in her eyes, but did not come forward or stand up, then the woman next to her grabbed Lillian¡¯s hand with a pitying expression.


    ¡°You have nowhere to go, right? Your friend is dead and your sister was taken away, poor thing¡­¡­.This is a good opportunity for you to come and live with me in a place called Aintorian.¡±

 CH 65

    ¡°Is he a great man?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is! I don¡¯t know a lot about him, but he seems very important.¡±


    What Lillian saw was the imposing figure of Erhin and another group of uncles who had killed all the scary soldiers. The man who gave the orders to those uncles, he might be able to help her sister. Such thoughts occupied Lillian¡¯s mind.


    Now that Sedin was dead, all she could think about was Frill and the promise she made to her dead parents. He had saved so many people, so he should be able to save Frill too. As Lillian was thinking about this, Erhin gave orders again.


    ¡°Bente, I¡¯m going to the capital, so stand by and secure the fortress with the soldiers. When I return, I¡¯ll take everyone back!¡±


    Lillian, who had been watching her, rushed over to Erhin as if she had made up her mind. She was ready to do anything if it would help Frill.


    * * *


    Gensema visited the son of Duke Ronen, Selville, who was also his most important client. As long as his son was a client, Ronen could not do anything about Gensema.


    ¡°You wanted to see me, sir? Lord Selville.¡±


    The dukedom still belonged to Ronen. Until he inherited his father¡¯s title, Selville held the title of Earl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the slave from the other day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see! We don¡¯t accept returns, but if you don¡¯t like it, Your Excellency, we can of course get you a replacement!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for that. When I become Duke, I will encourage your trading company with the whole country.¡±


    ¡°We can only wait for that day and be loyal to you. Hahaha!¡±


    Gensema smiled as he agreed with Selville¡¯s assertion.


    ¡°Then change it at once. Huhuhuhu.¡±


    Selville drank the glass he was holding and sat up.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I will deliver it immediately.¡±


    Gensema walked out with his head bowed. On his way home, he blurted out to his men.


    ¡°You son of a bitch. What exchange? There is no exchange for slaves.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why they brought the child from the fortress?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. It hurts my pride¡­¡­to give it away so easily, I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Gensema said and walked towards the secret hideout in the royal capital.


    ***


    We knew the general location of the fortress and were able to mobilize the cavalry to find it quickly. The problem was that there was no representative in the fortress and no account book. I needed the ledger to shake down Elheat.


    It¡¯s a classified document, so the representative must have it. Based on the information I obtained from torturing the remnants, I visited their hideout in the royal capital.


    With a map in hand, we arrived in front of an ordinary two-story building. The remnants confessed that their hideout was in the basement of this building.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a representative before, either. They only show their faces to people they really trust.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    We¡¯ll be seeing that face soon.


    Zint went down to the basement at my signal. His brute force had shattered the basement door like it was a piece of paper.


    Inside, a group of grim-looking men gathered to drink. When the door suddenly blew open, the men looked at us with confused expressions. There were about seven of them. I cupped my chin and Zint rushed out with his sword.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill those slavers.¡±


    Zint sentenced them to death, but the slavers only scoffed at us.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, you know we¡¯re here and you¡¯re attacking us. What, did we caught your girlfriend? Hahahahaha.¡±


    Then one of them said the forbidden word.  Zint¡¯s eyes went red from anger. At that moment, the head of the man who had been taunting him parted from his body, the severed head was then sliced into four pieces.


    ¡°Hey, bro!¡±


    The rest of the guys attacked Zint, but it was a very easy fight. In less than a minute, all the men on the first basement floor had been beheaded before they could scream. It was a massacre without a shred of mercy; the basement floor was covered in a sea of blood.


    The blood from the seven decapitated corpses soaked into the wooden floor and people started coming up from the floor below.


    ¡°You¡¯re making too much noise.¡±


    A man came up, scratching his ear, he was holding hands with a little girl. It corresponded to the image of her sister, which Lillian described, fortunately we weren¡¯t too late. I whispered to Yurasia.


    ¡°Will you save and protect the child?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As soon as Yurasia replied, they frowned and said,


    ¡°Representative, it seems that some crazy people have invaded.¡±


    ¡°Looks like it.¡±


    [Gensema]


    [Age: 49]


    [Martial force: 71]


    [Intelligence: 66]


    [Command: 70]


    [Luthrie]


    [Age: 26]


    [Martial force: 94]


    [Intelligence: 20]


    [Command: 30]


    The old one was the representative and the tall man must be his bodyguard. He was probably the strongest one in the Doro Trading Company.


    The assassin they sent to me was number two, and this guy was number one. Well, it¡¯s no big deal anyway. Yurasia quickly ran towards Gensema. When Luthrie tried to stop her, Zint rushed forward and made way for Yurasia.


    ¡°You¡¯re Zint, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Then Luthrie noticed Zint. When Zint noticed him as well, he glared at him and shouted.


    ¡°Captain of the assassination squad!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me. I used you because you looked like you could be useful, but you did something terrible and ran away, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m not sure what to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Zint swung his sword and Luthrie parried the attack. Yurasia took the opportunity to kick Gensema¡¯s arm and save the girl. It seemed that Luthrie had intended to put Zint away immediately and protect Gensema, but Zint had become much stronger than when he was in the assassination organization. Luthrie¡¯s face contorted as he sensed this and Yurasia pulled the girl towards her.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m Earl Aintorian, the one you tried to kill.¡±


    ¡°Aintorian? What the hell? What about Hogg?¡±


    Hogg, apparently, that¡¯s the name of the assassin who attacked me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dead. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, to find out who¡¯s behind it.¡±


    ¡°Hogg¡¯s dead? That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Gensema still didn¡¯t understand the situation.


    ¡°There are some people in this world that should not be offended.¡±


    Gensema snickered when I told him that.


    ¡°Did that guy kill Hogg? It might be possible, since he can even compete with Luthrie. But Luthrie is many times stronger than that Hog!¡±


    Gensema seemed to have a great deal of trust in Luthrie, the man who was fighting Zint. He didn¡¯t even realize that it was a useless trust.


    ¡°Give me the name of the one who hired you. I can spare your life.¡±


    Of course I¡¯m not going to let him live. I didn¡¯t mean it, but Gensema still ignored what I said.


    ¡°What are you doing, Luthrie? Get rid of him and kill the Earl, too!¡±


    Well, I suppose that in terms of martial force in the Lunan Kingdom he had no opponent other than Elheat. It is because of that assassination organization and that guy that Gensema could wield power in the continent even though he was just a slave trader.


    ¡°Zint, back up a bit.¡±


    To shatter Gensema¡¯s confidence, I summoned Daitouren to attack Luthrie, an opponent against whom I didn¡¯t even need to use [Crush], Luthrie¡¯s torso was immediately cut in two.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Gensema, who had believed in the power of Luthrie, was so surprised that he froze.


    ¡°Luthrie is a man whose strength is second to none in the Lunan Kingdom!¡±


    Finally realizing something was wrong, Gensema stepped back and squeezed out a few words. His face, which had been full of confidence, was now stained with shock. Then he began to descend to the basement as he tried to run. There seemed to be a hidden passage in the basement, but¡­


    ¡°Trash.¡±


    Yurasia covered Frill¡¯s eyes with her hands and cut Gensema¡¯s legs with Rossade. I walked over to the trash and cut off one of his arms.


    ¡°Gaaaaaah!¡±


    The single arm that had been cut from Gensema¡¯s shoulder grazed the ceiling and fell to the floor. Gensema¡¯s face contorted in pain as he grabbed the section of his shoulder that was bleeding and groaned.


    ¡°Do you want my help?¡±


    Gensema nodded furiously as I pointed my sword in front of him.


    ¡°Then take me to the place where you were going to take her. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯re dead Oh, and give me the ledger, too. And I hope you¡¯ll tell me who hired you to kill me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Still struggling in this situation? Then so be it¡±


    I picked up Daitouren without any regrets.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! You¡¯re really going to spare me? If I do what you say¡­¡­you¡¯ll spare me, right?¡±


    He seems to think that if we¡¯ll spare him here, he¡¯ll have a chance at revenge.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got five seconds to decide.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll show you. And the one who asked me to kill you is Earl Berghin Hayna.¡±


    Eventually, Gensema confessed, grudgingly nodding.

 CH 66

    ***


    Yusen and Givens finally arrived at Berthaquin after crossing the mountains.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the estate is in such a remote place.¡±


    The shabby-looking Givens shook his head in dismay. It was not too far away, but it seemed like they went a long way because they had to cross a mountain to get there.


    ¡°It¡¯s a remote but vital location¡­¡­¡±


    After saying that much, Yusen looked around and made sure that no one was around before continuing his story.


    ¡°Assuming there¡¯s any iron at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but is there really iron in a place like this? Well, there are a lot of mountains, so it seems likely.¡±


    ¡°Shhh be quiet! You¡¯re talking too loud!¡±


    Yusen poked Givens in the head. Givens frowned at it and blurted out.


    ¡°Sir there¡¯s no one here!¡±


    Yusen gave Givens a grim look and looked at the lord¡¯s castle ahead. The territory itself was practically a village, that¡¯s why the lord¡¯s castle was also small in scale. Most of the total area of the territory was mountains. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the lord of Berthaquin is the lord of the mountains.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the lord¡¯s castle anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s go.¡±


    So Yusen and Givens traveled to the lord¡¯s castle. There, the flag of the Lunan Kingdom was raised. When Givens saw that the soldiers of Lunan were there, he approached them and said.


    ¡°Hello, soldier of Lunan. How do you do?¡±


    ¡°What is it with you people?¡±


    The soldier replied with a frown at his cocky attitude.


    ¡°You idiot!¡±


    Yusen poked Givens in the head again.


    ¡°I¡¯m from Aintorian. I thought we had a deal¡­¡­¡±


    When Yusen asked politely, showing the Aintorian coat of arms flag, the soldier relaxed and nodded.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re from Aintorian! One moment, please!¡±


    The soldier ran somewhere in a hurry. Givens smiled and showed his satisfaction.


    ¡°¡±Yes, yes, that¡¯s how it has to be. Hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so confused. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re my subordinate.¡±


    Givens is a comrade in arms who can fight with his life on the battlefield, but he has a problem with careless comments. While Yusen was lecturing Givens, the soldier came back. Behind him was a man wearing a prestigious armor


    Only centurions and higher classes were allowed to wear armor. It was only natural that a commander would be dispatched to occupy a territory. However, what surprised Yusen was that the man was wearing the armor of a noble.


    ¡°I am Yusen, a vassal of His Excellency Erhin, who are you?¡±


    Puzzled by Yusen¡¯s question, Fihatri scratched his head and answered.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that His Excellency sent. It¡¯s good to see you. I am Fihatri, general of the Lunan forces in the Bridget region.¡±


    These words surprised Yusen. He had heard about Fihatri from Erhin. But he hadn¡¯t expected him to be here.


    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me, sir, but why are you here? I was told that you would send your men to¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t send my men even though His Excellency Erhin asked me to. His Excellency¡¯s words that I have a role to play are etched in my mind. Come to think of it, I was just wondering what His Excellency was planning to do here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    This time, Yusen had a troubled look on his face. Originally, Berthaquin was also Bridget¡¯s territory. It was necessary to have Lunan¡¯s soldiers occupy the place beforehand, where the existing Bridget troops and lords were.


    Aintorian did not have that much time to spare. Therefore, they needed soldiers to occupy Berthaquin first. Yusen had been ordered to search for iron ore in secret once the soldiers left after capturing the territory.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡­.His Excellency Erhin has asked me to leave the necessary number of guards and let the rest go home, I will protect this place. You¡¯ve come all this way, but I can¡¯t tell you anymore because it¡¯s an order¡­¡­¡±


    Yusen said with a regretful look on his face.


    ¡°No need to be so embarrassed. I was only doing my best to do as His Highness asked. I¡¯ve also managed to persuade the people to run the city according to your policies. I¡¯ll leave you with as many guards as you need. Just tell them I was here.¡±


    Fihatri replied nonchalantly.


    ***


    When I looked at the ledger I had taken from Gensema, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of admiration. The ledger was filled with the names of the leading nobles of Lunan. In addition, at the top of the list was the name of Duke Ronen, the highest nobleman in Lunan.


    Ronen was also related to the Doro Trading Company, unfortunately, he did not use the slavers himself. It was Ronen¡¯s son who was doing business with the slavers.


    ¡°So you were going to hand the girl over to Duke Ronen¡¯s son?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    I kicked Gensema in the face; he really was a piece of human garbage. Zint grabbed Gensema by the hair as he rolled on the floor and got him up.


    This is why it was impossible to get rid of slavers in the Lunan Kingdom. In other words, I am the only one in Lunan who can eliminate these people. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s the king of Lunan or Ronen, I don¡¯t need to worry about what anyone thinks anymore


    However, I no longer needed to visit Ronen. The ledger was so detailed that I could go to my target immediately. Since Ronen¡¯s name was mentioned so directly, I went to visit Elheat.


    ¡°Is this for real!? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡­!¡±


    Elheat began to tremble with anger as he looked at the ledger. This man was one of those rare nobles who had nothing to do with the slavers. In fact, he was a man who could not tolerate such injustice.


    Because of his character, the other nobles must have been desperately trying to hide the facts about the slavers. That¡¯s probably why they kept Lunan in such a pure state, so that he would be completely unaware of the real situation.


    ¡°I tracked down the assassins, who attacked me, and I found their fortress, and I even got the ledger from their hideout in the royal capital. All the evidence is there, my lord.¡±


    ¡°You mean to tell me that His Highness really knew about all this and left it alone?¡±


    Elheat asked again in disbelief. His face said please deny it, but I can¡¯t do that.


    ¡°If anything, it was His Highness Ronen who took advantage of the slavers. Just look at what Selville did.¡±


    I pointed to Frill, who was happily playing in Elheat¡¯s garden. Frill was picking flowers with an innocent look on her face. Yurasia sat in the garden and put a flower on top of Frill¡¯s head.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Elheat fell silent as he watched the peaceful scene.


    ¡°With His Highness Ronen power, he could have taken care of the slavers, but he did not. Rather, he introduced the slavers to the other nobles, and by seizing their weaknesses, he made it impossible for them to make a move against him. You can see it clearly in the ledger.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Elheat hit the table with his fist, he was furious.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I don¡¯t care how much¡­¡­.I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re doing this too¡­¡­¡±


    Well, I guess that¡¯s a natural reaction, since he was supposed to have pledged his loyalty for life. His reaction should lead to a disagreement soon.


    ¡°You may give the ledger directly to His Highness Ronen. It¡¯s too much for me to handle alone.¡±


    If I show this to the King of Lunan, nothing will happen. So, the only thing I would gain from this was the anger of this man. Of course, this wasn¡¯t going to be enough to completely break the relationship between them. But for now it was enough to create a small rift.


    * * *


    ¡°Is this true, Your Highness?¡±


    Elheat was a man with a straightforward personality. So he immediately visited Ronen with the ledger in hand.


    ¡°Selville is na?ve, he can make mistakes and it¡¯s inevitable that he would exhibit that level of weakness in order to influence the nobility. Have you lived your whole life without knowing that?¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t know it was human trafficking. Isn¡¯t that a whole other story?¡±


    ¡°Human trafficking? I don¡¯t remember anything about that. What are you talking about?¡±


    Ronen raised his voice and Elheat¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He couldn¡¯t trust those words right now, no matter how much he wanted to. Who didn¡¯t know about the inevitable connection between slavers and human trafficking?


    ¡°Your Highness, does that mean it¡¯s true that the slavers were deliberately neglected?¡±


    ¡°Where the hell did you get that ledger?¡±


    Elheat kept his mouth shut. Erhin said he didn¡¯t mind talking, but he was not the kind of person who gave out people¡¯s names easily.


    ¡°I got it by accident, but I couldn¡¯t believe it until I saw the signature of Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Well, all right, give me the ledger. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°But, Your Highness!¡±


    Elheat stood up.


    ¡°You dare to oppose your master? Elheat!¡±


    Ronen yelled at him. As a result, Elheat fell silent. He had no choice but to do so.


    ¡°I will give you the ledger. But the punishment for the nobles here is¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯d better go and cool down for a while.¡±


    Elheat¡¯s head began to feel fuzzy. The idol to which he had pledged his life¡¯s loyalty was completely out of sight. Ronen¡¯s desire to protect his country was genuine, and unlike the other dukes, he was the only one who went to war himself.


    It was precisely because of him that Elheat had pledged his loyalty to Ronen. However, the way he protected Lunan was so ugly. It was understandable that he was stunned.


    ¡°Make sure you go to the border fortress for a while.¡±


    No matter how good a commander you are, you¡¯re still dealing with slave traders and I can¡¯t just let this slide.

 CH 67

    ***


    Fihatri really did lead his soldiers and retreated as he declared, Yusen was impressed with him.


    ¡°Wow, there are nobles like that too.¡±


    Givens felt the same way.


    ¡°We have things to do. Leave the protection of the territory to the guards and let¡¯s go in the mountains.¡±


    Yusen unfolded a map in his office at the lord¡¯s castle.


    ¡°According to His Excellency, it¡¯s somewhere around here. We need to focus on this area and see what we can find. First, let¡¯s talk to the people who know the geography of the area.¡±


    Erhin only knew the approximate location from the game. Of course, there was still a big difference between knowing and not knowing. Fortunately, he was able to narrow down the range to a certain extent, and he made the map for Yusen.


    ¡°Gather the village chiefs.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Givens acted on Yusen¡¯s orders. Thanks to Fihatri¡¯s efforts to calm the people, things went on unhindered. Sometime later, three old village chiefs came to visit Yusen.


    ¡°Have you seen any iron in these mountains?¡±


    It was an isolated territory so it was hard to imagine that the information would leak out. Even if it leaked it would probably be after Erhin declared his independence.


    For now, the soldiers of Lunan couldn¡¯t be informed, but they had to get the cooperation of the people, that was Erhin¡¯s directive.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing before. It¡¯s just that the area is¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in that place?¡±


    Yusen realized that there was something wrong from the look on the village chief and asked back. Then the village headman shook his head and answered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been there. It¡¯s a mountain tribe camp.¡±


    ¡°A mountain tribe?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has always been their territory. It has been passed down from generation to generation that we should stay away from that place, so we have never been to that area.¡±


    Hearing this, Yusen suddenly stood up, something clicked in his mind. Even more so because the area where the mountain tribe was said to be located matched the area that Erhin had mentioned.


    Yusen asked the village chief for details on how to get to the mountain where the tribe was located, and left with Givens.


    ¡°What¡¯s a mountain tribe?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an indigenous tribe. They¡¯re guarding the place, so there must be something there. Let¡¯s hurry.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the captain was such a smart guy¡­¡­Are you impersonating His Excellency¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Shut up and follow me.¡±


    Givens got hit once again for talking nonsense. Struggling up the mountain, they finally stepped into the area the village chief had mentioned. Then three men with their lower bodies covered and faces painted green, came down from the trees and blocked the way.


    ¡°Karagatell!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s he saying?¡±


    Yusen and Givens couldn¡¯t understand what the men were saying but they weren¡¯t friendly.


    ¡°Captain, from the vibe I¡¯m getting, I guess they¡¯re telling us to get lost right now.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you could say that.¡±


    At the same time, the mountain people attacked. Yusen had no choice but to draw his sword.


    ¡°Givens, don¡¯t kill them. If you do, things could get very complicated.¡±


    As soon as Yusen gave the order carefully, the battle began. A warlord of Yusen¡¯s caliber is quite a powerful warrior, the three mountain tribesmen were knocked out in no time.


    ¡°Who are you people? How dare you attack us!?¡±


    At that moment, another man came down from the tree tops. This time the man was, fortunately, speaking the official language of the continent.


    ¡°It was a misunderstanding! They attacked us first, so we had no choice!¡±


    ¡°You were the ones who entered our territory!¡±


    Eventually, a battle ensued again. The man who attacked them this time was different in size from the previous men. Not only that, but his strength was also different. For a while, Yusen fought the man with his sword. When Givens tried to help him, Yusen immediately shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer! Stay there and watch!¡±


    After a long battle, the winner was Yusen, but he was very tired.


    ¡°I mean you no harm. We just came here to ask you some questions!¡±


    Yusen said to the man he had defeated while catching his breath.


    ¡°Captain, you¡¯re looking even more regal in that black armor!¡±


    ¡°I see. Huh. No, no, no, no. I don¡¯t care about that. Did you see that, Givens?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The iron armor the man is wearing. To make iron that thin, that¡¯s a hell of a technique.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s iron?¡±


    Givens shouted in surprise. Then the man who had fallen suddenly got up and ran away.


    ¡°Captain, he¡¯s gone. Let¡¯s go after him!¡±


    Givens said, but Yusen shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap, no matter how you look at it. There¡¯s no point in following them.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going around that way.¡±


    The two of them took a detour and headed towards the direction where the mountain people had disappeared. They wandered through the mountains for hours, and then came to a strange place.


    ¡°What is this place¡­¡­?¡±


    In front of them was a huge stone wall. In addition, there was a mana formation drawn on it.


    ¡°How the hell did something like this end up in the mountains?¡±


    When Yusen tried to approach mana formation with a surprised look on his face.


    ¡°Barkarkarkha!¡±


    Another group of mountain people appeared on the other side. This time, they were quite huge.


    ¡°We can¡¯t kill those guys, let¡¯s retreat for now!¡±


    Fortunately, by taking a detour, they were not surrounded and were able to escape along the path they had come. Once they were some distance away, the mountain tribesmen stopped chasing them, as if they couldn¡¯t leave their own area.


    ¡°Givens.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll have to move. You must return to Aintorian immediately.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something strange about the place they¡¯re guarding. Even a mana formation was present there, this is beyond my abilities. So you¡¯ll have to go and inform His Excellency. You can¡¯t leave such an important job to someone else, can you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­.What do you intend to do in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°I need to gather more information. That¡¯s why you have to follow His Excellency¡¯s instructions. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Givens nodded at Yusen¡¯s order.


    ***


    The size of the mansions of the nobles in the royal capital differed depending on their rank. The mansion in front of the royal castle belonged to the duke. The more powerful they were, the closer their mansions were located to the royal castle.


    On the other hand, the less powerful nobles had their mansions on the outskirts of the royal capital. The place I visited was a noble¡¯s mansion in the suburbs. It was not an official visit, that¡¯s why I asked Yurasia for help. She had a special ability that used mana to move through walls. I used that power to sneak into the mansion¡¯s office.


    ¡°What are you going to do here?¡±


    ¡°I have to finish this.¡±


    Yurasia shook her head in disgust and disappeared from the window. She had seen too much of Lunan¡¯s dirty side lately and was sick of everything. Zint was standing quietly behind me like a reliable guard.


    I waited for a while, and then someone came into the office. At the same time, the lights in the room came on. Only the maid in charge of cleaning and the Earl himself are allowed to enter his office and cleaning is usually done during the day. Naturally, it was the Earl who came into the room at night.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    As soon as Hayna shouted, she was immediately attacked by Zint. He brought her to her knees and instantly gagged her mouth. Zint¡¯s speed was evolving more and more in proportion to his growing martial force. At this rate, it won¡¯t be long before he catches up to the speed of Ganev who tormented us in Bridget.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Madam.¡±


    When she noticed me, Hayna started struggling but Zint pressed her even harder on the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re in trouble. I can¡¯t believe you hired someone to kill me.¡±


    Not wanting to make a scene, I whispered in her ear. She glared at me enraged. I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s angry in this situation when I should be.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    Of course, she couldn¡¯t answer my question because she had her mouth covered.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done more research on my exploits than anyone else. I¡¯m sure you knew that I wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would be killed by an assassin¡¯s squad. When I looked at the ledger, I found that you promised a tremendous amount of money for my death.¡±


    Hayna twisted around with a surprised look on her face as I spoke.


    ¡°Still, you¡¯re intelligent enough to have served as a military strategist. I admire you for that.¡±


    Hayna tried her best to say something, but Zint wasn¡¯t going to remove the gag because I didn¡¯t want to listen to her bullshit.


    ¡°You also knew that Ronen¡¯s name was written at the top of the ledger. Was your real goal to turn Ronen against me? Couldn¡¯t you have guessed that I¡¯d come to kill you after seeing the ledger?¡±


    Hayna flinched even more as I unleashed my killing intent.


    ¡°Ronen doesn¡¯t like me, he¡¯s just using me. If he knew that fact, he would have wanted you to return even more. If Ronen favors you again, you will return to the position of strategist and rebuild your family. It¡¯s understandable that you feel that way, but you need to use your head. You¡¯ve chosen the wrong man. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to be liked by me than Ronen?¡±


    After I said that much, I removed the gag from her mouth. I didn¡¯t care if she screamed. I¡¯ve said all I needed to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s not true that your relationship with His Highness the Duke has fallen apart! His Excellency Elheat was banished to the border, and the Duke didn¡¯t find that it was you who gave him the ledger.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    As I suspected, Elheat didn¡¯t tell him that I gave him the ledger.

 CH 68

    ¡°Kill me if you must! But you¡¯re finished. I¡¯ve had my revenge!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong, I don¡¯t care what Ronen thinks of me anymore.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rather grateful. Thanks to you, Ronen and Elheat¡¯s relationship has been strained. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to achieve.¡±


    ¡°You think you can survive in Lunan with Duke Ronen staring at you? My father died a horrible death because Duke Ronen gave up on him.¡±


    Revenge for her father and rebuilding her family. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand her desire to accomplish this, but she used the wrong means.


    ¡°Look at the big picture. How long will this rotten Lunan last? I don¡¯t care about Ronen, I¡¯m going to take over the whole world, and the destruction of Bridget was just one part of that. I¡¯ve never been loyal to Ronen so it would be better for you to take a new path. I¡¯ll tell you one thing; soon Narja will begin their re-invasion and Ronen will not be able to stop them, because I have no intention of helping. There are many other ways to rebuild your family, many other ways to take revenge. You don¡¯t need Ronen to favor you, do you?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying you need to use your head and think. Your father died a horrible death after being abandoned by Ronen. So why don¡¯t you kill Ronen and get revenge?¡±


    If she showed her anger towards me and targeted me, I would kill her right then but she was still useful.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you direct your revenge at the immediate cause and not at me?¡±


    Yes, it was this very spark, the spark that would lead her to target Ronen. Anyway, I said all I had to say, so I signaled Zint and she was free to go. But she didn¡¯t move, she just stared at me in a daze. I left her to her own devices and we left the mansion. Yurasia, who joined us soon after, suddenly asked me a question.


    ¡°By the way, what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing? If Narja¡¯s re-invasion is not so far off¡­¡­.After all, the people of Lunan are¡­¡­.¡±


    It seems that she heard everything we said.


    ¡°A foolish king and a greedy duke, I don¡¯t care what happens to them, but I¡¯m not going to let my people die in a war.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yulasia didn¡¯t say anything to my answer; she turned her face away when I looked at her.


    ***


    ¡°What, you¡¯re trying to escape?¡±


    Gensema tried to escape and was caught by Zint.


    ¡°I did everything you said! Please, let me go!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d let you go.¡±


    ¡°The world is cause and effect, right? You do bad things, you suffer the consequences.¡±


    I said, and handed Gensema over to Zint.


    ¡°Do what you want.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I nodded, Zint bit his lip and grabbed Gensema¡¯s hair then dragged him away.


    ¡°Help me, please! Please¡­..! You can have it all. If you need gold, just tell me. I¡¯ve got tons of it!¡±


    Gensema cried and clung to him even more but Zint didn¡¯t say anything. He stared at Gensema and swung his sword at that moment, Gensema¡¯s head flew up into the sky.


    ¡°Help¡­¡­guh¡­¡­¡±


    The head was detached from the torso while the mouth was still moving. For a few seconds before he lost consciousness he made a lot of noise while he was decapitated. Those few seconds he must have seen his torso with his head in the air. A few seconds of despair might not be enough for the scum who plunged so many people into misery, but it was a fitting end.


    After killing Gensema, Zint walked towards me and suddenly kneeled.


    ¡°How can I repay you¡­¡­? How the hell do I¡­¡­¡±


    His question was really stupid.


    ¡°Do you really want to repay me?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do!¡±


    ¡°Then get stronger, that way you can be more useful to me.¡±


    Hurry up and become an S-class. A loyal S-class subordinate, I needed something like that. The stronger he gets, the lower his chance of dying, which is good for Mirine.


    ¡°I need to get stronger? Then I¡¯ll have more opportunities to return the favor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be strong.¡±


    He didn¡¯t speak for long, which was typical of Zint. I understood his enthusiasm though. But there is something else that is more important right now. Even with Gensema¡¯s death, the Doro Trading Company has not yet been destroyed.


    Destroying their fortress in Lunan and killing its representative only means that the boss died. The branches all over Lunan and all over Narja were still intact.


    It is similar in structure to modern-day criminal organizations such as drug traffickers. It is not easy to know the exact nature of the organization because of its tightly guarded secrecy.


    In addition to the general manager of drug trafficking, there are other positions, such as stocking, sorting, storage, transportation, field manager, vendor, watchman, and treasurer. Those at the executive level usually do not appear in public. They have vertical but not horizontal connections, so each member only knows the ones directly above them. In most cases, they only know each other¡¯s faces, but not their names, even if they are doing the same work.


    As a result of information obtained from interrogating the prisoners of war at the fortress, it seems that Gensema also operated in secrecy, controlling only the fortress and headquarters in Lunan, and issuing orders without showing his face to the other branches.


    In other words the Doro Trading Company is still alive, and I can make it mine.


    ***


    Yurasia went to the fortress first, taking Frill with her. After disposing of Gensema, Zint and I joined her at the fortress later. As soon as we arrived, I got information again from the prisoners I had kept alive.


    ¡°So you¡¯re supposed to report back periodically, and people from each branch will be coming soon? They¡¯ll be bringing back more orders?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Your information was accurate, and thanks to it, I was able to kill Gensema and Luthrie. It¡¯s only accurate information like that that makes it worth keeping alive. Do you know what that means?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course! I will never¡­¡­ever lie to you! I¡¯m not like those other guys!¡±


    The prisoners shouted in fear. These people don¡¯t deserve mercy but as long as they¡¯re useful I¡¯ll keep them alive.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure that this fortress is the headquarters, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did Gensema ever show himself to them?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s a skeptic. Especially since the Narja Kingdom is much stricter than Lunan, he doesn¡¯t reveal his face to people from that branch. It¡¯s a good thing that the two branches don¡¯t know each other, because if one of them is destroyed, the others will survive.¡±


    ¡°What I need is that very branch in the Narja Kingdom.¡±


    To be precise, I needed the first-hand information brought by the branch in the Narja Kingdom. Because they are a criminal organization that deals with the nobility, it is easy for them to obtain important information, and they were able to get more information than my spies.


    In war, information is more important than money, more information means victory. I was willing to become a representative of the Doro Trading Company for the sake of that information. Of course, I had no intention of condoning acts such as human trafficking and kidnapping.


    As soon as I got the information, I was going to round up all the branches of the Doro Chamber of Commerce and destroy them. Information about Narja is more important than anything else at this time, more than the gold beneath Aintorian, no, more than the iron of Berthaquin.


    ¡°Then get ready. I will personally meet with the representatives of each branch.¡±


    I announced to the captives I had kept alive.


    * * *


    ¡°Frill!¡±


    ¡°Hey, sis!¡±


    Lillian hugged Frill and started to cry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll build a village in my territory and you can live there with everyone else. There will be no one to torment you anymore.¡±


    When I said that,


    ¡°Frill, hold on a second.¡±


    ¡°Sis?¡±


    Lillian walked over to me and fell flat, leaving Frill to stare in wonder at her sister¡¯s sudden gesture.


    ¡°My Lord!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡­will do anything! Anything! So please allow me to serve by your side!¡±


    Then she said something outrageous.


    ¡°You want to serve me? You don¡¯t have to. Go to the village and live free.¡±


    When I replied to her sudden request she fell flat and suddenly grabbed my leg.


    ¡°I want to live for my lord! Please let me repay you. So please forgive me!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I said¡­¡­¡±


    I¡¯d much rather deal with a scoundrel like Gensema. She didn¡¯t seem to want to leave even though she was being dragged. Her small hands gripped my legs tightly. The more I did so, the more eyes would be on me.


    This was a situation that would lead to misunderstandings, and those misunderstandings would lower the people¡¯s spirit. So, I had to resolve this situation well. I decided to make a suggestion to Lillian.


    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you try working as a maid in my castle? It¡¯s a lot to learn, but working at the lord¡¯s castle means you¡¯ll be serving me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it! Please let me do it! I¡¯ll make the lord¡¯s castle the most beautiful castle on the continent!¡±


    Lillian was delighted and started to talk about her strange aspirations. If she wants to, I¡¯ll let her. I¡¯ll just leave the rest to the chamberlain.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯m going back and I¡¯ll take care of this, so just get up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡±


    Lillian got excited and clasped her hands together. Of all people, Yurasia suddenly appeared and shook her head.


    ¡°Pervert.¡±


    No, wait a minute. What¡¯s so perverted about me now?


    ¡°Hey, Yurasia!¡±


    I shouted frantically at her as she walked away, but she didn¡¯t stop.

 CH 69

    It was a busy time but Givens¡¯ report could not be ignored. A mana formation existed in the place where the iron vein is? Come to think of it, it was a mysterious area that appeared at the end of the game.


    ¡°Givens, are you sure you¡¯re alright? You can go rest in Aintorian if you want.¡±


    ¡°Not so fast. We need someone to take us to where the mountain people are.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. You¡¯ll have to be patient.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind walking this much.¡±


    I immediately left with Givens. Only Yurasia was with us, as Zint had other duties to attend to.


    ¡°That¡¯s the lord¡¯s castle!¡±


    As soon as we arrived in Berthaquin, we moved to the lord¡¯s castle. I was hoping that Yusen might be there, but there was no sign of him.


    ¡°He said he¡¯d look into it, but he¡¯s still in the mountains.¡±


    Givens said, scratching the back of his head with a worried look on his face. Then there is nothing else to do at the lord¡¯s castle.


    ¡°We¡¯re going in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    With Givens guidance, we moved to the area where the mountain people were said to be.


    ¡°I think it was this way¡­¡­¡±


    However, Givens began to lose his way halfway there.


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡­¡­is for. I was in a very tense situation at the time!¡±


    A forest here. A forest there. It¡¯s no wonder it¡¯s hard to tell them apart since the whole area is green.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just keep moving forward. Sooner or later, those weird guys with their faces painted green will show up!¡±


    At that very moment something fell from the top of the tree, to my surprise, it was a person.


    ¡°There it is! That¡¯s exactly how it happened!¡±


    Seeing this, Givens backed away and fell over, and Yurasia quickly drew her sword. However, his face was quite familiar.


    ¡°Yusen!¡±


    ¡°Sir, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Then, Givens, who had fallen over in astonishment, stood up angrily.


    ¡°Captain! What the hell? Why in the world are you dressed like them?¡¡Did you become a mountain person while I was gone?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t notice me and got surprised as if you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡±


    Yusen said as he kicked Givens butt.


    ¡°Sir! This way, you will assimilate with the surrounding scenery and not stand out. That¡¯s probably why the mountain people paint their faces green.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that the captain¡¯s face is indistinguishable from theirs¡­¡­.¡±


    Givens added another commentary and rolled on the floor as Yusen punished him. Anyway, they are good friends.


    ¡°So, what have you got?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been through their area. Here¡¯s a map!¡±


    Yusen handed me a hand-drawn map.


    ¡°In the meantime, is there any way we can get to where you say the mana formation is without being detected?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t go outside the area. It seems to be an absolute taboo. So it¡¯s easy to get there if you detour this way¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a holy place for them, so if you go in there, they¡¯ll definitely notice you. That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    That¡¯s probably true but we have to face it, because that mana formation is the reason why I came here.


    ¡°I can¡¯t decide what to do about the mountain people without seeing that mana formation. Take me there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Following Yusen¡¯s lead, we took a large detour down the road. Unlike Givens, Yusen knew the way very well.


    ¡°There it is, sir!¡±


    A huge cliff and a mana formation drawn beneath it, it was a very familiar sight.


    ¡°I knew it. Doesn¡¯t it look like that place from back then?¡±


    ¡°I thought so, too. Look at this!¡±


    Yurasia held out her hand, there was a blue glow emanating from her ring. This was exactly the same as that time. In other words, this mana formation was created by the Ancient Kingdom.


    If there is iron in this area, could it be the iron ore used by the Ancient Kingdom? Was it something that disappeared after the fall of the Ancient Kingdom?


    ¡°Ukaka-kaka-kaka!¡±


    As I was thinking about this, those beings finally revealed themselves. I knew at a glance that they were mountain people. They were dressed similarly to Yusen. Hundreds of them appeared from above and behind the cliffs and surrounded us. Their faces showed hostility.


    ¡°Who is your chief? I am Erhin, the new lord of Berthaquin!¡±


    Then one of them opened his mouth. He was the broad-shouldered man in the group.


    ¡°Who you are is none of our business. Get out now, or you will die.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to care about the position of lord at all. The tribe¡¯s attire reminded me of the natives of Africa. The only unusual thing about them was their small stature and broad shoulders. They have a good physique.


    I thought he was the chief. He was pretty strong. I could barely beat him.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    [Bertha Leman]


    [Age: 28]


    [Martial force: 80]


    [Intelligence: 50]


    [Command: 78]


    As soon as I heard Yusen¡¯s story, I checked his ability values. They were indeed tempting ability values.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, you¡¯ll die! Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    As a result of ignoring the warning, the mountain tribe started attacking us. If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll have to force our way in.


    ¡°Yurasia, it¡¯ll be faster if we deactivate the mana formation and get inside. We¡¯ll protect you, just open the door!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Yurasia nodded and ran to the mana formation. We then positioned ourselves behind Yurasia.


    ¡°We¡¯ll hold them off until Yurasia opens the door!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡±


    And so began the battle against the onrushing mountain tribes, but it was only for a moment. The ground began to shake as the mana formation glowed the same blue color as the light emitted from Yurasia¡¯s ring. It was like an earthquake.


    ¡°Ukaka-kaka?¡±


    The mountain tribe was startled by the shaking and stopped their attack. At the same time, the wall on which the mana formation was painted was cut in two, the door opened and the shaking stopped. Even now, Yurasia¡¯s ring and the mana formation were resonating and emitting a powerful blue light. Then she walked inside and I followed after her. The mountain tribe¡¯s attack was still halted.


    ¡°Look at this. How could this be here?¡±


    In front of the door she pointed to there was an earth-colored sword.


    [Unnamed sword]


    [Martial force +2]


    The effects of the items were exactly the same. Don¡¯t tell me that all the treasures in the Ancient Kingdom are the same? No, even if there is some secret hidden, there can¡¯t be twelve earth-colored swords, right?


    ¡°Sir! Look at them, look at them!¡±


    At Givens¡¯ cry, I turned and looked at the mountain tribe.


    ¡°Ukaka-kaka-kaka!¡±


    Before we knew it, all the mountain tribes that had been attacking us had fallen on their knees. The man who seemed to be the chief of the tribe opened his mouth while prostrating himself to Yurasia.


    ¡°Oh, Lord!¡±


    It was as if they were worshipping a god. Then Yurasia pointed to herself with a puzzled look and I asked on her behalf.


    ¡°What do you mean, Lord?¡±


    The Chief replied in a loud voice to Yurasia.

 CH 70

    ¡°It is the word of my ancestors. The one who opens the doors of the Holy Land with blue light is the very Lord who will liberate and lead us. We have been guarding this place, waiting for the Lord to lead us with blue light!¡±


    Hearing this, Yurasia looked at me with a troubled face. With her poker face broken, she looked more like a goddess, and the mountain tribesmen who lay prostrate before her looked like devotees. I think the mountain people bring out the beauty of Yurasia.


    ¡°What are they doing now?¡±


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re being worshipped.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Yurasia quietly hid behind me then she grabbed the hem of my clothes. Whenever there¡¯s a battle, she always fights in front of me; it was unusual for her to hide behind me. I left her fresh appearance behind and asked the mountain tribe chief some questions.


    ¡°You mean you¡¯ve been waiting for someone to open the door sealed in the mana formation?¡±


    ¡°Who are you? If you are not the Lord, I have nothing to say to you!¡±


    Yurasia, who was behind me, shouted angrily at Mountain Chief Bertha Leman¡¯s answer.


    ¡°He and I are one and the same!¡±


    ¡°What? Well, then you are his mate, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Berta Leman made a crazy guess.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right¡­¡­.Hmm?¡±


    Yurasia immediately tried to deny it, but I covered her mouth with my hand.


    ¡°If she¡¯s my wife, will you listen to me too?¡±


    ¡°We mountain people consider husband and wife to be one and the same. So, if you are the Lord¡¯s companion, I will listen to you.¡±


    I see. So that¡¯s how it is. I gently took Yurasia by the shoulders and pulled her towards me.


    ¡°Your Lord is my wife!¡±


    I made such an unapologetic claim, but of course there was a backlash from Yurasia.


    ¡°Who¡¯s your wife?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want you to think for now. We have to get the mountain people on our side.¡±


    Yurasia¡¯s lips twitched slightly as she clasped her hands together and said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even my type.¡±


    She blurted out in a whisper and raised her voice as she looked over at the mountain tribe.


    ¡°Yes, he is my husband.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I was surprised to hear her admit it so nonchalantly, so I asked her back.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what this is about?¡±


    ¡°No, well, yes, but¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it helps you. And¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Stuck for words, Yurasia narrowed her eyes and shook her head from side to side.


    ¡°Maybe I can accept you, even if you are a pervert¡­¡­¡±


    With that, she turned her back on me and walked inside. No, wait a minute; do you still think I¡¯m a pervert?


    ¡°Oh, come on, Yurasia! I told you that was a misunderstanding!¡±


    Yurasia pretended not to hear me and disappeared to look around inside. The rest of them were staring at her back, but then I turned my gaze back to the mountain people. I was going to go after her, but now I had to deal with them first.


    ¡°Anyway, did you hear what she said? My question is as good as hers. So answer me this. Have the mountain tribes been waiting for someone to break the seal of this mana formation?¡±


    Berta Leman, who had been watching us, opened his mouth with a look of satisfaction on his face.


    ¡°In a quarrel between husband and wife, the one who loses wins. Lord!¡±


    What the hell convinced you? Why are you looking at me like I¡¯m pathetic?


    ¡°Just answer the question, will you?¡±


    ¡°O Lord of Fools. I will answer. Yes, we have been waiting for many years.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡±


    ¡°Our tribe was nearly destroyed by the Bridget¡¯s almost a thousand years ago. There was a benefactor who saved us. Our ancestors obeyed the words of that benefactor and have continued to protect the mana formation in this land. He said that the one who appears with the blue light is our master, and that he will spread the name of the Mountain Clan throughout the continent.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute; you¡¯ve been waiting all these years for a benefactor?¡±


    ¡°We are not like Bridget¡¯s people. Once a favor is done, it is never forgotten, no matter how many thousands of years passed! It is said that he foretold many things, and our ancestors decided to follow him. So we follow him!¡±


    Heh. That¡¯s a cool thing to say. My desire to make him my subordinate grew stronger and stronger. The mountain tribe is proud of their mobility in the mountains. If they became my subordinates and were even loyal to me, I would be very lucky.


    There were hints about the treasures of the Ancient Kingdom in their stories. This benefactor seemed to be the original owner of the ring that Yurasia is wearing. He had taken the treasures of the Ancient Kingdom that Bridget had kept and stored them here for the mountain people to protect.


    If that¡¯s the case, could this benefactor be someone related to the Ancient Kingdom? I have a hypothesis that the benefactor who left here went to Roserun and gave the ring to him. I don¡¯t know why he did that, though. Still, there is a difference between having a hint and not having a hint.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­.¡±


    Well, if I keep chasing secrets like this, something will appear.


    ¡°Sir! You¡¯re married to Her Royal Highness?¡±


    I was in deep thoughts when suddenly Givens came up to me and asked in surprise.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Giving Givens the look of someone who had heard the most outlandish statement in the world, Yusen sighed and shook his head, pulling him along with him. Givens hadn¡¯t been able to say a word to Yurasia all the way here. Maybe he was overwhelmed by her beauty, or her status, or maybe both.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you were looking for a Lord to bring honor to the Mountain Clan? The prophecy seems to be accurate. I¡¯m the one who destroyed that Bridget who claims to have driven you out. I assure you that with me and Yurasia, the mountain people¡¯s glory will be restored!¡±


    ¡°Is it true that Bridget has been destroyed? Lord, is it true?¡±


    Berta Leman asked back with a stunned expression. It was natural that he had no information since he could not leave the mountain.


    ¡°The reason for the change of lords here at Berthaquin is because of the fall of Bridget.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think the Lord destroyed Bridget?¡±


    ¡°The Lord you¡¯ve been waiting for is here. If you don¡¯t believe the Lord¡¯s story, why have you waited all these years?¡±


    ¡°I believe! You are our benefactor!¡±


    Berta Leman turned around and started to talk to the tribesmen in their language.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa!¡±


    Immediately, the mountain tribesmen let out a loud cheer. Then they bowed their heads to me again and again.


    ¡°You¡¯re still doing that?¡±


    When she came back, Yurasia asked. It was no longer a surprise now that she always appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°How far have you been?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very deep, apparently there¡¯s iron ore here, but I also found that thing at the entrance.¡±


    ¡°Thing?¡±


    ¡°The mana formation that increased our mana before.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    After all, the mana formation associated with the ancient kingdom has that function. That was pretty good news. We could raise our mana again.


    ¡°Yurasia, do you by any chance know anything about the origin of that ring? Who gave it to you?¡±


    ¡°No. My father never talked about it. In fact, he didn¡¯t even seem to know about it.¡±


    What is the significance of these facilities and treasures of the Ancient Kingdom?


    ¡°The mana formation you are to protect has been unsealed. From now on, you must follow me. That will be the future of the mountain people.¡±


    ¡°That is what we mountain folk want. If it is true that the Lord has destroyed Bridget, then we will obey you!¡±


    It would help if you did.


    I don¡¯t know why they were kicked out of the Bridget Kingdom and why Aintorian¡¯s ancestors saved them. But anyway, what is important now is that there are many mountains on the continent. With the power of the mountain tribes, who have tremendous mobility in those mountains, they would be of great help.


    I also secured iron. With this iron, I planned to train an elite iron cavalry first. They would be indispensable in the age of chaos that would come with the fall of Lunan. And in my mind, there was only one captain to lead the Iron Cavalry. Ninety-six (96) martial force, seventy (70) intelligence, and ninety-two (92) command, a warlord with outstanding abilities, Demasin Elheat.

 CH 71

    New content but short chapter.


    Three months later, Lunan royal palace.


    The King of Lunan was breathing heavily with a furious look on his face. Duke Ronen, who was suddenly summoned, looked at the king and asked suspiciously.


    ¡°What is going on, Your Majesty?¡±


    At Ronen¡¯s question, the king punched the armrest of his throne.


    ¡°Those Roseruns, they¡¯re getting carried away! Suddenly they can¡¯t give us the promised compensation? I will never forgive them!¡±


    The king¡¯s words made not only Ronen but also all the nobles who were summoned raise their eyebrows. It is indeed an outrageous matter, even though they were not the ones who had saved Roserun.


    ¡°We will destroy them soon. Prepare for war!¡±


    The king looked resolute.


    Both the king and Ronen were similar, but Ronen was still the more rational of the two.


    ¡°Your Majesty! You can¡¯t go to war.¡±


    So, naturally, he was against the war.


    ¡°A large number of troops are already deployed in Bridget, which has not yet surrendered, and we are being forced to organize their territory.¡±


    The situation was such that many troops had already been deployed in Bridget, dazzled by its territory. When Erhin said he was going to take over Bridget, he was only given a small number of troops, but after he took over the royal capital of Bridget, one by one, the lords stepped up to reinforce the army.


    ¡°Still, we can¡¯t just sit back and let it happen. How dare they, a small country!¡±


    Ronen began to be troubled by the king¡¯s words. The king has a personality that once he gets angry, he will never bend his opinion. He is strong against the weak. Then the nobles spoke up and pleaded with the king.


    ¡°Your Majesty, why don¡¯t you send Count Erhin? Then we won¡¯t have to go to war. They¡¯ll be scared if Count Erhin goes!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s a good idea. In return for the broken promise, we¡¯ll demand 10 times compensation from Roserun. If they don¡¯t give it to us, there will be war. And send the hostages as well. Yes, that princess who was here at the time was quite nice.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even think about what would happen next. He had completely forgotten about Narja.


    ¡°Your Majesty, but then Erhin wouldn¡¯t be available when you need him¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. So the Duke is going to leave Roserun alone when they despised Lunan? The only thing we can do is either send Erhin or send troops to destroy them!¡±


    The King of Lunan declared decisively.

 CH 72

    ***


    Iron was the solution. Givens and Yusen should have taken the technicians from Aintorian and secured the iron supply route.


    As things stood, the management of the territory and the training of the troops were going well. If that was the case, what I needed to do now was to gather information about the Narja Kingdom.


    The only reason I was able to win so far was because of the information I had learned in the game. However, Narja¡¯s re-invasion is something that never happened in the game. It would be dangerous to challenge the powerful army of Narja without any information.


    The king of Narja is an S-class that I can¡¯t match even with Daitouren. If I plan my strategy carelessly without accurate information, it will become a war where many lives will be lost.


    There is a saying, ¡°If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.¡± This is a phrase left by a famous Chinese strategist.


    If you know the enemy, you can win. Of course, that is a difficult thing to do.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Narja.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you all of a sudden?¡±


    When I mentioned the idea, Yurasia asked back with a dubious look.


    ¡°It¡¯s for information. I have some things to look into with the Doro Trading Company.¡±


    Yurasia stares at me.


    ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s prepare well.¡±


    That means she¡¯s planning to go with me.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better if I¡¯m alone this¡­¡­time. You¡¯re too conspicuous¡­¡­unsuitable for an infiltration.¡±


    ¡°What exactly makes me stand out?¡±


    She seemed to be sulking when she was told not to come.


    ¡°You yourself, your soft blond hair, white skin and breathtaking beauty. You stand out too much.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yurasia stared at me for a while with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡°How dare you! It¡¯s too embarrassing! Don¡¯t¡­¡­!¡±


    Then she turned away, blushing. Isn¡¯t it too late to react?


    ¡°That¡¯s how conspicuous you are. So I have no choice but to go alone. I¡¯ve made sure that the territory will run without me. In exchange, I have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°A favor?¡±


    Yurasia asked shyly, holding her hands up to her face.


    ¡°Can you move Roserun? I want you to go to Roserun once for that.¡±


    Yes. It was fine to infiltrate Narja and obtain information, but in order to use that information, I needed to move Roserun.


    ¡°You want me to move Roserun?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If Roserun chooses me instead of Lunan in the coming war, I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Of course they¡¯ll choose you. If the choice is between you and Lunan, the decision is easy.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The answer was immediate. She gave me a firm look that said there was no need to worry.


    ¡°Yes, because the Lunan is a sinking ship. No, it¡¯s more than that¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°More than that?¡±


    ¡°I would rather choose you than Roserun.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore!¡±


    Yurasia walked out with a really angry look on her face.


    ***


    Near Lunan¡¯s capital, the fortress of the Doro Trading Company.


    The soldiers guarding the fortress were replaced by Aintorian soldiers instead of slavers. The fortress was kept alive with prisoners of war who were well known to the branch chiefs of Narja.


    The captains, who rarely visited the fortress except to pass on orders, saw no change. I took off the nobleman¡¯s clothes I usually wore and changed into Gensema¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°They are coming today from Cassis, the capital of Narja, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. According to the schedule, it should be today.¡±


    The head of the slave trading branch in Narja¡¯s capital, a very important person in this situation.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure they¡¯ve never met the branch manager in person?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I wouldn¡¯t lie, because my life depended on it. We¡¯ve been sending messengers to the branch office to deliver orders.¡±


    The prisoners flinched and nodded. The sight of their comrades dying so mercilessly made them unlikely to conspire. If they did, they would die.


    Narja is not a decaying country like Lunan. Therefore, unlike Lunan, they were at a higher risk of being wiped out. That¡¯s why he took the non-face-to-face approach, not wanting his face to be exposed in case the branch was wiped out.


    This is possible because they are a criminal organization, but not a normal organization. It would be difficult to wipe them out all at once.


    ¡°Then pretend I¡¯m Gensema from now on. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Just as I was giving him instructions, the person I had been waiting for arrived. His name was Martin, and his ability level was not that great.


    ¡°I¡¯m Martin, head of the Cassis branch! You¡¯re a representative? I didn¡¯t expect you to be so young¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I inherited it from my father.


    ¡°I see¡­¡­.By the way, what the hell are you doing calling us to the headquarters fortress? Isn¡¯t this not in keeping with the principles of the Trading Company?¡±


    He seems to be very cautious, being the head of a branch of a criminal organization.


    ¡°That¡¯s how important it is!¡±


    Then a prisoner next to me interjected.


    ¡°Oh, is that you? You¡¯ve been to Cassis a few times to deliver messages, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You remember me?¡±


    Perhaps because of this, Martin nodded, as if he had stopped doubting for the moment.


    ¡°I broke the rules because it was such an important job.¡±


    I said and clapped my hands. Then the soldiers brought the gold in front of us. Four boxes of gold, enough to cover five years¡¯ worth of sales for the Doro Trading Company.


    When he opened the box, the gold sparkled and Martin approached the box with a gleam in his eye. He had joined the organization for the money. It was only natural for his eyes to shine.


    ¡°This is¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an advance on that important order I was telling you about.¡±


    ¡°Advance¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re promised to double it if we¡¯re successful.¡±


    ¡°Double? Are you sure?¡±


    Martin turned to me with an incredulous look on his face. This money alone was enough for him to quit everything and live like a king.


    ¡°Where in the¡­¡­world did you get all this money from¡­¡­? How dangerous is this job?¡±


    The danger level increases with the amount. That¡¯s a matter of course.


    ¡°I need to infiltrate Narja¡¯s aristocracy and investigate. This money is for that information.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°All you have to do is take the money up front and help us infiltrate Cassis. I¡¯ll do the rest. My client is a great man. If this job is successful, we, the Doro Trading Company, will be able to expand into Mateen. This is important enough to violate our principles. However, since you¡¯ve broken the rules, you¡¯ll be transferred to another branch after this job is done. Or you can retire. That includes a bonus for your service.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going to Mateen!¡±


    Martin looked at the box again.


    ¡°By the way, doesn¡¯t that mean that¡­..I could be in danger?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ll take care of all the risks, you just help me get in.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll do it! I really want this money¡­¡­.!¡±


    ¡°Okay. The money is yours now. Once you have me undercover, you can return to the fortress and take it from here. But I have to infiltrate first. Do you understand?¡±


    Martin¡¯s eyeballs glazed over in thought. From the point of view of a villain, he would be worried about the fact that the money had not been handed over here and now.


    It was a dark organization, so it should be natural for him to feel uneasy that he might not get any money and might be killed when he did his job. Above all, this is an impersonal organization, bound by money rather than loyalty.


    ¡°So all I have to do is sneak you in? And then I¡¯ll really get this money, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the deal. If you snitch on me, I¡¯m dead. So, of course, I have to give you the money. And besides, I¡¯m going to need the help of the Cassis branch to escape, and you think I¡¯m going to mess with you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Sure. That¡¯s right.¡±


    Martin said with a nod. He seemed to be planning to betray me once he had the gold. With that much money at stake, of course it could happen. But until he had the gold, he couldn¡¯t snitch or run away. Martin must have smelled the danger of this job, but the temptation of the gold in front of him must be great.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll head to Cassis through the merchant channels.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not taking Luthrie with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a covert plan. We must not add to our numbers.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you¡¯ll be working alone in Cassis?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Martin smiled softly, as if the words had convinced him. The Gensema he knew was weak, Luthrie was the strong one.


    Cassis was his sphere of influence that meant that if Gensema didn¡¯t pay and killed him, he would move his men to snitch on him. It was a lucrative deal that he would have to accept with the safeguards in place. As long as Luthrie was not with him, he realized that it was possible.


    ***


    A branch of the Doro Trading Company located near Cassis. This one was also a fortress, with a prison in the basement. It¡¯s a facility where they keep people who are trafficked and enslaved locked up.


    The children who remain unsold are handed over to assassination organizations and undergo high-intensity training from an early age. If they survive, they become assassins; if not, they die. Of course, the unsold adults are disposed of. That¡¯s how it was at the Doro Trading Company.


    ¡°So, how do you plan to sneak me in? You must have some sort of plan, right?¡±


    Martin nodded at my question.


    ¡°Of course. Narja has an organization called the Ten Warlords.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You think I don¡¯t know about the Ten Warlords?¡±


    ¡°Actually, there is a customer in the Ten Warlords.¡±


    Really?


    ¡°The Ten Warlords are the only organization that exists in Narja.¡±


    It was clear what Martin was trying to explain. The ten warlords of Narja, that meant the ten strongest people in Narja. Every time a strong being appeared, the lineup would change, that was the Ten Warlords. In addition, the Ten Warlords were chosen from among the commoners. In other words, it¡¯s a system that is thoroughly based on strength.


    A commoner who is chosen as one of the Ten Warlords stands above the nobles. They do not have a title, but while they are Ten Warlords, the nobles cannot touch them. This includes all nobles except for the royal family and Valdesca from the Twelve Families of the Continent.


    Naturally, it was a great honor to produce the Ten Warlords among the nobility. The Ten Warlords, which had existed since the founding of the country, were a sacred responsibility of Narja.

 CH 73

    A short chapter to start the week but the good news is that I checked the raws and there aren¡¯t any short chapters there.


    ***


    The Narja Kingdom.


    The young king of Narja, Narja Kashia, was on his throne, radiating dignity, count Roland, who is famous for his military prowess in the Herald Kingdom, had come to see him as an envoy.


    Roland, who was so famous that he was proud of himself, stood tall in front of the King of Narja.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we should form an alliance?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. It¡¯s not a bad idea!¡±


    The other day, he received a similar proposal from the Bridget Kingdom. The Bridget Kingdom did not exist now, though. Of course, Kashia had no intention to do so at all.


    ¡°You want to join forces with us to take over Lunan?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny it. Your Majesty, if you form an alliance with the Herald Kingdom, you will never regret it!¡±


    Count Roland shouted as he showed off his mana. He was trying to be intimidating. But Kashia twitched his ears as if it were nonsense.


    ¡°It seems the Herald Kingdom is out of touch with the latest news¡­Your military power is only good in Herald. You can¡¯t even arouse my curiosity, so you can go home now, messenger of the Herald.¡±


    At that moment, a powerful light erupted from around Kashia. Even the royal palace began to shake under the influence of that red mana. Count Roland¡¯s mana was instantly bottled up, and the overwhelmed Count fell to the ground. The mana was so powerful that he was speechless.


    ¡±You¡¯ll regret¡­..it. We¡¯re aiming for Lunan too, so we¡¯ll¡­¡­have to meet on the battlefield¡­¡­.!¡±


    He had said so to protect his last pride. Count Roland walked out of the palace in a pathetic state. He was so overwhelmed that he could not even stand up.


    ¡°You miserable bastard.¡±


    The king stood up with a look of nonsense on his face and left the throne. When he was gone, Fran, who was observing the situation, said to the ten warlords.


    ¡°Have you finished your search for Lunan¡¯s scouts?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. We¡¯re catching every last one of them through the Intelligence Department. It¡¯s not too difficult, since the scouts are often a bit of a mess when they¡¯re released. They seem to be Duke Ronen men.¡±


    ¡°I see. Please use them thoroughly.¡±


    The King of Lunan and Ronen are foolish people. They did not even see Ronen as an enemy. They see only one person as their enemy. And if they got what they wanted, that person would be more than happy to see the destruction of Lunan. Fran¡¯s idea was to make the most of it.

 CH 74

    * * *


    Soon, Narja will invade Lunan. The time has come, the game will begin here. No, rather than the real game, this was the beginning.


    Originally, this game would have started with the destruction of the Lunan Kingdom. With the fall of Lunan, the surrounding nations would intervene to occupy its vast territory. It would be the catalyst for a full-scale era of war.


    The beginning of the war was postponed, but the destruction of Lunan was inevitable. I¡¯ve spent the last three months steadily preparing for what¡¯s to come. In fact, this is the most difficult part of my strategy.


    It¡¯s a time when the information I know has been mixed with rewritten history. If Lunan is destroyed, the countries will eventually make their moves just as they did in the game¡¯s history, but there is an unforeseen situation here, and that is my existence and the destroyed Bridget Kingdom.


    There will probably be a lot of unpredictable butterfly effects. This is a time when some things move like in the history of the game, and many unpredictable things happen due to my interference, so it will be more dangerous.


    As part of my first strategy in such a time, I needed to be nominally absent from Aintorian.


    I immediately asked Yurasia to move Roserun. Sure enough, the King of Lunan was furious, and I was secretly ordered to go to Roserun.


    I heard the news of the Narja Kingdom¡¯s invasion through the Doro Trading Company, and this campaign was for a good cause.


    How could I listen to the man who destroyed Lunan? The one who destroyed Lunan was the king, who sent me to Roserun without considering the future. Yes, my presence in Roserun is only nominal, and Narja will be coming across the border soon.


    * * *


    ¡°Oh! What the hell was that?¡±


    Lunan¡¯s border post. A soldier standing at the sentry post was startled and fell over when he saw an enormous army advancing towards Lunan.


    There were about 150,000 soldiers. The flag of Duke Valdesca could be seen in the center of the vast army. The duke¡¯s flag fluttered along with the flag of the Narja Kingdom. In addition, the banners of the ten warlords of Narja were also fluttering everywhere. The scale of the expedition was different from the previous one.


    ¡°Waaahhh!¡±


    Thus, the forces of the Narja Kingdom marched all over the borders of Lunan with cheers that signaled the beginning of the war. The first group, the second group, and the third group, each with its own division of troops, were advancing from all over to the borders of Lunan.


    This was a signal that the continent was entering a period of chaos. It was a signal that the entire continent would be caught up in the vortex of war.


    * * *


    ¡°Your Majesty! The Narja Kingdom is invading!¡±


    The report caused an uproar in the royal palace. The nobles swept their eyes in dismay.


    ¡°At last, they¡¯re¡­¡­!¡±


    The nobles began to make a lot of noise. It was a situation where the threat of Narja had not completely disappeared, but they were pouring their national power into trying to get their hands on Bridget.


    Bridget¡¯s land tempted them and the price was the lack of troops, but Ronen had an idea. If they occupied Bridget¡¯s land, they could build up their forces. He hoped to use that as a basis to counter Narja.


    It was unfortunate that the scouts Ronen had sent to Narja had been used by Fran to send him false information. He had believed the false information that another invasion of Narja would be a long time coming.


    The King and Ronen were thoroughly beaten down. In such a situation, there was only one person who came to the mind of the king, Ronen and the other nobles. It was the king who first mentioned the name.


    ¡°Call Erhin to the capital now! Have him come to my defense!¡±


    At the king¡¯s words, the expressions on the faces of the nobles changed to one of bewilderment. Ronen also shook his head in dismay.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you sent Erhin to Roserun!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? What the hell is Roserun worth in this situation?¡±


    When the nobles saw the king¡¯s consistent attitude of ignorance, even though it was his own decision, they began to rant inwardly.


    ¡°You sent him to punish Roserun for not giving you the compensation they promised!¡±


    ¡°Who allowed that to happen? Send a messenger to recall him immediately! He hasn¡¯t reached Roserun yet, has he?¡±


    The king shouted angrily.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    At that moment, a lone soldier slipped in and flattened himself against the main hall.


    ¡°Bern Castle has been breached. According to the reports, the number of enemies exceeds 100,000¡­¡­.No, it could be as many as 200,000!¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap! 200,000? No way¡­¡­.! Cut off that guy¡¯s head and bring me Erhin!¡±


    The king simply shouted Erhin¡¯s name without taking any other action.


    * * *


    The first army consisted of the allied forces of the northern territories of Narja. The second army was the allied forces of the southern territories. They were commanded by ten generals, each with a lord as the commander of 10,000 troops under him.


    Fran Valdesca, the general of the Narja army, crossed the border of Lunan and quickly took over the neighboring territories. In this war, he had decided to capture the royal capital of Lunan with great speed. Because he thought that the capital of Lunan was important.


    He had already received the report that Erhin was on his way to Roserun. However, Fran thought that it was a trap. When he did a comprehensive analysis of what he had seen in Aintorian, there was only one thing that came to his mind.


    He was sure that Erhin had his eye on Lunan too. As Fran gathered his thoughts around this assumption, he could see Erhin strategy. He would probably try to gain a name for himself. After the king¡¯s death, he would work to avenge him. He would probably try to absorb Lunan¡¯s forces in the name of revenge.


    ¡°The Aintorian Territorial Army will try to save the capital of Lunan no matter what. The important thing here is that they will come after the king¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Your Highness, that¡¯s great!¡±


    Kediman, the captain of the third army, started laughing as he gave Fran a coy look. The captain of the second army, Istin, who was famous for being a quiet man, was silent but gave him the same look. Even so, Fran¡¯s desire to capture the royal capital first was to reverse Erhin¡¯s strategy.


    Lunan Castle is the most solid and highest walled castle on the continent. He was not going to refuse the chance to get Lunan Castle for free. In fact, it would have been troublesome if Erhin had adopted the strategy of protecting the king while defending Lunan Castle. But since he had other intentions, it was an opportunity.


    He would take Lunan Castle without difficulty and kill the King of Lunan. Killing the king would give Erhin what he wanted, but it didn¡¯t matter. Capturing Lunan Castle and killing the enemy king would have a huge impact on the morale of his army.


    Then, after absorbing Lunan¡¯s troops and growing his power, gaining prestige and public support, would he plan his revenge? That seemed to be Erhin¡¯s strategy, but Fran shook his head. He wasn¡¯t going to give Erhin that much time.


    Fran gave the order pointing at the map with his command stick.


    ¡°The second army will head for Linon Castle. Once Linon Castle has fallen, we will march on Lunan Castle through the barrier in front of the royal capital.¡±


    At Fran¡¯s words, Istin, the captain of the second army, bowed deeply and hit his chest with his right fist.


    ¡°Once the Third Army has captured the castles, including Bern, it will join the Second Army and march towards the capital.


    ¡°Yes, General!¡±


    ¡°Also, the First Army will move with me. While the second and third armies are sinking the castles, we will bypass them and go to the royal capital!¡±


    Fran divided the troops that way.


    ¡°As soon as the enemy king is killed, the Fourth Army will march to Aintorian through the western border.¡±


    ¡°If that happens, the troops of Aintorian who left the territory to save Lunan will be¡­¡­¡±


    Fran nodded in response to Kediman¡¯s question.


    They will have to return in order to protect Aintorian and we will follow close behind and strike them. Once we join up with the second army, encircle and destroy Aintorian, Lunan will be completely finished.¡±


    That was Fran¡¯s strategy against the good name and public sentiment that Erhin wanted. What if the Aintorians didn¡¯t send reinforcements to Lunan? Then all they had to do was occupy Lunan and isolate Aintorian.


    Fran rather expected that Erhin would make the worst possible choice for the sake of good reputation.


    ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t let your guard down¡­¡­.¡±


    Fran, on the other hand, shook his head. If he hadn¡¯t been so formidable, he wouldn¡¯t have seen him as such a formidable enemy.

 CH 75

    For those who read the old version start  from chapter 71, that¡¯s where the new content begins.


    ***


    The news of the fall of Linon Castle has reached the Royal Castle in Lunan. Linon Castle had been recaptured by Erhin in the last war, but this time it could not hold out for even a day. When the king heard the news of the fall, he became frightened and decided to flee.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading south! Are we really that short on manpower? How can we let them get through so easily? When will the troops in Bridget return? Let¡¯s go to Bridget! We¡¯ll move the royal capital there!¡±


    He had no intention of fighting here. Even if Erhin had been here, he would have hidden himself away and let the Lunan army defend the capital.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to Bridget. I¡¯ll send Erhin there, too. Guards, protect me!¡±


    The king said this and slipped out of the royal castle.


    When the king walked out of the castle without any warning, the people began to plead with him. It would have been better if he had escaped quietly, but since he had announced his escape in a fancy carriage, it was only natural that there would be confusion. The Guards added to the sense of fear by cutting down the people who approached in procession.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill anyone who comes out of Castle Lunan!¡±


    It would have been faster to ride a horse directly, but the old king hurried the Guard in a carriage even under such circumstances. In this way, the king succeeded in escaping from Lunan Castle and fleeing in the direction of Bridget.


    ¡°Get out of here! Hurry up!¡±


    Lunan Castle, the tallest castle on the continent, became an empty castle without a master.


    ***


    Ronen also slipped out of Lunan Castle. He thought about struggling in Lunan Castle, but he decided that the king had a point and it would be wiser to flee to Bridget.


    Of course, he was a little different from the incompetent king who had fled with only his guards. He had already assembled his army and they should have arrived by now.


    About a third of the army had been sent to Bridget, but there were enough troops left, so he planned to join up with his own army on the way. Ronen slipped out of Lunan Castle and started to flee in a different direction from the king.


    ¡°Your Highness, what will you do with Lord Elheat?¡±


    ¡°Throw him away, we don¡¯t have time to wait for him. Besides, he¡¯ll make it out alive on his own.¡±


    For now, it was important to combine their forces far away from the enemy army that was gaining momentum. He could have escaped to Bridget long ago, considering the time he would have spent struggling with the enemy to get Elheat to join him.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    A large number of soldiers rushed in front of him. Ronen was frightened and wary, but he soon breathed a sigh of relief. There were 3,000 troops rushing towards him, it was the territorial army that belonged to Hayna.


    ¡°It¡¯s Hayna!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve come for you!¡±


    ¡°I knew you were a smart one, unlike those useless people. You¡¯ve really done well!¡±


    Ronen was so pleased to have Hayna join him that it made him think that he had never treated her badly in the past.


    ***


    Leaving the capture of Linon Castle to the second and third armies, Fran reached the front of Lunan Castle at breakneck speed. Without Erhin¡¯s interference, he was going to take Lunan Castle and occupy the center of Lunan.


    ¡°We will spend the day here in a large camp, flaunting the might of our army, but as in the past, looting of the Lunan people is forbidden.¡±


    With the castle of Lunan in sight, Fran gave the order to the first army he had led. This was the frightening thing about Fran, he was a man who considered the people¡¯s will to be important, believing that this was the only way to achieve supremacy in the world.


    Not only did he possess superior intellect, but he also had high fighting prowess through the use of the Mana Formation, and the commanding power that came from his reputation and personality as the head of the Valdesca from the Twelve Families of the Continent. This man could be said to be perfect, but even so, he was always humble.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Of course, there are drawbacks. Even now, he almost fell to the ground trying to get off the horse. Getting on and off a horse was something he had done on a daily basis since he was a child. It was not difficult for Fran to do it, the only problem was that he was quite careless in real life.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He said to Patrick, his immediate second-in-command and vassal, who had rushed over, and straightened his posture to look at Lunan Castle, the Lunan Castle, which he had been unable to acquire during the last war.


    The sight of that Lunan castle filled him with a sense of emotion. However, he was still quite curious about Erhin¡¯s movements. The fact that he made no movements was rather troublesome.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    In the end, he did what he always does when he is troubled. He hit his forehead hard on a nearby tree.


    ¡°Your Highness! One of these days your forehead is going to split!¡±


    Patrick and the soldiers rushed over, but Fran signaled with his hand as if to tell them not to come.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Has there been any movement in Aintorian?¡±


    ¡°According to the information I have received, there is no movement at this time, Your Highness.¡±


    Fran found it troublesome that the war was going well, but there was a presence that made him uneasy.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go¡­¡­put everything else aside for the Lunan Castle. Perhaps, by my estimation, the castle will be empty tonight.¡±


    The reason why Fran had dared to set up camp right in front of Lunan Castle was to give the king time to escape. There is no need to shed blood. If the king escaped, Lunan Castle would be as good as defenseless. So, in the morning, Lunan Castle would be Fran¡¯s.


    ***


    He was tired of living his life as a count with a fiefdom, his interest was solely in the military. Only on the battlefield could he show his prowess. He was 15 years old when he first took up a sword and stood on the battlefield and defended the country for 27 years.


    Demasin Elheat moved to the last barrier to the royal city of Lunan. He wanted to stop the enemy at the border and die, but the Royal Army of Narja moved south from several roads.


    He waited for the king¡¯s order as he could not get anywhere if he only stayed to the border, but when there was no news until the end, Elheat had no choice but to move his troops. He stopped at a barrier on his way from Linon Castle to the royal capital.


    Although Fran had not participated in the fall of Linon Castle and had taken a large detour toward Bern Castle from the beginning, this barrier was the quickest way for the Second and Third Armies, which had been entrusted with the fall of Linon Castle, to reach Lunan Castle. In other words, the Second Army, which was responsible for the fall of Linon Castle, needed to break through this barrier.


    In order to ensure a smooth and unhindered supply route, the Narja forces had to make sure that they had this barrier in their hands. Quick supply is the most important thing on the battlefield. For this reason, Elheat stopped at the barrier just as the enemy was about to attack Linon Castle.


    ¡°My lord, would you rather fight at Lunan Castle?¡±


    Elheat shook his head at the retainer¡¯s question.


    ¡°If His Majesty and His Highness are struggling at Lunan Castle, I won¡¯t let them have an easy supply route even if I die here. If we can hold off the rest of Narja¡¯s soldiers here, we should be able to delay the fall of Lunan Castle. If we do¡­¡­he¡¯ll be there! That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to die here!¡±


    Elheat was relying on Erhin in a different way than the King of Lunan. That was why he was willing to take a stand and hold his ground here. However, that thought started with a ridiculous guess that the King of Lunan and Ronen would fight in Lunan Castle. At the words of Elheat, all five of his vassals, who had always traveled with him on the battlefield, fell to their knees.


    ¡°My Lord, what are you saying? If anything happens to you, Lunan is truly finished!¡±


    The retainers stopped him, but Elheat shook his head even harder.


    ¡°All right, shut up and rise. If the soldiers see us like this, what will happen to their morale? The only thing we should think about is the enemy soldiers in front of the barrier.¡±


    In the end, the vassals had to give up trying to persuade him because of his resolute attitude. They all drew their swords, there was no other way but to protect the master whom they had served all their lives and die themselves.


    ***


    It was Narja¡¯s second army that targeted the barrier guarded by Elheat. The captain of the second army, Istin, was a powerful warlord ranked third in the Ten Warlord Order. The vice-captain of the second army was Lucana, the seventh-ranked warlord.


    Unlike the last time, the ten warlords were all participating in the war. It was only natural to do so in order not to make the same mistake as last time.


    The second army was large, reaching 50,000 troops.


    ¡°That¡¯s where Lunan¡¯s barrier is. Ho-ho-ho.¡±


    Lucana burst out laughing, delighted at the easy battlefield.


    ¡°Captain! Let¡¯s quickly capture the barrier and join His Highness¡¯, no, the General¡¯s, main army.¡±


    Istin made no mention of Lucana¡¯s words. Istin was a silent man, or rather a taciturn man, famous even in Narja. When an order was given, he devoted himself to carrying it out, so much so that no soldier had ever seen him speak while fighting with him. Lucana, who had fought with him in many battles, was naturally used to this and just kept talking to himself.


    ¡°I heard that the guy who defeated the general in the last war is not here?¡¡I wanted to see what kind of guy he was¡­¡­.Speaking of His Highness Prince Fran, he is a person that all of us ten warlords respect, huh? He just got lucky? Well¡­¡­that¡¯s what I sometimes think.¡±


    Istin just looked at Lucana, but Lucana laughed to himself.


    ¡°Come on, soldiers! That¡¯s the barrier! Let¡¯s get through it!¡±


    At Lucana¡¯s order, 20,000 elite Narja soldiers with a training level of around 90 assaulted the barrier at once. Naturally, the remaining 30,000 took their turn when the 20,000 began to show signs of fatigue.


    This is the strategy that Istin uses when attacking a small wall. If the wall is not large enough anyway, there is no point in jumping on it with all of them, because there is a limit to the number of ladders.


    Rather, it was possible to attack for 24 hours if the troops were divided. The battle began according to Istin¡¯s strategy but as time went on, Lucana shook his head.


    ¡°It has never taken me more than half a day to conquer¡­¡­a barrier, so what is it?¡±


    He asked Istin, who was still standing there saying nothing, but of course he didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­I guess that¡¯s where I come in.¡±


    He said this and looked at Istin. He still didn¡¯t get any response, just a look, but that was exactly the signal he needed. Lucana drew his favorite sword and mounted his horse.


    ¡°Change! I¡¯m with you on this shift!¡±


    As soon as Lucana shouted this, the 30,000 troops that had yet to cross the city walls turned their backs on the enemy, it was time for the 20,000 troops that had been resting to come in. But at that moment a man jumped down from the top of the barrier wall as if he was aiming for the moment of change.


    A man holding a huge spear, it was Elheat. He used his Mana Skill Demon Spear against the troops who had turned their backs to him.


    A black shadow struck the soldiers of the Second Army of Narja. At that moment, hundreds of heads soared into the sky. They had taken a serious hit from Demasin Elheat¡¯s skill. In a sea of flowing blood, Elheat thrust his spear into the ground and stood in front of the barrier.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Lucana stared at him with a furrowed brow.

 CH 76

    At the same time, a rain of arrows poured down on the soldiers who had rushed to the barrier. They were arrows that the Lunan army had saved for themselves. The retreating troops were startled by Elheat¡¯s skill and became hesitant, while the rain of arrows caused the troops to fall into chaos.


    Elheat stood still in front of them, holding a huge spear.


    ¡°Your Excellency, that man is Demasin Elheat, the proud warlord of Lunan!¡±


    A vassal of Lucana¡¯s shouted when he noticed Elheat. Lucana smiled when he heard his name. Because if there was anyone worth fighting with in Lunan, it was Elheat alone.


    ¡°Elheat? That famous man? The one they say is as taciturn as Captain Istin? That¡¯s interesting. Of course, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone who can match him in reticence.¡±


    Just as Lucana was about to rush over to fix the situation.


    ¡°Listen, enemy general, I am Demasin Elheat. If you are a warlord, why don¡¯t you step forward and fight? One on one combat is the only fun on a bloody battlefield, right?¡±


    Elheat exclaimed in a loud voice.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The person Elheat called out to was the captain, Istin. Lucana, who had been watching Istin, complained with a dumbfounded look on his face at Elheat¡¯s words.


    ¡°Wait, Captain! You¡¯re going to fight just because you¡¯re curious? How dare you! I¡¯ve always wanted to fight a Lunan warlord, and this is just the thing! It¡¯s not funny, I know that the quickest way to kill someone is to surround them and kill them when they come out alone like that¡­¡­¡±


    To the soldiers around him, Istin didn¡¯t seem to be saying anything, but Lucana was speaking as if he could hear him.


    ¡°Wait! Let¡¯s go together!¡±


    Lucana felt like he was going crazy. There was no need to fight the enemy general. He hadn¡¯t expected Istin to lose, but it was outrageous to go toe-to-toe with an enemy general in a situation where he was no match for them in terms of army size.


    If he were to lose, the morale of the people would go down. The fact that he had agreed to do so might earn him a huge reprimand from Fran.


    However, Istin was a man of great pride. Lucana followed Istin, shaking his head, because he knew very well that he would never overrule a decision he had made.


    The newly recruited Narja soldiers split into two and opened the way. Istin rode his horse slowly to the front of the soldiers, and the two generals met face to face at a distance of about 50 meters.


    Behind Istin, of course, was a large army of 50,000 and behind Elheat were only the barrier and 3,000 soldiers above it.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Istin still had no answer to Elheat¡¯s question. It was Lucana who stepped forward to translate.


    ¡°His Excellency Count Istin, third in the order of the Ten Warlords of the Narja Kingdom!¡±


    Elheat burst out laughing happily at Lucana¡¯s words. The name sounded familiar to him. To be able to fight such a strong man, it was the best way to die, he thought.


    Of course, whoever it was, he wasn¡¯t going to be beaten easily. But the fatigue of the soldiers at the barrier was at its peak, for unlike the Narja army, which had sent 50,000 troops in shifts to give them a rest, the Lunan army of 3,000 had no time to rest.


    ¡°I thank you for accepting my challenge. I never thought I¡¯d meet a warlord as strong as you in my last war. Hahahahahaha! Is it good luck or bad luck? Anyway, I¡¯m glad to see you. Let¡¯s fight, Istin. If you are a true warlord, will you take my spear one-on-one?¡±


    Istin, who was holding a large sword that seemed to be as weighty as his reticence, nodded at Elheat¡¯s words.


    ¡°Wait, sir!¡¡Captain! We don¡¯t have time for this. We have to break through the barrier and join the general as soon as possible! What?¡¡There¡¯s no reason for you to fight him! You¡¯ve got to be kidding¡­¡­.¡±


    Lucana eventually pulled back with a dumbfounded face, unable to stop Istin. Of course, he still looked like he didn¡¯t think Istin was going to lose, but it was a pointless battle.


    ***


    ¡°What the hell is that monster?¡±


    The army of the Narja Kingdom could only hold their tongues. They thought Istin would win by a comfortable margin, but the showdown was very close.


    ¡°Lord Elheat¡­¡­!¡±


    Elheat¡¯s vassals, who were well aware of how he was feeling as he rode out alone, gasped at the tense confrontation. One wrong move and he would die.


    He was ranked third in the order of the Ten Warlords of Narja. The Ten Warlords are famous on the continent. In fact, Istin¡¯s martial force was somewhat higher than Elheat¡¯s.


    Istin¡¯s estimated martial force was 97 and Elheat¡¯s was 96. A difference in martial force of this magnitude is not enough to determine the winner, only through battle could they determine the victor.


    Furthermore, Elheat had no time left. He didn¡¯t have time to think about storing up his strength, and he was going into battle with the sole intention of buying time, that¡¯s why their battle was so close.


    The longer the battle went on, the more time he could buy and the more time his soldiers could rest. That was all Elheat could think about. He never thought of defeat, he would buy time and win the battle.


    He knew better than anyone else that he would not be able to achieve victory even if he defeated the enemy general, but he was fighting with that kind of intention. Of course, it was all for himself.


    The explosion of the skill [Demon Spear] that Elheat used hit Istin. The area around Istin was engulfed in a huge explosion. Istin generated mana with his greatsword and formed a protective film to block Elheat¡¯s skill.


    However, Elheat did not stop there. As it was, he soared high into the sky and activated [Gestinburg], the crystallized form of spearmanship that he had refined all his life.


    Elheat¡¯s long spear, thrown from the sky, shone with brilliant light and flew towards Istin as if it were a laser beam. The powerful mana light that was generated around the spear was enough to blind anyone who saw it.


    The explosion of Demon Spear disturbed Istin¡¯s surroundings, and when he was distracted trying to block the explosion with his greatsword, this attack came. He instantly grasped the fact that the long spear was faster than his evasion speed and infused mana into his greatsword. A powerful light was emitted from the great sword that Istin wielded, the huge sword became more than twice as big as it was before. Istin received Elheat¡¯s spear in that state.


    ¡°Giiiiiiiiinnnnnn!¡±


    The two forces collided.


    With a vibration that made the earth shake, the surrounding area was tinged with light. Istin, who is famous for his reticence, put all his energy into it and swung his huge sword, which had grown even bigger. That one swing had repelled Elheat¡¯s skill [Gestinburg].


    Elheat¡¯s spear, which flew away, got stuck in the wall of the barrier. After landing on the ground, Elheat jumped up into the sky again to pull out the spear that was stuck in the wall. Naturally, Istin didn¡¯t miss his chance and pounced on him.


    He was positioned right in front of the wall and Istin was pushed back to block his skill, so he took advantage of the moment and managed to pull out the spear and collided with Istin¡¯s greatsword in midair.


    The two of them landed on the ground again and continued the fight. Having used their most powerful skills on each other, they entered into a never-ending battle of strength. At first, Istin tried to save his strength, but it was not enough and the fight continued.


    ¡°You are completely absorbed in the battle¡­¡­.¡±


    Lucana held his forehead. If he intervened here, this pointless battle might soon be over. In fact, he had planned to intervene if Istin was about to be killed but that was a last resort.


    For someone to intervene in his fight was what Istin hated the most, and he even considered it a humiliation so Lucana could not intervene. Eventually, the sun set and the surroundings turned dark. The two men interrupted their duel in the darkness and looked at each other.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we settle this tomorrow?¡±


    Istin nodded at Elheat¡¯s suggestion and immediately looked at Lucana.


    ¡°Are we moving back?¡±


    Lucana shook his head at Istin¡¯s order. However, Istin¡¯s gaze was filled with a strong will to beat this man and take over the barrier.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to defeat Lunan¡¯s finest warrior¡­¡­¡±


    Lucana wanted to lash out, but he held back. This was the kind of man Istin had been ever since he was a child. Istin¡¯s army retreated to the garrison directly behind him, and Elheat, who had stood and watched the enemy withdraw to the end, fell back into the barrier. All of Elheat¡¯s vassals rushed to his side.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ve even managed to obtain some rest time for the soldiers.¡±


    The vassals shook their fists when they saw him and blamed their own incompetence.

 CH 77

    ¡°General!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°It seems the search party has found the King of Lunan!¡±


    Fran scratched his cheek in the garrison¡¯s commander¡¯s pavilion at the report of his men. The King of Lunan, if he kills the King of Lunan, he¡¯ll be doing exactly what he wants.


    Fran was convinced that Erhin had his eye on the throne. So, killing the King of Lunan would give him a good reason. Even so, he couldn¡¯t just find the king and not kill him, because it was the order of the King of Narja to kill the King of Lunan.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Fran slammed his forehead hard against the table. What does it matter if he wants the throne? It has nothing to do with prestige or cause.


    The goal of the upcoming war is to win against Erhin. If they won the war against him, they wouldn¡¯t care about him needing a reason to take the throne.


    There was no way he could fight Erhin properly and win if he was still afraid of him. Shame on you Valdesca Fran! He laughed bitterly.


    The number of troops mobilized for this great conquest was a whopping 300,000. Of that number, 200,000 were deployed in Lunan.


    This was the number of troops that would march on the southern countries as soon as they occupied Lunan. The number of troops in Lunan was not that large. He could only move 50,000 troops at most. It was an overwhelming difference in strength.


    There are also the ten warlords who had great strength. If this is not enough, then he will never win.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Fran smacked his forehead again. He didn¡¯t care about his intentions. He will kill the king of Lunan and destroy Lunan in his own way.


    The plan to occupy Aintorian, Erhin¡¯s stronghold, was already perfectly planned. The army that will conquer Lunan will not only consist of the first, second, and third armies that he has led. There was also a trump card in the form of the Fourth Army.


    ¡°Capture the King of Lunan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    Having made his decision, Fran eventually arrived at the place where the search party had surrounded the king. Fran nodded, and in an instant, the Guards were massacred. The King of Lunan¡¯s Guards were no match for Fran¡¯s elite army.


    The king was quickly escorted out of the carriage and made to kneel on the ground.


    ¡°King of Lunan.¡±


    In front of him, Fran looked down at the king with a cold expression.


    ¡°Please spare me!¡±


    The king immediately began to beg for his life. He had no pride to begin with.


    ¡°I¡¯m going into exile in the Kingdom of Narja. I offer you Lunan. I surrender!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good. His Majesty will allow you to surrender before the battle, but not after. If you had intended to surrender, you should have given up your country before our troops crossed the border. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡±I¡¯ll offer you the whole Lunan now!¡±


    Fran shook his head at the pathetic king. The king was even more foolish than he had been told.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let you live. It was a mistake to foolishly escape through the main road.¡±


    ¡°I am King Tutanka of Lunan, a member of the most highly respected royal family on this continent. Don¡¯t make me laugh! I want to meet the King of Narja!¡±


    The King of Lunan offers himself as a prisoner of war in order to stay alive for a while.


    ¡°Kuh-hah-hah!¡±


    Fran laughed out loud in front of him.


    ¡°I am Valdesca Fran! I am the heir to the Valdesca family. I have never once thought that my Valdesca family was inferior to the Lunans.¡±


    ¡°Va¡­¡­Valdesca¡­¡­? You¡¯re a Valdesca? That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡­.!¡±


    The King of Lunan shook his head in disbelief. Valdesca was one of the twelve families of the continent. There was absolutely no way that its rank would be lower than his family.


    ¡°Can we stop this ugly charade now? Lunan is finished. Therefore, Your Majesty, I think you deserve to meet your end.¡±


    Fran nodded to his subordinate, Lamp, and then Lamp¡¯s sword went for the king¡¯s neck.


    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡­.Save me! Stop! Guaaaah!¡±


    The king went mad to the end, but soon his head flew up into the sky.


    ¡°Waaahhhh!¡±


    In front of him, the soldiers shouted in a battle cry. The end of the last king of the Lunan Kingdom, which had been a great power, was as vain as ever.


    ¡°I will send the King¡¯s head class to His Majesty. Please prepare to send it to the Herald front line.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! General!¡±


    At the same time, the King of Narja, Kashia, was running a campaign of his own. He was more interested in the Herald Kingdom, which bordered on the east with Narja, than in Lunan, because there were rumors that in the Herald Kingdom an S-class warlord like him existed.


    So, from the beginning, Lunan was not in Kashia¡¯s sights. Even in the history of the game, Lunan was a land that could be easily obtained.


    ¡°All troops march on the vacant Lunan Castle.¡±


    Fran gave the order.


    This was the moment when Lunan Castle, with its long history, fell into Fran¡¯s hands.


    ***


    In the morning the battle between Istin and Elheat resumed. Their fight was still the same as yesterday. They were still fighting the same way they did yesterday, as they both wanted to kill each other to achieve their true intentions. However, in the afternoon, the situation suddenly changed. Another army appeared on its way to the barrier. Lucana sighed heavily when he saw the troops.


    ¡°Damn it, why is he here¡­¡­?¡±


    It was the third army, almost as large as the second army led by Istin. And with the appearance of that third army, a crack appeared in the battle between Istin and Erhin. This was because there was a man who intervened in the battle by leading the third army and riding his horse at full speed.


    ¡°What are you doing here Istin?¡±


    It was Kediman, the captain of the third army, the fourth in the order of the ten warlords. Kediman shouted and attacked from behind Elheat who was fighting with Istin. At that moment, the balance of the battle was completely destroyed.


    Elheat spurted blood from his back and collapsed to his knees from the attack. Istin¡¯s greatsword, which had already been attempting to attack, struck fiercely at Elheat¡¯s neck as his defensive posture collapsed.


    ¡°You miserable bastard, you could have taken him out with one shot if you did this. Let¡¯s get this over with and move on!¡±


    Elheat was still bleeding from his back.


    ¡°Is this Narja¡¯s one-on-one fight?¡±


    As he shouted this, he thrust out his spear, ready to give up his head. Even if the head flew off, it would break the enemy. With that thought in mind, he swung the spear instead of avoiding the body but at that moment, the movement of the great sword stopped.


    Seeing this, Elheat also stopped moving his spear and asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Istin shook his head when he saw Elheat standing up without wobbling on his feet with a fatal wound in his back. He then glared at Kediman with a deadly glare and stepped back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your opponent!¡±


    Kediman swung his sword at Elheat. The battle between Kediman and Elheat had begun. And from behind them, Kediman¡¯s troops charged. They had no intention of watching the confrontation like Istin.


    ¡°Retreat, sir? Wait a minute, sir! Captain!¡±


    Istin¡¯s troops retreated. Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that they withdrew. In any case, it was true that Istin¡¯s troops would also have to cross the barrier and join up with Fran.


    Istin, however, had no intention of sympathizing with Kediman. He wanted to kill him just for interfering with his one-on-one battle, but he couldn¡¯t turn on an ally in the middle of a war. If it had been a subordinate, he could have executed him for defying the law, but since it was an equal he couldn¡¯t do so.


    Istin¡¯s body trembled as he tried to control his anger. He was a man like himself so he wanted to kill him with his own hands. And that savage Kediman had taken it away from him.


    Lucana could not say anything when he saw him. He was just relieved that he was not the one who had intervened in this fight.


    If Istin had been at a disadvantage, he would have intervened then. Then, his anger would have been directed directly at himself. When he thought about it, he felt rather grateful for Kediman¡¯s presence. Of course, he didn¡¯t like Kediman much either, because he thought he was a savage.


    Elheat had to fight Kediman, and Kediman¡¯s soldiers charged the barrier at once. It was too much for him to take on Kediman, since he was badly injured in the back and couldn¡¯t use his full power.


    ¡°Protect His Excellency!¡±


    Elheat¡¯s vassals shouted as they dealt with the Narja soldiers pouring over the barrier. His arms and legs got more and more injured the more he fought and in the end Elheat drove his spear into the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re giving up? I¡¯m surprised that such a person is the best warlord in Lunan.¡±


    Kediman sneered at Elheat as he sidestepped Istin¡¯s prey like a hyena. At that moment, Elheat¡¯s vassals broke the siege and jumped down in front of Elheat.


    ¡°Sir! We¡¯ll take care of the rest! Your Excellency, please go up to the barrier, treat your injuries, and protect Lunan. We¡¯ll buy you some time!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to abandon you guys just to save myself. You guys have to go up to the barrier first, not me. I¡¯ve already been badly injured. I gave up my life a long time ago.¡±


    Elheat activated the skill [Demon Spear] with the last of his strength while bleeding from all over his body. Kediman, who had been looking at him, started laughing.


    ¡°Interesting, I didn¡¯t know there were guys like Istin in Lunan.¡±


    ¡°My Lord!¡±


    At that moment, two men, vassals of Elheat, leaped in front of Kediman. They were no match for him, of course, but they were able to block one of his attacks.


    ¡°Are you going to let us die in vain? I¡¯ll buy you some time so you can get to the top of the walls! You¡¯re the kind of power Lunan needs right now!¡±


    Seeing this, Elheat stood up again. He brought his spear back up and glared at Kediman with a look that said he would never let this go. The rest of Elheat¡¯s vassals looked at each other. If they hid it any longer, their Lord would be dead. They nodded at each other and shouted at Elheat.


    ¡°Forgive me, my lord! I¡¯ve actually been hiding something from you. His Majesty has¡­¡­already abandoned Lunan Castle. It is said that he turned away from the people and fled Lunan Castle first. It seems that His Highness Ronen also abandoned Lunan Castle without waiting for¡­¡­Your Excellency. There are no soldiers fighting in Lunan Castle¡­¡­.The castle is empty. Therefore, please leave it to us and retreat!¡±


    The vassals had said this because they wanted Elheat to live. These words instantly quenched the zest that had been burning in Elheat.


    ¡°Is that true?!¡±


    Elheat sat up as he spat out blood, his body shaking with anger.


    How could he escape so easily? He had served Ronen because he was the only person in the kingdom who made an effort to protect Lunan. He was disappointed about the slavers, but he did not feel betrayed.


    But this time it was different.


    ¡°Kuh-hah! That¡¯s what your king is like! You realize that now, don¡¯t you?¡¡Meaningless loyalty. Well, it¡¯s a fitting end for a creepy bug. Lunan Castle has already fallen into the hands of our general! Just shut up and die, I hate boring people.¡±


    The moment Kediman¡¯s sword finally pierced Elheat¡¯s chest. At that moment, Elheat grabbed the sword that had pierced his chest with his bare hand and glared at Kediman. Suddenly, a large number of arrows began to pour down from the sky towards Kediman¡¯s troops.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kediman¡¯s troops, made up of infantry, looked to the rear in surprise at the surprise attack. At the top of the barrier, Elheat¡¯s soldiers rubbed their eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡­!¡±


    One of Elheat¡¯s soldiers pointed in surprise. There, in blue military uniforms, inscribed with the Aintorian crest! With the momentum of trampling Kediman¡¯s troops, the Blue Iron Cavalry, rode off towards the battlefield.

 CH 78

    ¡°You are ¡­..!¡±


    Ahead of the iron cavalry, there was a man who had swept past Kediman soldiers and landed on the ground, he was Zint.


    ¡°His orders. Help!¡±


    The moment he saw this, Elheat gripped Kediman¡¯s sword even tighter as it pierced his chest. As if to say that he would never let it go. He prevented the sword blade from going any deeper than that.


    The more he did so, the more Kediman poured all of his energy into completely piercing the sword and stopping Elheat from breathing. It was in this situation that Zint suddenly appeared and sliced off Kediman¡¯s wrist as soon as he landed!


    ¡°Kuaaahhh!¡±


    Kediman, who had been distracted by Elheat, screamed as he grabbed his arm, whose wrist had been severed in the surprise attack.


    ¨COne on one, but that didn¡¯t mean anything to Zint. It wasn¡¯t a one-on-one fight, so why shouldn¡¯t he intervene?


    If Erhin asked him to help, he would just help anyway, regardless of the means and methods. Completing the order was more important to him than his life. The Iron Cavalry that had arrived before him began to overrun Kediman¡¯s troops.


    Kediman¡¯s troops were forced to fall back due to the frightening speed and strength of the iron cavalry.


    Kediman¡¯s troops had a morale of 80 and a training level of 95, while the morale of the Iron Cavalry led by Zint was 90, with a training level of 97.


    In terms of morale and training level, they had no intention of losing to any unit, but Kediman¡¯s troops are infantry, so it¡¯s no surprise that they¡¯re being pushed around by the iron cavalry. Even more so since the captain, Kediman was injured by Zint.


    Elheat pulled out the sword that Kediman¡¯s hand was dangling from. The wound on his chest was bleeding, but it hadn¡¯t gone deep. It was because he had used all his mana to stop it. Then he stood up, holding the spear in his hand.


    ¡°Guaaaaaah, you¡­..you!¡±


    Kediman pounced on Zint in a rage. He didn¡¯t consider him a threat even with his severed wrist. From the looks of him, he thought he was just a young man, so he was no match for him.


    ¡°Give me the sword!¡±


    He took the sword he received from a soldier and attacked Zint. However, when his hand was cut off, his martial force was already reduced. It¡¯s not that there aren¡¯t people who can join the ranks of powerful warlords with one hand, but it¡¯s far from a possibility for Kediman who just had his wrist cut off.


    Zint¡¯s sword sliced through Kediman¡¯s chest with divine speed, like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, Kediman¡¯s body was sliced to pieces.


    ¡°Guha¡­¡­!¡±


    And with that, Kediman died with his eyes open.


    Zint continued to slash the soldiers around him with the same poker face as always.


    ***


    Lucana didn¡¯t pay much attention to Zint, who suddenly barged in, thinking that he was just a young man. However, he changed his mind when he saw how fast he could draw his sword and how he handled it.


    Neither Istin nor Lucana had expected Kediman to be killed by a single blow like that. Istin immediately looked at Lucana¡¯s face. Lucana understood what he meant and nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to cover our forces now! Charge!¡±


    For Lucana, Kediman had always been a thorn in his side. So he had no sympathy for his death, but Kediman¡¯s troops were his comrades. It was outrageous to abandon them like that.


    Istin¡¯s troops rejoined them on the battlefield in front of the barrier, that was enough to change the situation again.


    Kediman¡¯s troops numbered 50,000 and Istin¡¯s troops were also 50,000. Compared to that, the Iron Cavalry numbered only 10,000.


    Up to 50,000 vs. 10,000, the iron cavalry had the advantage because of the difference in weapons, but even if they had the advantage and could deal with infantry well, they couldn¡¯t handle 100,000 enemies.


    It was also the absolute advantage of numbers in a general flatland battle. Right now, the commander of the Iron Cavalry was Zint and he just took the lead to save Elheat.


    The entire Iron Cavalry scattered and slashed at the Narja soldiers in the dark. Because of this, Istin moved his own troops and chose a siege formation that surrounded the retreating path of the iron cavalry in a semicircle. In other words, there was a barrier in front and Istin¡¯s troops in the back.


    ¡°Master Istin will take command from here. Kediman¡¯s troops, obey his orders! Form up and get in the line of fire now!¡±


    Kediman¡¯s soldiers, who had been thrown into confusion, began to cheer and regain their momentum.


    ***


    Zint had insight to fight by looking only ahead, and he specialized in one-on-one combat and surprise operations like the one he had just performed, but he had no commanding qualities in a confrontation like this.


    ¡°He told me!¡±


    However, he was more faithful than anyone else in fulfilling Erhin¡¯s orders.


    ¡°If Lunan Castle falls, I want you to lead this iron cavalry to Voltaire Castle!¡±


    Zint shouted as he came up to Elheat¡¯s side, slashing down the enemy soldiers. Elheat looked at the iron cavalry again at his words. It was a well-trained iron cavalry, he could see that at a glance.


    ¡°Kuh-hah-hah-hah!¡±


    That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the situation. After all, Erhin is a single-minded man, just as he thought.


    ¡°I see. Count Erhin was raising such troops!¡±


    Lunan Castle had already fallen. He had given up everything when he heard the news, but as soon as he saw the Aintorian crest, he grabbed his weapon with the last of his strength.


    If Erhin were here, it would be a different story! But still, he wondered if it would be unreasonable for him to lead his troops.


    However, this was not the time to be talking about that. No matter how he looked at it, they were without a proper commander. Regardless of what else was going on, the Iron Cavalry had been sent to help him. It would be even more unreasonable to neglect the lives of those cavalrymen.


    In the end, Elheat climbed up on his horse, exhausted. His mana was almost exhausted, but not to the point of being unable to command. Of course, he had some pretty deep wounds here and there, but he had been motivated.


    ¡°Aintorian¡¯s Iron Cavalry, listen up!¡±


    Elheat mounted his horse and shouted to the scattered Iron Cavalry who were fighting.


    ¡°I am Demasin Elheat, warlord of Lunan. I¡¯m going to command you for a while. Will you follow me?¡±


    There is no one from Lunan who has not heard the name of Demasin Elheat.


    ¡°Waaahhhh!¡±


    When the soldiers of the Iron Cavalry heard his voice, they let out a battle cry in unison.


    Martial power 96, intelligence 70 and command power 97! His power has been built on the battlefield throughout his life.


    Elheat¡¯s commanding power was different from the high commanding power born from Yurasia¡¯s attractiveness. It is a command power specialized in the battlefield.


    ¡°Soldiers at the gate, listen up! Give up the barrier now and join the iron cavalry! The iron cavalry will attempt a single-point breakthrough, so gather in the center! All right! Zint, you buy us some time up front!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, he instructed the soldiers at the barrier and the iron cavalry, then gave Zint his orders as well. After Elheat took charge of the iron cavalry, Zint, who had been told to follow his orders, nodded foolishly.


    Istin and Lucana are part of the Ten Warlords. It¡¯s not that they¡¯re not good at commanding, but they are not at Elheat level.


    The moment Elheat became the commander, Aintorian¡¯s Iron Cavalry became a completely different group.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t get you guys to retreat in one piece, I won¡¯t be able to face Count Erhin!¡±


    Elheat shouted.


    ¡°When they¡¯re all here, we¡¯ll charge all at once!¡±


    The Iron Cavalry, who had gathered and hunkered down for a while under his command, broke through Kediman¡¯s troops and charged toward the encircling Istin troops waiting behind them.


    Istin¡¯s troops, who had intended to surround and annihilate the Iron Cavalry scattered here and there, were unable to cope with the sudden change in movement.


    The morale of the Iron Cavalry was further boosted by Elheat¡¯s command, and the infantry of Kediman and Istin¡¯s troops had no way to stop such momentum and the encircling force was quickly defeated.


    What¡¯s more, the one standing at the spearhead was the war demon Zint! The Narja soldiers in the path of the Iron Cavalry¡¯s assault were blown away by the power of the cavalry like bamboo shoots after the rain.


    The Narja infantry, discouraged by the tremendous force of the Iron Cavalry, began to hesitate and the Iron Cavalry started to escape from the barrier at high speed. Since their objective was to retreat, their current composition was almost invincible.


    ***


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to break through so quickly, did you?¡±


    Lucana grabbed his chest with a frustrated expression.


    ¡°No chase?¡±


    Lucana asked Istin, but he shook his head.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already lost momentum, how are we supposed to chase the retreating cavalry?¡±


    Lucana groaned and crumpled up his hair.


    ¡°Our original objective was to seize the barrier and join the general at Lunan Castle, so we have accomplished our mission, huh?¡±


    On the surface, yes. But for some reason, Lucana felt like he had lost a lot. Lucana was frustrated by the thought that Fran might question him, but Istin was unconcerned.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking forward to the day when you¡¯ll have to face that man on the battlefield. And now you want to settle it fair and square?¡¡Good grief¡­¡­.¡±


    Lucana shook his head in dismay. Without changing his expression, Istin finished communicating in a way that only Lucana, who had taken care of him since he was a child, could understand, and began his assault on the barrier.

 CH 79

    ***


    Castle Voltaire.


    To the southwest of Lunan is Aintorian. The territory on the way from Lunan Castle to Aintorian was none other than Voltaire.


    The situation was such that the war had not yet reached Voltaire Castle. The territory in the north was already in the hands of Narja, and many of the lords of the neighboring castles had fled, but the lords of Voltaire had kept their gates tightly closed.


    The reason for this was simple: he had declared his intention to defend this territory while drinking with his vassals, and it had become a disaster. If he had been an unprincipled man, he would have been able to pretend that such a thing never happened, but Voltaire was extremely indecisive. He could not say that he wanted to run away in front of his vassals, who were moved by his love for the country.


    ¡°As you said, my lord, even if it means dying, we will die here. Death on the run is too miserable!¡±


    His words included a sneer at the king who had died a miserable death while on the run. Of course, every time his vassals made such comments without knowing how he felt, it drove him crazy.


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡­.¡±


    Without alcohol in his system, Voltaire is just a small man.


    ¡°Rumors are spreading that His Majesty was caught and beheaded while on the run. It seems that many refugees have seen the scene, and the people are already in turmoil.¡±


    Many of the refugees who fled Lunan Castle passed through Voltaire Castle. Needless to say, rumors naturally spread.


    Fran is far from being a commander who commits massacres. He was not particularly likely to mess with civilians. Well, there was no great connection between that and the evacuation of Lunan¡¯s people. Many of them were worried that they might be enslaved if they became Narja¡¯s citizens. It is normal to want to live in your home country.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right for the lords to flee. Don¡¯t stop them. We cannot stop those who flee for fear of Narja.¡±


    Voltaire had ordered this in order to leave some room for escape.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The more he did so, the more the vassals responded with fighting spirit. That¡¯s when it happened. Dust began to rise from the distance, and soon cavalry was seen coming towards the castle of Voltaire.


    ¡±Sir! The enemy!¡±


    A retainer shouted in surprise.


    Voltaire sighed inwardly in astonishment. He had been seriously considering whether or not to flee, but now he could only assume that he would die fighting. What is the point of having vassals who do not propose to flee, but instead have the will to fight?


    You useless bastards! He thought inwardly.


    ¡°Close all the gates now! Hurry!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you with my life!  Close the gates now! We will defend this land with our own hands!¡±


    What are you talking about? Go ahead and argue that it¡¯s better to run away now. No matter how indecisive Voltaire was, his life still came first.


    There¡¯s no need to protect his pride until this last moment. That¡¯s right. What does it matter if he defended his pride? Voltaire made a firm decision in his mind and said.


    ¡°This is it.¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re charging at us at such a terrifying rate, we¡¯d better¡­¡­run.¡±


    ¡°If we close the gates, we¡¯ll have a definite advantage against cavalry! Wouldn¡¯t it be more dangerous to go out there?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡­that¡¯s true! I¡¯m not asking you to run away, you bastard. If I wanted to, I would have run away by now. I¡¯ll stop them. All right, come on!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­! Sir!¡±


    ¡°What is it now?¡±


    It was then that the vassal turned his head. For they could see the colors of the military uniforms as the cavalry moved forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s blue! It¡¯s blue!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s blue?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a blue uniform. They¡¯re on our side!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s our side? Why are they heading this way?¡±


    Voltaire shook his head. However, from what he saw, he was sure that it was a blue uniform. However, the reported situation on the front line was that they were losing battle after battle. There was no way the cavalry could come to support them.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s it!¡±


    ¡°What is it, sir?¡±


    It¡¯s a distraction. Narja¡¯s army is trying to deceive us by wearing Lunan¡¯s uniform. Do not open the gate. Do not open the gate!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s a good possibility.¡±


    The vassals nodded in agreement at Voltaire¡¯s words. The gates of the castle were re-closed, and they were ready for battle.


    ¡°Get the archers ready now, we¡¯re going to smash those Narja bastards who are trying to cheat us!¡±


    And so the vassals finished preparing for the rain of arrows.


    ¡°But¡­¡­if they¡¯re really on our side¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Voltaire¡¯s indecision broke out again.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I could be an irresponsible lord who killed his allies!¡±


    The vassals looked at each other at Voltaire¡¯s words.


    ¡°So, what do we do now¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Stand by for now. Let¡¯s see what happens first.¡±


    ¡°Archers, stand by!¡±


    At Voltaire¡¯s words, the castle fell silent. Finally, the cavalry arrived in front of the castle gate. It was the Iron Cavalry wearing military uniforms with the Aintorian coat of arms engraved on them. At the front of the cavalry, which had stopped in front of the castle gate, stood Zint and Elheat.


    ¡°Who are you? Who do you belong to?¡±


    Voltaire¡¯s vassal asked from the top of the castle gate.


    ¡°Count Voltaire? It¡¯s been a long time. My name is Elheat. Open the gate, please!¡±


    ¡°My God! Lord Elheat! It¡¯s His Excellency!¡±


    Voltaire immediately noticed Elheat and shouted.


    ¡°Open the gate now! Thank God!¡±


    He let out a sigh of relief. The count had no idea how Elheat got here but he would follow him. Thinking he had a good excuse, Voltaire jumped down from the castle gate to greet Elheat.


    ¡°Zint, are you sure that Count Erhin asked you to meet him here?¡±


    Zint nodded in response to Elheat¡¯s question. It was pretty rude, but then again, that¡¯s what Elheat was to Zint.¡±


    Elheat¡¯s didn¡¯t mind, of course. It didn¡¯t matter what he did as long as he was truly loyal. Elheat was also a man who did not care about such things.


    ¡°He told me to wait here, that¡¯s all. He told me to wait, so I¡¯ll wait here even if I die!¡±


    Elheat rather laughed at that sight. Of course, it was because he liked Zint.


    ¡°Your Excellency!¡±


    Needless to say, Voltaire rushed in, and from that moment on, the actual commander of Voltaire Castle was Elheat.


    ***


    Lunan was definitely headed for destruction and the king was dead.


    If he had chosen to fight a desperate battle at Lunan Castle, the outcome might have been different. If they struggled until Erhin returned from Roserun, the situation of the war might have been different.


    Of course, he was not that kind of king, so Erhin had expected him to die on the run. Thanks to this, Fran got Lunan Castle and I got a reason. The battlefield became a place where I could think only of my own interests while resenting the destruction of Lunan.


    As soon as I confirmed the king¡¯s situation at Lunan Castle, I rushed to the barrier.


    After confirming that Zint and Elheat were together, I then headed to Voltaire Castle, giving myself two days to get there. In any case, I was supposed to be in Roserun. The King of Lunan had instructed me to go to Roserun.


    It is important to note that although I left a little early, I actually went to Roserun, because I need to be seen as the one who tried to save Lunan but could not.


    If I become the lord who refused to save Lunan from danger, it will be me who will be blamed, not the king who ran away. That¡¯s why I had to go to Roserun.


    I will take advantage of everything available to me to achieve unification! The people¡¯s mind is important for unification, so it was only natural to win it, even if it meant using cowardly methods. And so, two days later, I arrived at Voltaire¡¯s territory.


    [Castle Voltaire]


    [People¡¯s spirit: 60]


    [Voltaire¡¯s Territorial Army: 3000]


    [Infantry: 2,500, Archers: 500]


    [Training: 30]


    [Morale: 30]


    [Reinforcements]


    [Aintorian Iron Cavalry: 9330]


    [Troops: Cavalry]


    The Territorial Army is 3,000 men. Quite a few, but it¡¯s a reasonable number. This is not a border territory. It would be strange to have more troops. The information that the system gave me to check was not much different from what I had expected.


    The gates of Voltaire Castle were low. It was not a castle that focused on defense. It was because it was neither a border, nor a royal capital, or a major barrier.


    It was not a place that could be used as a strategic point. The reason for sending Zint and Elheat here was solely for the sake of the people. Voltaire is a territory located in the northern part of Lunan and on the way to Aintorian from the royal capital of Lunan.


    As such, it was also a territory that many refugees passed through. I needed to do something here to attract their attention. To create a rumor in my favor.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    A man who looked like a vassal of Voltaire shouted at me as I appeared alone and stood in front of the castle gate. The gates were tightly closed and I could see the procession of refugees everywhere. A castle is meant to protect only the center of a city. So just because the gates are closed doesn¡¯t mean that the refugees can¡¯t escape to the southwest.


    He seemed to have realized that the armor I was wearing belonged to Lunan, as he did not attack me. As I tried to reveal my identity, the gates suddenly opened. A man jumps out from behind the open gate. It was the same warlord who had questioned me at the gate earlier.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Are you Count Aintorian Erhin?¡±


    He exclaimed with a rather nervous look on his face.

 CH 80

    ¡°Yes. Where are Count Voltaire and Count Elheat?¡±


    There are different ranks among counts. As of now, there was no doubt that Elheat was more advanced in Lunan¡¯s rank than I was. As I still need Lunan¡¯s name, I can¡¯t go against that rank now. Count Voltaire, on the other hand, is of a lower rank than me.


    ¡°Lord Elheat is recuperating and Lord Voltaire will be arriving shortly!¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, there¡¯s one thing that¡¯s bothering me. How did you recognize me?¡±


    ¡°It was a man who claimed to be an Aintorian vassal who was with us¡­¡­.¡±


    Before Voltaire¡¯s retainer could finish answering, I knew. Zint¡¯s been waiting for me from the castle gate.


    At the same time, the earth-shaking sound of horses¡¯ hooves began to echo in Voltaire Castle. What appeared before me was the Iron Cavalry. About ten thousand iron cavalrymen came running towards me.


    As they came running towards me, they formed an orderly line in front of me, dismounted from their horses, and knelt before me.


    ¡°My lord, I see you!¡±


    They are my soldiers. It¡¯s only natural for my soldiers to greet me, but the sight of 10,000 iron cavalrymen moving in an orderly fashion made Voltaire¡¯s vassals look even more nervous and their posture even more strained.


    It was Zint who came running to me, leading the iron cavalry, he dismounted from his horse and shouted at me as he ran.


    ¡°Mission accomplished!¡±


    Suddenly saying that, he¡¯s a cute guy.


    ¡°That¡¯s good work. First, bring back the Iron Cavalry. Why did you bring them all here? They need to rest.¡±


    I said this as I patted Zint on the back and looked at Voltaire¡¯s vassal.


    ¡°Can you escort me to Lord Elheat?¡±


    He¡¯s the first person I need to see.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    He replied loudly and led me to him. As soon as I started to move after him, Count Voltaire came hurrying towards me. He was a little chubby and looked like he was having a hard time running. The fact that he had not yet run away and stayed behind is commendable¡­¡­.but his ability values were not brilliant at all.


    ¡°Hahaha, is that Your Excellency the famous Count Aintorian?¡±


    Voltaire asked breathlessly. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not just being so modest because of my high rank. Most of the troops in his territory are my soldiers, so I can¡¯t blame him.


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s see His Excellency Elheat for now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes!¡±


    Elheat was lying in bed. He was quite injured from the battle at the barrier.


    Even with that wounded body, I had no doubt that he would come this far. A man who would even risk his life to hand over all my soldiers back to me if I entrusted them to him.


    It was because of this that I respected him, and desperately wanted to appoint him. He has a real warlord spirit that I don¡¯t have.


    Of course, I had no intention of trying to recruit him right now. Haste makes waste. To acquire such a great warlord, I need to be cautious. In any case, our goal of fighting against Narja would be the same, so I should slowly get to know him.


    ¡°Sir, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±


    Elheat jumped up and down with excitement like a child. If such a thing were to open a wound, it would be a major loss of strength.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here! I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡±


    ¡°I returned from Roserun as quickly as I could, but the capital was already¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened to His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°He died while trying to escape.¡±


    I shook my head and Elheat clenched his fists with a somber look on his face.


    ¡°He ran off without even trying to protect the capital, and he was the first one to be killed¡­¡­What happened to His Highness Ronen?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, either.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°Sir, he has abandoned us!¡±


    When Ronen¡¯s name was mentioned, a vassal of Elheat who seemed to have retreated with him from the barrier said with a face full of exasperation.


    Nice assist!


    The vassals were probably very unhappy that Elheat had been sent to the border and given the cold shoulder. They probably didn¡¯t know about the feud between Ronen and Elheat that was hiding behind it. Because of Elheat¡¯s personality, there was no way he would have explained the behind-the-scenes events involving the slavers.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough about that.¡±


    ¡°Enough about that.¡±


    Elheat shook his head at his vassals, and then he looked at me.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    He asked me a question with his straight eyes. There was only one answer, of course.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight Narja.¡±


    I answered immediately and Elheat started laughing out loud.


    ¡°¡­¡­hahahahaha! They¡¯ve got¡­¡­150,000 troops. How are you going to deal with¡­¡­that many troops? I think you might be able to do it.¡±


    Elheat got up from the bed with his bandaged body and walked outside.


    ¡°Use this body as you see fit in that war. I will follow your strategy without question!¡±


    Of course I wanted to. This was not a separate appointment, but in any case, helping in the war against Narja meant that our goals were precisely aligned.


    ¡°We must first appease the unsettled citizens. We will use the castle as a base and try to hold out for a while, so that the people of Lunan can evacuate to the southwest, away from the battlefield.¡±


    My true intention was to lead the people of Lunan to the southwest and later make them my people. Then, when the king and Ronen had fled, there was a rumor that I was the one who had served as a shield for the people and bought them time.


    My activities here are extremely important to make the people¡¯s hearts turn to me. Frankly speaking, it was also a kind of show.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? It¡¯s impossible to endure here. The territory¡¯s troop strength is 3,000, and the cavalry is not the kind of troops suitable for defensive battles!¡±


    Voltaire, who had been listening in silence, intervened with an ashen face.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we retreat to Aintorian and call it a day? I¡¯ll lead the soldiers and I¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    In other words, he wanted to escape.


    ¡°That can wait. What¡¯s important now is to regain the hearts and minds of the people who are ready to turn their backs on Lunan. By doing so, we will be able to gain their cooperation in drafting troops for the reconstruction. There¡¯s a stark difference between forcing a draft and supporting one ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re that scared, you can leave here. No one is going to stop you.¡±


    Voltaire quickly tucked his tail when I answered immediately because I didn¡¯t need him anyway.


    No! It is safest for me to stay with you, sir! But why on earth would¡­¡­! Could it be that Narja¡¯s people have started to move south instead of coming here?¡±


    Fran is definitely not the kind of person who would leave me alone and head south.  I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come this way.


    It can¡¯t be!¡±


    Voltaire made a crying face at my reply. Do you want to run away like this? You seem to be worrying about that. You can think about it as much as you want. As long as you don¡¯t get in my way, I don¡¯t care what you do.


    A lot of things are about to start, detailed intelligence on Narja from the Doro Trading Company, power from Berta Leman. And it¡¯s time to get the most out of the Aintorian troops I¡¯ve raised.


    ***


    After a bloodless entry into Lunan Castle, Fran welcomed Istin in front of the throne. The throne belonged to the king and Fran wrinkled his brow under it.


    ¡°Are you saying the Iron Cavalry broke in?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°He took Elheat, the so-called God of War of Lunan, with him. That was a nasty move.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, General!¡±


    Lucana bowed his head several times next to Istin.


    ¡°Kediman¡¯s dead. They really are tricky. And the Iron Cavalry¡­¡­.When in the world did he raise such an army?¡±


    Lunan is not a country where iron can be obtained. It wasn¡¯t even listed in the intelligence reports, so even Aintorian must have raised troops in secret. How could they secretly raise iron cavalry in a country where there was no iron? It was so unexpected.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was a¡­¡­blunder. I¡¯m sorry. General!¡±


    ¡°Oh, well. I¡¯ll leave Kediman¡¯s Third Army to Lamp. We are lucky that there is no serious damage to our troops. Think about getting credit and atone for your sins.¡±


    However, he was still frustrated. He definitely did not want to lose. In the end, he got Lunan Castle, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel defeated somehow. Fran immediately slammed his head against the pillar. With a thud, Fran¡¯s forehead dented red.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away with it this time. We can¡¯t let our guard down this time. The entire army will be assembled in front of Lunan Castle. We¡¯re going to Voltaire Castle where the Iron Cavalry has retreated!¡±


    ¡°Please let me go! I say. General.¡±


    Lucana told him about Istin¡¯s intentions, but Fran shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to give him any room to maneuver. The entire army must march on Voltaire Castle!¡±


    This is not an opponent he can defeat by scattering his troops. He didn¡¯t want to take the worst possible chance of being destroyed individually. Determined to win, Fran gave orders to the generals.


    ***


    We¡¯re going to fight Fran¡¯s main army in this lowly castle? That was insane. It was a path of self-destruction that could not even be called a strategy.


    With 150,000 troops surrounding the castle, there would be little chance of gaining an advantage in a defensive battle. Even though it was low and easy to climb, the elite iron cavalry that I had raised would be surrounded without being able to play an active role, perfect for starving to death after being attacked.


    It¡¯s the perfect way to get the opposite of what I used in Bridget. And in the unprepared castle of Voltaire? That¡¯s not going to happen.


    ¡°Sir. His Excellency, Erhin. Sir!¡±


    As I was conceptualizing another way to torment Narja, Voltaire¡¯s vassal came running in.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Narja¡¯s army seems to be closing in! There¡¯s dust in the distance!¡±


    He was completely frightened and shouted with a breathless face. How can you fight properly in such a state?


    ¡°A large army of Narja? Let¡¯s go see.¡±


    I replied calmly.


    ¡°Ha, yes!¡±


    It would have been impossible for the 150.000 men Narja¡¯s army to arrive so quickly. The speed of 10,000 and 150,000 troops is very different.


    I don¡¯t care if Fran has dispersed the troops. It would have been nice if he had done that, but there was no way Fran would have done it. Fran was a strategist of a different caliber than the Bridget army. In any case, I followed Voltaire¡¯s vassal up to the castle gate to check it out with my own eyes.

 CH 81

    ¡°It¡¯s not this way. It¡¯s over there!¡±


    He hurriedly pointed to the west instead of the east, where Lunan Castle was located.


    ¡°You think Narja¡¯s army is coming from the west? Are you sure you¡¯ve seen Narja¡¯s uniform?


    ¡°No, no, I was too far away to see the color of their uniforms.¡±


    I came to check if Fran might have acted crazy, but he didn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t the Narja¡¯s troops that should be arriving here. Still, to be sure, I tried to scan for troops in the distance.


    [Aintorian Territorial Army]


    [Strength: 20,000 men]


    [Soldiers: 15,000 infantry, 5,000 archers.]


    [Morale: 90(+5)]


    [Training level: 95]


    Needless to say, they were on our side. It was my troops from Aintorian. The Aintorian Territorial Army that I had worked so hard to raise! They were my elite troops that I had finally managed to increase from 20,000 to 30,000, including the Iron Cavalry.


    The fact that their morale was +5 was proof that Yurasia was among them. The positive effect on morale is the halo effect of a general with a command value of 95 or higher.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re scouting with your eyes open? They¡¯re on our side.¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s¡­¡­.Where the hell did they come from?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Aintorian Territorial Army.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I didn¡¯t know they were coming!¡±


    Voltaire¡¯s vassals were jumping with joy.


    There would be no allies coming from elsewhere at the moment. However, if I showed off that I was still alive and well here, and let them know that Elheat was with me, it was certain that some of the territories between Aintorian and Voltaire Castle that had not yet been hit by war would come to fight.


    Still, considering the efficiency of vacating Aintorian and sending all the troops over here, it would be a part of the strategy. What I need to gain from this war is part of the strategy for acquisition.


    ¡°Open the gates at once and welcome my army.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ***


    As soon as the Aintorian troops arrived, they immediately supplied the refugees with grain.


    I started to influence people¡¯s minds. It was a very important step in order to gather the armies of other territories under me.


    ¡°Eat a lot.¡±


    Grain rationing, this was the first way to manage the people. If I gave it to the people with my own hands, the people who received it would feel grateful.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡±


    Most people express their heartfelt gratitude. However, there are many different kinds of people, and there are many different kinds of refugees as well.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    There was always someone crazy enough to say such a thing in front of the nobility, even during the war.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Please think about the people behind you. There¡¯s an overflow of refugees and not enough grain to go around.¡±


    When this happened, Yurasia was next to me and strongly reminded them. Then the people who were being sarcastic fell silent, unable to say anything. Yurasia¡¯s high level of charm attracted people.


    Elheat, who had recovered to some extent, also joined in the rationing. He had decided to donate all the assets of his domain, but it was meaningless. His territory was in the southern part of Lunan, and it was impossible to bring in supplies from there right now. Rather, it was just a territory that would eventually fall into Narja¡¯s hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to take it easy and rest¡­¡­.You¡¯re not fully recovered yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I can¡¯t be the only one resting.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the rations.¡±


    I replied, thinking that he was worried about the food for the soldiers, but Elheat shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I admire you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? ¨C Anyway, you should get some rest. I intend for you to be active on the battlefield. I don¡¯t want you to lose your strength here.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha! That¡¯s also true. All right, I¡¯ll do that!¡±


    The refugees passing through here are part of the population flowing out of northern Lunan and Lunan¡¯s royal capital. The refugees must have flowed in two directions, south and west of Lunan.


    Those who were headed to the south would have heard the rumors about me spreading to Lunan, so I had to be even more careful. On the contrary, it was an influx that could not go on forever. Yes, there was indeed an end. So the best thing to do here would be to give it a good amount of time, win the hearts and minds of the people, and then retreat.


    ¡°Yusen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    That¡¯s why I needed to move a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a squad and leave Voltaire Castle for a while.¡±


    ¡°Leave Voltaire Castle?¡±


    I explained to Yusen my first strategy in this war.


    ***


    Narja¡¯s 150,000-strong army was marching towards Voltaire Castle. ¡¡Fran had ordered his cavalry to march at the same speed, without dividing them. The scouting party he had sent was returning to the main army, which was marching.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying Erhin has left?¡±


    ¡°Yes. When Aintorian¡¯s troops met up with him at Voltaire Castle, he led the Iron Cavalry out of the castle.¡±


    Fran furrowed his brow at the news. Why had they suddenly left? It was also strange to hear that a large force had moved from Aintorian. It meant that he had vacated Aintorian. What was his plan?


    Fran unfolded the map. He would have troops left to defend Aintorian, but this would make it extremely easy for them to attack Aintorian.


    Are you saying we should fight at Voltaire Castle? What exactly is your goal? It was easy to isolate Voltaire Castle. If he surrounded it with a 150,000-strong army, the castle would be too low to hold for two days.


    Istin, Lucana, Lamp, and the other generals, Valdesca¡¯s vassals, and the nobles of Narja who had joined the war faced each other. Fran¡¯s face became serious as he began to worry.


    ¡°General, do you want me to organize a pursuit party?¡±


    Lamp posed a question but Fran shook his head.


    ¡°No, we will march as planned. The sooner we get to Castle Voltaire, the better.¡±


    It looked like they were trying to break our morale with a surprise attack or to cut off supplies. But since they had captured Lunan Castle, there was no supply problem. It was really foolish for Erhin to go cutting off supply with that many troops.


    It would only mean that he would have to sacrifice the main force of Voltaire Castle to himself. Of course, that would never happen. So the only thing he could think of was a surprise attack. However, what was completely unexpected was why he was holding out in Voltaire Castle.


    Whether it was Voltaire Castle or Aintorian Castle, it didn¡¯t matter where the battlefield was because the plan was to isolate and defeat them, but it was frustrating to understand why he was fighting in that lowly Voltaire Castle.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to give Lunan¡¯s army in the Bridget area time to enter the war. Even if reinforcements come, our army has more troops than his, but we don¡¯t need to waste our troops on him, so we¡¯re going to have a quick battle.¡±


    According to his information, there are about 50,000 troops in the Bridget area. Moreover, the moment the entire army arrives, Lunan will lose control of Bridget. It means that they will be divided on all sides, and all of Lunan and Bridget¡¯s territories will be ownerless. In any case, the overwhelming advantage was Fran¡¯s.


    Furthermore, he had no intention of allowing Erhin to join up with Bridget¡¯s reinforcements. He had prepared a strategy that could be immediately used to finish the battle at Aintorian!


    ¡°It¡¯s best to surround and destroy them.¡±


    ¡°Sir, do you still intend to keep the Fourth Army hidden?¡±


    ¡°The moment they retreat to Aintorian, the Fourth Army will be on the move. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll stay in Voltaire Castle for long.¡±


    There was no way to know what kind of strategy he had in mind. There was nothing in Erhin¡¯s favor, whether he was in Voltaire Castle or Aintorian. Nor was there any terrain over here that was advantageous to him. Rather, if he wanted to take advantage of the terrain, he should fight in the area around the barrier or in Lunan Castle.


    ¡°There is no need to be nervous. We¡¯ll keep marching.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably surprise us with 5,000 cavalrymen. Do not forget to be thoroughly prepared!¡±


    At Fran¡¯s command, the advance of Narja¡¯s 150,000-strong army continued.


    ***


    The structure of the Aintorian army is deformed. The ratio is very wrong due to the fact that the cavalry is the most numerous. They specialized in attacking rather than defending. Moreover, they are not suitable for siege warfare. It is a unit that is only powerful on the plains, not in sieges and sieges. Even so, rather than training infantry, I forced myself to train a cavalry force of 10,000 because I did not want to be isolated.


    In this situation, a siege would be disadvantageous. It¡¯s not just a matter of defending one place at a time. Even if I return to Aintorian, I will be isolated in the end.


    I think I can manage to hold out for a year. As long as I have enough food to last me a year, I¡¯m confident that the walls of Aintorian will be able to hold out for quite a while, if not longer than Lunan Castle.


    With the destruction of Lunan, the dream of unifying the continent would fade into the distance with nothing gained and nothing accomplished. So the point of this war was exactly 10,000 iron cavalrymen.


    Of course, I am not trying to use any great strategy in the current situation. But since I couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch them advance, I was going to make them suffer as much as possible while slowing down their advance. The more I did so, the more refugees would pass through Voltaire Castle, and the more rumors they would hear.


    Narja¡¯s 150,000-strong army was not without cavalry. However, Fran had them all marching at the same speed to prevent them from being attacked individually. In other words, they were moving at the same speed as the regular infantry.


    I had the iron cavalry stand by nearby, while Zint and I climbed a nearby mountain to get a better idea of the enemy¡¯s forces. With an army of 150,000, their advance would naturally be conspicuous. It was not a scale that could be marched in hiding.


    Their formation was complex, cavalry at the front, behind them, infantry and in the middle, a supply corps and another cavalry corps to protect it. Just by looking at their marching arrangement, it was clear that they were moving in packs. The atmosphere was filled with the desire to move as one.


    As they had embarked on a war of conquest, they were organized around an infantry force for siege warfare. There were 100,000 infantry and 50,000 archers and cavalry. However, moving in herds like that was rather vulnerable to surprise attacks. The opportunity to destroy them individually doesn¡¯t only arise when the enemy moves individually.

 CH 82

    Since they¡¯re moving in groups like this I¡¯ll be able to use a different tactic instead of destroying them individually. This was made possible by their mobility. The maneuverability of a well-trained cavalry force would be enough to hold them at bay.


    If Fran was intimidated by my individual defeat tactics in Bridget, I would have a better chance.


    The third army was the most vulnerable. With Kediman¡¯s death and the sudden change in command, internal unity was not working and morale was low.


    The location of the Third Army was behind the advancing enemy.


    ¡°Zint led 2,000 cavalrymen in an assault on the head of the Third Army. All you have to do is charge, use that momentum to advance and get out of there while killing the enemy in front of you.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡±


    ¡°Yurasia, I want you to lead 2,000 cavalrymen in an assault on the middle of the Third Army. You¡¯ll pass through to the other side in the same manner as Zint.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    If the head and middle of the Third Army were temporarily divided by a cavalry charge, the forces in between would be instantly isolated.


    While 4,000 cavalrymen were charging, I would lead 6,000 cavalrymen to disrupt the divided forces. In other words, this was also an individual assault tactic.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s charge!¡±


    This is especially effective when the enemy is advancing steadily, not when they are camping. When attacking infantry, we, as cavalry, have far more mobility.


    Chasing down cavalry that has broken away from them? That would make the troops away from the unit fall prey to individual assault.


    Following my orders, Zint and Yurasia each charged into the area where the Third Army was advancing, behind the march path of the 150,000-strong army.


    Because of the flat terrain, their assault was in full view. If this happens, the enemy¡¯s front line and rear line will be momentarily divided!


    ¡°All right, we¡¯re charging in!¡±


    I will then lead the remaining 6,000 cavalrymen against the divided and temporarily isolated Third Army.


    ¡°Waaahhhh!¡±


    Six thousand cavalrymen, accompanied by strong morale, began to trample the infantry of the Third Army.


    [Third Narja Army]


    [Troops: 20,000 infantry]


    [Morale: 60]


    [Training level: 92]


    The central part of the army was divided by Zint and Yurasia¡¯s attacks.


    ¡°Charge. Kill every enemy in sight, and then get out of here!¡±


    [Aintorian¡¯s Iron Cavalry]


    [Troops: Cavalry 6,000]


    [Morale: 93]


    [Training: 97]


    [20,000 infantry, 3rd Narja Army]


    [6,000 Aintorian Cavalry]


    [Combat terrain: plains]


    [Combat advantage: Infantry < Iron Cavalry, 50% increase in attack power]


    [Morale: Narja < Aintorian, attack strength increased by an additional 50%].


    It¡¯s a flatland battle. When ordinary infantry and iron cavalry fight on the plains, there is a huge difference in the superiority of their armies. The Third Army of Narja was more numerous, but the overwhelming superiority of the iron cavalry caused the enemy to fall one by one.


    The farthest rear of the Third Army was now split up by Yurasia assault. And the line of battle must have collapsed when they tried to stop her.


    I pounced towards the part that Zint and Yurasia had cut off and by the time the 3rd army leader Warlord Lamp came to the rescue we had already left the place.


    [Narja¡¯s Third Army 15,000]


    [Aintorian Iron Cavalry 5,700]


    As soon as the battle began, Narja¡¯s Third Army panicked and suffered 5000 casualties. It was a surprise attack, but this was the effect born from the superiority of the offensive power of the army! Of course, Narja¡¯s Third Army, with its well-trained soldiers, set up its battle lines and began to fight back¡­


    ¡°Retreat!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to continue the fight any further. A surprise attack was just that, a surprise attack. Zint and Yurasia¡¯s respective troops would have gotten out by now. So I¡¯m getting out of here too! If we stay too long, we will be sandwiched between them.


    This individual assault is an effect that can be created by momentary fragmentation. And this is not a one-shot strategy. The enemy knew of it and could not avoid it. The moment they formed a chase group, there would be no point in marching in packs.


    The long line of a 150,000-strong army, we would choose where to break up that line. The enemy would just have to be on edge 24 hours a day.


    That doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t do enough damage to affect the war situation, though¡­¡­.The damage from this surprise attack will probably be the most significant. After that, they will be more vigilant, so they will respond better. But torment alone will affect the numbers, because human morale is not a machine number.

 CH 83

    ***


    ¡°Did you see it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw it. All over the place, the cavalry was beating up¡­¡­Narja¡¯s guys!¡±


    Various rumors began to circulate among the refugees. Once the rumors started circulating, they became more and more exaggerated. Well, that¡¯s the thing about rumors.


    ¡°I heard that everyone ran away, but the Lord of Aintorian was the only one who fought.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Even the king ran away!¡±


    There were many abusive comments about the king. He was a king who had never helped his people, made the worst possible choice and died a horrible death.


    The frustration that Lunan had ended up in this situation was directed at the king. Naturally, in return, the good rumors about Erhin gradually grew.


    ¡°So, should we evacuate to Aintorian?¡±


    ¡°I think that would be best.¡±


    More and more Lunan citizens were willing to trust and rely on Erhin.


    ***


    Fran¡¯s head hit the ground with a bang. It was because he was worried about the attack by Erhin¡¯s iron cavalry.


    ¡°If he comes back again, I will immediately chase him down and crush him thoroughly!¡±


    Lucana shouted in exasperation.


    ¡°We have cavalry too, don¡¯t we? They attack and then hide¡­¡­.I¡¯m so angry!¡±


    That¡¯s what Lamp, the leader of the most heavily damaged third army, said. He was frustrated, but so were the other generals.


    The generals of the entire army were furious. Fran, who had been banging his forehead, stood up and calmed the generals down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it. You can¡¯t do that. If you do not control your anger and divide the army, that is exactly what the enemy wants. Now we just have to endure¡­¡­.¡±


    Looking at them individually, the damage was not significant. However, it was also a fact that the damage was accumulating day by day and becoming impossible to ignore. A large army that had numbered 150,000 was reduced to 140,000 just by advancing.


    Even though there was not much damage to the troops themselves due to the fact that they had adapted quickly, everyone from the commander on top to a single soldier on the bottom was troubled by the situation of not knowing where the iron cavalry would appear from.


    Normally, they would be so enraged that they would form a pursuit team and chase the enemy to the end. In the middle of that pursuit, they would be attacked by another ambush and lose the troops of the pursuit team. It was a strategy that took advantage of people¡¯s anger, but of course, Fran endured it.


    ¡°Move cautiously and don¡¯t make any rash decisions. The anger that has built up should be dissipated when we arrive at Voltaire Castle. You will arrive at Voltaire Castle tomorrow anyway. All the anger you¡¯ve been holding back should be unleashed at that time. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, General!¡±


    Fran¡¯s position is that of an absolute and respected duke. So everyone nodded their heads at his words.


    The next day Fran¡¯s 140,000-strong army, thanks to his anger and careful movements, did not break ranks during the march and finally arrived in front of Voltaire Castle.


    ***


    Voltaire Castle.


    At the strategy meeting where everyone was gathered, I declared the obvious.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to abandon Voltaire castle.¡±


    If we hold our ground here, we will be on a path of self-destruction. The difference between retreating without doing anything and retreating after shaking the enemy is obvious.


    Of course, I¡¯m talking about the people¡¯s spirit. Having achieved that to some extent, all that remains is to retreat.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Count Voltaire replied with a buoyant look on his face. He seemed to think that he would die if he fought here.


    ¡°So where does that leave us?¡±


    Of course, he immediately posed another question, taking a look at the situation, but it was a question for the others as well. A question that the rest of the people, except for Aintorian¡¯s vassals had.


    ¡°Narja¡¯s army numbers 140,000 and we have about 30,000 troops. Even if we get support from the other territories, the territories will have between 3,000 and 5,000 troops at most, and we will end up being absolutely outnumbered.¡±


    The situation was practically suicidal, no matter what we did. Unlike the northern part of Lunan, there was almost no topographical advantage to be found here, because it was all flat land. Here and there, there were only hills and fields that could not be used.


    ¡°Retreat to Aintorian.¡±


    In the end, I knew where I had to go. I didn¡¯t have the option of moving to another place in the first place.


    The vassals who already knew my strategy looked at each other and nodded, but Elheat and the others who joined us later were looking at me with a very curious look on their faces.


    ¡°So, the plan is finally underway?¡±


    Nodding at Yusen¡¯s question, Elheat couldn¡¯t resist saying.


    ¡°What exactly is the plan?¡±


    He seemed to be quite concerned about it.


    That part needed to be explained to Elheat first. Anyway, if this operation was successful, I would finally graduate from the title of lord, establish my own country, and jump into this continent. It was a plan that would cost me everything.

 CH 84

    A garrison was organized a short distance from Voltaire Castle, and Fran immediately sent a scouting party.


    ¡°General! There¡¯s something wrong!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The castle is unusually quiet.¡±


    Voltaire Castle is located on a flatland. Therefore, it was difficult to get close to it for espionage. Here, scouts were quickly spotted and repeatedly killed by archers in pursuit.


    Besides, the refugees were now so sparse that it was impossible to blend in with the crowd. Especially after Erhin¡¯s return and the search for scouts, they hadn¡¯t been able to gather any information, so it was only when they got close that they realized the castle was empty.


    Fran wrinkled his brow as he received the report.


    ¡°You said it was quiet¡­¡­.? What do you mean? Explain it to me!¡±


    Lamp asked in a frustrated tone.


    ¡°The flags are still up, but the gates are closed and there are no soldiers in sight. It¡¯s like an empty castle!¡±


    ¡°An empty castle?¡±


    Lamp looked at Lucana.


    ¡°I knew it. They didn¡¯t plan to do anything in that low castle from the beginning. The plan was probably to split us up with the iron cavalry and take us by surprise. The second army should use the ladders to climb the gates and scout the area. Pay the utmost attention.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Lucana replied, and Istin nodded and led his troops to the castle gate. However, when the soldiers heard that the castle was empty, they became even angrier.


    They had planned to take out their anger on Voltaire Castle, but the feeling of emptiness that there was no one there and the anger that had nowhere to go showed no signs of abating. Therefore, the vassals hoped that the castle was not empty, but when Lucana returned, he reported to Fran with a furious face.


    ¡°General, the castle is empty!¡±


    Hearing this, the officers bit their lips tightly.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Of course, Fran was the only one who remained calm, as usual.


    ¡°The captain said he would check the castle just to be sure, but there seems to be no danger of a fire attack, and there are no signs of oil being sprayed or wood being gathered.¡±


    ¡°All right, then. As soon as the reconnaissance is finished, open the gates.¡±


    ¡°Yes, general!¡±


    Soon after Fran¡¯s order, the gates of Voltaire Castle were opened. However, there was still no one in the castle. The only thing they could get was a comfortable place to sleep, an empty castle with no supplies available. But even the comfortable beds were useless in a situation where they should immediately pursue the Aintorian army.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not an important castle, so I expected it¡­¡­.I don¡¯t think they left without a plan.¡±


    Fran thought that there must be some kind of trap, but the officers had a different idea.


    ¡°General, he¡¯s human, too. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overestimating¡­¡­?¡±


    Although they were obeying orders, the Ten Warlords were actually surprised by Fran¡¯s nervousness about Erhin.


    The king of Narja was the same way. He thought that Fran¡¯s defeat in the last battle was due to the fact that he did not have a proper general with him and was careless, so he thought that this time, with the Ten Warlords, would be different.


    The only person who thought differently was Fran, who had the experience of being thoroughly beaten.


    ¡°We will pursue the enemy immediately. Your anger has gone nowhere, but I have been waiting for this moment. I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment when the Aintorian army would return to their territory. Now, as they are retreating, is our chance. We must pin them down from the front and back and corner them!¡±


    ¡°So, the fourth army is finally¡­¡­?¡±


    In response to Lamp and Lucana¡¯s questions, Fran nodded and pointed to the map.


    ¡°He will probably continue his retreat until Aintorian. I don¡¯t know what strategy he¡¯ll use, but¡­¡­I¡¯m confident in my plan. Let¡¯s destroy him from the front and back in this area. After that, the rest of the soldiers will enter Aintorian and defeat him with the mana formation that we have prepared to attack the Aintorian castle. He won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Your Majesty, I think it¡¯s time for us to make our preparations. If Narja continues to conquer the southern part of Lunan, the next target will be the Roserun Kingdom.¡±


    The royal palace of Roserun was noisy.


    ¡°Has my sister asked for reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°There has been no word from Her Highness as of yet. Your Majesty, we do not have the strength to send reinforcements right now.¡±


    ¡°But we do have¡­¡­Erhin. I¡¯m sure he will protect us again.¡±


    The young king said, but the nobles were quite upset.


    ¡°He was right in telling us not to send the promised supplies to Lunan. Because of that, we can now say to Narja that we have broken off relations with Lunan. So, wouldn¡¯t it be better to take this opportunity to cut ties with Erhin and prepare for a new era?¡±


    ¡°How dare you, no matter how bad the situation is!¡±


    The nobles of the princess faction stood up. The nobles of the king¡¯s faction also opposed them, and a fight soon broke out.


    ¡°There is a difference between Bridget and Narja.  Narja has ten generals like Bridget¡¯s Ganev. In addition, there¡¯s also the Duke Flan, a genius strategist from the Twelve Families, which means we need to be prepared for any eventuality!¡±


    No matter how much they discussed it, they could not come to a conclusion. In the end they settled on a cautious argument that they would come to a conclusion after assessing the war situation a little more.


    ***


    ¡°Narja¡¯s guys are behind us again! It looks like they¡¯re totally after us. They won¡¯t even look at the other castles. They¡¯re so stubborn. They don¡¯t seem to be interested in taking over the rest of Lunan¡¯s territory, do they?¡±


    Givens exclaimed with a disgusted look on his face.


    ¡°They¡¯re really tricky.¡±


    Next to him, Yusen nodded.


    ¡°The Narja Commander has been beaten to a pulp by me. He probably thinks he¡¯ll suffer badly if he doesn¡¯t put me away.¡±


    I felt the same way as Givens and Yusen.


    It would have been a little easier to fight if they had just looked down on me and let their guard down, but they were moving cautiously, as if they were outnumbered, despite having an overwhelmingly superior force.


    The iron cavalry did a little damage, but it was not fatal.


    ¡°If they don¡¯t let their guard down, we¡¯ll just use that against them.¡±


    Protect the kingdom of Lunan and live as a noble. If that were the case, it might not be that difficult to use all of Lunan¡¯s troops to stop Narja¡¯s attack at the northern Lunan barrier and Lunan Castle. But then, I¡¯d still be just another noble being used by that king and Ronen.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to destroy Lunan with the help of others. In order to gain independence later, I have to take the hard road like this. Only by overcoming this difficulty will my power be legitimate.


    Even if I tried to protect Aintorian when Lunan was destroyed and other countries were targeting the land, it wouldn¡¯t do any good because it was full of enemies and geographically open on all sides.


    ¡°We¡¯ll settle this at Aintorian as planned!¡±


    I pointed to the open fields of Aintorian, this was where we were going to launch our misdirection. And so we hurried to the scene of the showdown.


    Currently, I have a total of 33,000 troops. Depending on the perspective, that may not seem like a lot of troops. But in war, it¡¯s important to decide on a location and prepare for battle, and we had already retreated a day¡¯s distance ahead of Narja¡¯s army. Even if we hadn¡¯t, we would have marched faster than them, but I slowed down on purpose.


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    As we were slowly making our way to Aintorian Bente, who had remained in the territory, came running and shouted.


    ¡°Huh-hah¡­¡­.Oh my god, my lord!!!¡±


    When he was right in front of me, he jumped down from his horse and reported to me.


    ¡°Bente? You¡¯re supposed to be in the castle, why are you here?¡±


    I had no idea why the guy who was supposed to be guarding Haddin and Aintorian Castle would come this far¡­¡­.


    Yusen, Givens, Yurasia, Voltaire, Elheat and others behind me looked quite surprised. Zint doesn¡¯t seem particularly interested, but that¡¯s how he is.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Narja army. The Narja army has invaded. They¡¯re advancing toward us now!¡±


    ¡°The Narja army?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    Bente nodded widely at my question. Yusen, who was shocked, asked him.


    ¡°Narja army is supposed to be behind us¡­¡­.No way, another army Bente, is that right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡±


    Bente nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Based on their course, I¡¯m guessing their target isn¡¯t Castle Aintorian. They¡¯re heading this way, where my lord is!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, except for me, was stunned when they heard Bente news. If Bente¡¯s words were true, we would be facing the Narja army from the front and back.¡±


    ¡°Damn! I knew¡­¡­I should have run away from the beginning¡­¡­.¡±


    When Voltaire inadvertently spat out such words, he quickly covered his mouth with his hands and shrank back.


    ¡°So what? We¡¯re going to fight them eventually.¡±


    Elheat said nonchalantly as he held his spear.


    I had expected this from the beginning. That¡¯s why I deliberately slowed down our march. We were going to be pinned down from the front and the back, and the entire force of the Narja Kingdom would be revealed to us.


    For this purpose, I moved the Doro Trading Company. In order to obtain reliable intelligence, I spent a great deal of money blackmailing the nobles of Narja. The targets of the threats were the nobles who were illegally buying slaves.


    The information obtained through them was the total number of troops that Narja had mobilized in this war and that number was about 300,000.


    However, only 150,000 made it across the border to Lunan. Where did the rest of the 150,000 go? According to intelligence reports, the emperor himself led 100,000 troops to occupy other countries. Then, what about the remaining 50,000? Where are those troops hiding?


    Now, that question has been answered. That¡¯s why I was right to slow down our retreat.


    The reason for deliberately getting caught in a pincer attack is simple, to destroy the entire Narja army. That¡¯s why I was waiting for them to gather in one place like this.

 CH 85

    ¡°What are the enemy¡¯s primary armies?¡±


    ¡°Cavalry and infantry, they are moving in a very common formation, cavalry in front and infantry behind!¡±


    It was a common formation that was far from strategic.


    ¡°Sir, shall we go with the iron cavalry?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll start with the infantry. I¡¯m going to set up a fish-scale formation!¡±


    Form a fish scale formation with infantry. Even if the infantry at the tip of the line was wiped out, the infantry in the next line would take on the enemy, and if the enemy cavalry could get inside, they would be surrounded.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Only the carefully trained troops were able to change the formation in an instant.


    ¡°Archers stand by in front of the fish scale formation and fire arrows at the moment the enemy appears. Then quickly move back, and the infantry in the fish scale formation will meet the enemy cavalry. Yusen, you take charge of the fish scale formation, and Givens, you take charge of the archers!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    After instructing the two men, I looked at Zint.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming with me to the enemy general.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    When I gave that order to Zint, Elheat looked at me in dismay.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency is not well enough to go¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m as good as cured!¡±


    Elheat said firmly. In fact, I was waiting for him to say so.


    ¡°Then can you take the iron cavalry? When the enemy¡¯s cavalry confronts the fish scale formation, turn around and raid the enemy¡¯s rear.¡±


    ¡°I will complete that mission. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    Elheat¡¯s vassals nodded loudly and followed him. However, there is one problem. Who was really the general leading the troops ahead?


    I had a bad feeling about this. This was Fran, who had never split up his troops.


    A unit deliberately divided by Fran would not be led by an ordinary person. What I¡¯m most afraid of right now is the damage that will be caused to our army.


    We can¡¯t retreat, even intentionally, at least until Fran¡¯s troops converge on us. I want to avoid a situation where our troops will suffer damage. Rather, the best scenario is to destroy the advance troops.


    After that, if we destroy Fran¡¯s troops, we can destroy 200,000 of Narja¡¯s troops at once, which will be very convenient.


    However, this is a general that Fran trusts so much. The unit that Fran sent, knowing full well that by splitting up the unit, there was a chance that it would be destroyed by me. Something didn¡¯t add up.


    ¡°Erhin, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°A bad feeling?¡±


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter, because the result is the same anyway. If my plan fails, you are to return to Roserun immediately. You will not die here.¡±


    Of course, I have no intention of failing. I said that because I didn¡¯t want her to lose her life in the fight, but as soon as Yurasia heard what I said, she picked up her Rossade and held it in front of my neck.


    ¡°If you say that again, I¡¯ll really stab you!¡±


    She was serious.


    ¡°If I die on the battlefield, you have to make it back alive.¡±


    ¡°I left Roserun to follow you. It¡¯s not a place I can return to so easily now. I will not leave until I see the world that you promised to show me, even if we have to die together!¡±


    I was really happy to hear those words. It was a blessing to have someone who was willing to die with me.


    ¡°All right, now put the sword down. I won¡¯t say it again.¡±


    ¡°If you understand, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Yurasia bit her lip and lowered her sword. She seemed to have something to say. I¡¯ll ask her about that after this battle. First of all, the plan has to succeed.


    ¡°Zint.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with you. We¡¯re going to die together!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Why don¡¯t you do the same for Mirine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­.¡±


    Zint is in deep trouble.


    ¡°I¡¯ll die instead of you. You¡¯ll take care of Mirine. That¡¯s enough!¡±


    Both Yurasia and Zint are the ones who say things that make me really happy. Of all my retainers, these two are the only ones I can seriously trust with my life.


    I was alone in a world where I didn¡¯t know anyone, and I was overwhelmed with emotion at the thought of having such people in my life. Anyway, I have no intention of dying.


    It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t remember the history from here on out. Perhaps it was because the future was unpredictable that I became a little emotional. I have to believe in myself and fight.


    ¡°Zint, Yurasia, charge from your positions. I¡¯ll move with you.¡±


    Of course, my goal is to identify the enemy general.


    ***


    ¡°I thought the Fourth Army would have encountered the Aintorian Territorial Army by now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Since it¡¯s them, they¡¯re probably distracting the Aintorian army.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lucana remembered Medellin and shook his head in disgust.


    The bad memory of almost dying of exhaustion when she had had a random training session with him came back to him, and his face naturally turned pale.


    Her destructive power combined with her troops was the strongest. Therefore, the Aintorian army would struggle with its destructive power. The Fourth Army was the trump card in this battle.


    ¡°There is no warlord in Aintorian who can match my sister. She can only be controlled by His Majesty¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Lucana denied Fran.


    ¡°She¡¯s on the run from His Majesty, and at that point it would be impossible to control her.¡±


    ***


    The battle has begun.


    [Fourth Army of the Narja]


    The true identity of the enemy is a unit named the Fourth Army, its number is 50,000. In other words, Lunan¡¯s entire army was 200,000.


    [Troop strength: 50,000]


    [Military Units: Cavalry]


    [Morale: 92]


    [Training: 95]


    Annoyingly, they were elite soldiers, and had high morale and training levels. So it¡¯s hard for us to get the upper hand.


    Well, I had more of an advantage with my military superiority and formation methods. Now that there was no strategist like Fran, I was confident in my strategy. That is, if the enemy general moves as I want him to.


    ¡°Aaah!¡±


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    ¡°Die!¡±


    The battle began, and the enemy cavalry charged at us, who had set up camp in advance as planned. The front row of enemy cavalry fell under the baptism of the archers¡¯ arrows.


    [Fourth Narja Army, 48,000]


    [Aintorian Territorial Army 33,000]


    Currently, there are 5,000 archers firing arrows, and the number of enemies is decreasing.


    Of course, there is a limit to the number of arrows that can be fired, so when the number of enemies is reduced to 45,000, the archers will retreat to the rear and transform into infantry.


    Finally, the cavalry charged into the fish scale formation. From here on, the enemy¡¯s troops would have the advantage. I can only hope that the superiority of their armies will be minimized by the fish scale formation.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way to the enemy general!¡±


    I jumped into the midst of the charging crowd of enemies with Yurasia and Zint. The cavalry in the front line was charging at great speed, while the enemy infantry followed, ready to pounce.


    The tail section of infantry would be destroyed by Elheat¡¯s iron cavalry. Not only because of the superiority of the army, but also because their morale is far superior thanks to Elheat¡¯s command.


    Just as I was about to charge at the enemy general the fish scale formation collapsed in a blindingly powerful flash of light.


    With each flash, the numbers of my army dwindled. As the enemy cavalry broke through and disrupted the fish scale formation, my forces were quickly reduced in number.


    Mana was exploding in the distance. I was getting more and more impatient. I spurred my horse and headed for the scene. Ahead of me, I saw an extraordinary woman. She was freely manipulating the countless swords that had fallen to the ground and was slashing at my soldiers.


    The weapons that fell from the soldiers¡¯ hands became her weapons, floating in the air and raining down on my troops.


    [Valdesca Medellin]


    The Valdesca family, a famous family from the Twelve Families of the Continent and Valdesca Fran was the head of that family.


    [Age: 21 years old]


    [Martial Force: 99(+1)]


    [Intelligence: 34]


    [Command: 72]


    I had heard about the names of the current ten warlords through the information that I obtained.


    Valdesca Medellin is the top among the Ten Warlords of Narja, which is regarded as the most threatening and powerful country on the continent. The first of the Ten Warlords means the strongest in the country, of course, that excludes the king.


    There was even an added plus effect. In other words, her current martial force was 100. Perhaps she was using the treasures of the Valdesca family, like Yurasia Rossade in the Roserun royal family.


    I don¡¯t know if the reason why she was able to obtain such a destructive martial force at her age has something to do with the characteristics of the Valdesca family, or if it¡¯s pure talent, but anyway, that¡¯s not the point right now.


    She¡¯s too strong, but that didn¡¯t mean that I could just retreat. It would be worse to retreat and run into Fran. But there is no way to ignore her, the fish scale formation has already been completely breached.


    The swords dropped by the dead soldiers will rise up in the air and attack our army again, this is very troublesome.

 CH 86

    Soldiers were being beheaded and dying like bamboo shoots after the rain. I summoned Daitouren, thinking that if I didn¡¯t, they would all be killed.


    Medellin didn¡¯t even care about me. Rather, she treated me like any other soldier and attacked me in the same way. This kind of attack can be stopped by Daitouren.


    It¡¯s a wide range skill, not an increase in attack power. It¡¯s an attack that reflects her attack power of 100. It is only in single combat that the skill amplifies the attack power.


    Many of the wide range attack skills have no change in martial force value. Therefore, since all of these attacks reflect a 100 force value each, a soldier would be unable to compete with them.


    I approached her, dodging Medellin¡¯s attacks perfectly. The closer I got, the more violent her attacks became, but I was able to block at least that much.


    As I closed the distance, Medellin drew her sword and came at me. That sword must be the treasure of the Valdesca family.


    The sword and the Daitouren intersected. Daitouren is a mass of mana. I don¡¯t understand mana, but the basic principle of its operation was a mass of mana that emitted white light. Every time the Daitouren intersected with Medellin¡¯s powerful mana-laden sword, a strong flash of light went off.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite good.¡±


    She said as if she was enjoying the situation.


    ¡°Kuh-uh, just what I needed since I was bored.¡±


    The problem is that she keeps using her mana skills while crossing swords with me. The swords that still fell on the battlefield became her weapons, floating in the air and raining down my army, there were flashes of light everywhere.


    I¡¯m using Daitouren and hitting attack [command] continuously, but it was still tough. Well, she¡¯s more powerful than I am, so it can¡¯t be helped.


    How can she fight while doing two things at once? I didn¡¯t know such a monster existed.


    I figured she was S-class.


    At this rate, I¡¯ll lose. In the blink of an eye, thirty minutes would pass and it would end in failure. In other words, I would have to accept the penalty of death as well as the setback of failing the final attack.


    I can¡¯t have that.


    The only reason why I, a 97-martial force man, could fight her was because she wasn¡¯t taking it seriously. She was still using her skills on the soldiers while fighting me. Now was my chance. Her martial force was 100, and I could beat her if I used [True Crush]. The problem was her skill. The skill she was using now was a wide range skill.


    But if she had a skill for close combat, then the power must be tremendous. That¡¯s why I have to use [True Crush], it has the tremendous added effect of neutralizing the opponent¡¯s skills.


    The best time to do so was now, when she was showing a lot of leeway. She was still fighting me, while using her skills to kill soldiers. It¡¯s as if she has a surplus of mana. What¡¯s she hiding?


    I turned my head for a moment. It would be nice to fight, but it would also cause more damage to my army. In the end, I have to settle this quickly.


    ¡°Where are you going? Trouble is, my brother told me not to leave this battlefield. So you can¡¯t leave either. And you¡¯re pretty funny.¡±


    She¡¯s just killing time, isn¡¯t she?


    I have a time limit of 30 minutes, so I have to hurry. Now¡¯s my chance!


    I used [True Crush] on her. Daitouren shot out a white light and struck Medellin.


    Medellin¡¯s brow wrinkled and she looked surprised. Of course, the mana skills he had been using on the soldiers while dealing with me stopped at that moment. The swords that had been flying at the soldiers all fell to the ground and she finally began to focus on Daitouren.


    She instinctively knew that it was a powerful attack, but it was already too late.


    ¡°Swing, Rawlins.¡±


    Just as I thought that, the sword she was carrying flew out. The sword she called Rawlins blocked the [True Crush].


    A person has only two hands. So, even with a weapon, two is the limit. Yet, she was already using her third. She could control the sword in the air without using her hands. It was a mana skill that she was using on the soldiers, but the sword that floated in the air seemed to be an ability attached to the black treasure sword.


    Why? Because it couldn¡¯t be neutralized by [True Crush]. If that was the case, this could only mean that it was a treasure ability. In other words, her current martial force was now 102. This means that she is now at the same level as [True Crush].


    Two people with a martial force of 102 clashed with each other. It was a collision of powerful forces.


    ¡°Valdesca!¡±


    What a surprise, she thrust another sword up into the sky, a sword called Valdesca. The swords she had used so far were treasures, but this must be the treasure passed down in the Valdesca family. With the third sword, she already reached martial force 102, just like Daitouren.


    One of the laws of the game is this. When forces of the same level collide at the S level or higher, a powerful blast is generated. That was my only shot. Fortunately, Valdesca (the sword) caused the forces to collide before her strength could increase.


    At that very moment we were both flung away from each other by the repulsive force created by the collision of special moves that were more powerful than the S class, which cancelled out each other¡¯s power and caused us to bounce off each other.


    I was aiming for the right moment to activate [Invincibility for 30 seconds]. I used it to perfectly time my escape from this powerful blast. I was sent flying backwards and rolled around on the ground, but because I was invincible, there was no pain.


    The blast contained the martial force of 102.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡­.¡±


    Valdesca fell back towards her along with the other treasure swords without being able to join them. Every single soldier in the vicinity was blown away by the powerful mana blast and disappeared, and Medellin collapsed in the distance. I was safe thanks to my [Invincibility for 30 seconds], but Medellin must have received the blast with her body.


    But still, seeing that her legs were wriggling a bit, she didn¡¯t seem to be dead. The first place in the order of the Ten Warlords of Narja, I didn¡¯t realize that this was the extent of her existence.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the treasure sword, she certainly wouldn¡¯t be S-class, but if she had used that treasure sword with over 100 martial force, that would have been dangerous. No, if she had used Valdesca¡¯s sword first, it would have been dangerous.


    Her leeway and fighting style had brought about this result. The fallen Medellin wriggled and disappeared. That treasure of the Valdesca family seemed to have been activated again.


    It was the same with Fran. I¡¯m sure she was lying next to me, but she used that treasure tool to escape.


    The reason why they could create those ruins in the first place was because of the cooperation of the Valdesca family during the time of the ancient kingdom.


    Mana formations, ruins and treasures, they are a family deeply involved in these things. If I hadn¡¯t been blown away, I might have had a chance to kill her, but I couldn¡¯t do anything because I was already too far away. Besides, Daitouren disappeared.


    Thanks to the prolonged fight with her, I was already at my limit when I used [True Crush]. I was stuck in a shitty time limit, fortunately, I was able to give her quite a bit of damage.


    If it weren¡¯t for [Invincibility for 30 seconds], I might have died instantly, that¡¯s how tremendous the blast was. I never imagined how dangerous it could be when two warlords with the same power collide.


    Anyway, from the looks of it, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be able to participate in the war in the future. It seems my decision was correct.


    At that moment a rain of arrows fell down on my army. They were not arrows fired by the Fourth Army. In the first place, there were no archers in the Fourth Army, Fran¡¯s huge army had finally arrived.


    The long awaited moment when the entire Narja army was together!

 CH 87

    ¡°The enemy¡¯s strength is estimated to be around 20,000. Thanks to Master Medellin, it¡¯s steadily decreasing.¡±


    ¡°I see. But how could that proud girl retreat?¡±


    Fran twisted his head quizzically at Lamp¡¯s report.


    ¡°They left Voltaire Castle without any supplies and retreated this way. Don¡¯t you know what that means?¡±


    Lucana answered Fran¡¯s question with a clap of his hands.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because Aintorian has supplies?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does. After all, the heart of the enemy is in Aintorian. In fact, if the Fourth Army had held out a little longer, we could have reduced the number of enemies fleeing to Aintorian to a very small percentage¡­¡­.It¡¯s a pity.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a clear picture of the situation. Every single allied soldier around Master Medellin is dead¡­¡­¡±


    Fran scratched his cheek. But right now, winning was more important than his sister.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for the straight and narrow. We¡¯ll lay siege to Aintorian Castle. The supplies inside the castle are limited, and the enemy has only 20,000 men.¡±


    The battle could have ended there if the Fourth Army had not been defeated on the plains, but unfortunately it did. However, the fact remains that their advantage is still overwhelming.


    It was a battle between 20,000 and 160,000; in addition, there were still the Ten Warlords still alive and well


    ***


    Fran¡¯s large army of 160,000 marched towards Aintorian Castle at once. It was a situation where they were chasing the fleeing enemy, with the cavalry in the lead and the infantry following.


    However, there was a change in the enemy that was fleeing. When Fran received the report, he had no idea what it meant.


    ¡°Are you saying that a small force has entered Aintorian Castle and the rest have moved south?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! Shall we go after them both? General, give me your orders!¡±


    He wondered what this was all about. There was nothing good about dividing up the troops. If this was a tactic to confuse the enemy, it was not something a strategist like Erhin would use. There were only 20,000 troops left. It was quite a feat to hope for victory by dividing his forces.


    A small force has entered Aintorian Castle¡­¡­.For once, Fran couldn¡¯t quite understand it. Of course, he couldn¡¯t even predict it. He had completely ignored the fundamentals of general strategy.


    ¡°General, it seems there is no need to be concerned. I wonder if the predicament has caused an internal split?¡±


    ¡°I have the same feeling.¡±


    Lamp and Lucana said. Istin was silent, but his thoughts seemed to be the same. So were Valdesca¡¯s other vassals and warlords.


    The Aintorian army that the vassals had pursued had been driven back, they had nowhere to go. Victory was in their grasp.


    ¡°In the end, a strategy is only as good as the troops you have. I am convinced of this from my long experience in the service of generals.¡±


    When Lamp said that, Fran nodded. No matter what he thought, there was no way this time. No matter how much he overestimated Erhin, this was different.


    ¡°Where is Aintorian Erhin?¡±


    ¡°He went to Castle Aintorian!¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll head for Castle Aintorian, don¡¯t worry about anything else!¡±


    ¡°Yes, General!¡±


    Following the order, the second-in-command rushed out, and the entire Narja army also started running towards Castle Aintorian.


    ¡°We will lay siege to Castle Aintorian in multiple layers. We must not give them an opening.¡±


    Fran decided not to think about anything else.


    ***


    The last battle of Aintorian, from the way things were going, all the refugees thought so too.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re being attacked when all we have to rely on is Aintorian to get around. What the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen firsthand, there are far too many of them, so what can you do?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we beat them with numbers?¡±


    The refugees who had gathered nearby were wandering around looking for a place to go, talking in whispers like this.


    ¡°That¡¯s Aintorian over there, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The great war will soon begin.¡±


    ¡°Everyone is saying that this will be Lunan¡¯s last battle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, the king died on the run, and the only one who joined us late enough to fight was Lord Aintorian¡­¡­.I wonder what the other lords are doing.¡±


    ¡°He was the only one who had the troops ready.¡±


    ¡°He stopped Narja in the last war, but will he be able to do it this time?¡±


    ¡°The northern part of Lunan had already fallen by the time he returned from Roserun?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s exactly where I came from, and I got beat up like crazy.¡±


    The refugees began to lament their misfortune, but the thought of becoming a citizen of another country made them feel uneasy.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see the last fight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you do that!¡±


    ¡°If we climb that mountain over there, we can see it, right? I have to see it just in case.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe.¡±


    There are many times when curiosity overcomes fear.


    Many people began to climb the mountain to watch the battle here and there. Rumors were already spreading about the situation, so no one thought that Lunan would win.


    But on the other hand, rumors were spreading that he was the only lord in Lunan who would fight to the end, and people were flocking to watch.


    Everyone knew that it was dangerous.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the Aintorian people too quiet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡±


    In the midst of all this, the refugees had one question. There was no sign of evacuation among the Aintorian¡¯s people. Or perhaps there was no one in the territory.


    ¡°It¡¯s as if there¡¯s no one else in this huge territory but the soldiers.¡±


    They were not talking about the inside of the castle, of course, but about the entire Aintorian territory outside the castle.


    ***


    Eventually, this moment arrived, the assembly of the entire Narja army.


    The missing troops have joined up and become a complete unit. In other words, we must make sure to inflict damage on them here.


    To be honest, Aintorian was not in a good position to build a country. Especially in a situation like this, with few reliable personnel and soldiers, and surrounded by Narja.


    In addition, most of the troops of the Lunan Kingdom have gone to Bridget in this situation. This was the main reason why the northern part of Lunan could not even resist and was easily defeated. Of course, it was part of my plan to throw the huge bait of Bridget and move the army of the Lunan Kingdom there.


    I wanted the destruction of Lunan more than anyone else. Even if all those troops were to join me, it was impossible for me to build up my strength in such a position.


    However, even if I set up my base elsewhere, it would not matter if I don¡¯t destroy the army of Narja at least once. There would be no time to catch my breath. In order to get such time, it was necessary to influence the refugees, denounce other troops from the Lunan Kingdom, and inflict heavy damage on the Narja army at least once.


    The reason I moved my headquarters troops elsewhere and came into Aintorian Castle with only a small force was to lure Fran.


    I surveyed Fran¡¯s army from the top of the castle walls. They were surrounding Aintorian in multiple layers on all sides, it was a moderate movement.


    I was glad to see such a gathering. In fact, all of this maneuvering was possible because of the secrets hidden in Castle Aintorian.


    There were hidden passages in Aintorian that were built during the time of the Ancient Kingdom.


    The room with the gold and the room with the perks had nothing to do with the Ancient Kingdom.


    The room with the gold was created by the descendants of Aintorian, and the room with the perks was created by the game¡¯s management. However, there was another secret room in this castle that shared the end of the Ancient Kingdom.


    That is exactly the hidden passage in the Ancient Kingdom that can only be entered with Yurasia¡¯s ring. It was because of this power that I gathered Fran large army, using the Aintorian castle and myself as bait.


    The sun was setting, but Fran was planning an attack. He didn¡¯t even know that the castle was empty.


    Fran wouldn¡¯t give me time, he would use this momentum to try and take down the castle Aintorian in one fell swoop. That¡¯s exactly when the opportunity would arise. Fran waited breathlessly, as he thought it would be easier to attack at night, and finally ordered an attack as soon as the sun went down.


    ¡°All troops, charge!¡±


    For the sake of the kingdom Fran had absolutely no intention of prolonging the capture of Castle Aintorian.


    The entire army charged towards the castle. It was the Third Army that was the first to charge using the ladder. Because of the mistake of Kediman¡¯s death, Lamp asked Fran to spearhead the charge in order to redeem the honor of the Third Army.


    With no one to stop them, the large army quickly entered the castle and the gates were quickly opened. As soon as the gates were opened, the 40,000-strong army of lamps poured into the castle.


    The burning gates of the castle provided illumination, and the speed of their advance was quite fast. The incoming troops also opened the other gates of Aintorian, resulting in even more soldiers pouring into the castle.

 CH 88

    However, no matter how many came rushing in, there was no one to fight. Thinking that the enemy was waiting for the last minute ambush, Lamp ordered the other gates to be opened once, but even though the soldiers walked all over the place, there was no sign of Aintorian¡¯s troops.


    ¡°Report to the General right now!¡±


    Lamp was suspicious and sent a message to Fran.


    A small force of soldiers rushed out from the castle gate.


    ¡°Captain, we have hostiles ahead!¡±


    ¡°I knew it. They¡¯re hiding.¡±


    Lamp nodded and tried to stop the enemy but the one in front of him was Erhin, and soon Lamp¡¯s head was in the air.


    At the same time the message sent by Lamp arrived at Fran¡¯s camp, which was at the back of the army.


    ¡°General!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    There¡¯s no one in Aintorian. It¡¯s just like Castle Voltaire, an empty shell. It¡¯s like there¡¯s not a single person inside!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Do you think they¡¯ve abandoned their own home base?¡±


    Fran felt as if he had been hit over the head with a hammer.


    He thought that Erhin was going to use other troops in Aintorian to distract him but didn¡¯t expect that he would abandon his home base.


    ¡°Tell them to come out of Castle Aintorian right now!¡±


    Fran exclaimed, having a rather ominous feeling in the face of a completely incomprehensible action.


    * * *


    The great army of Narja entered Aintorian. The number of troops that came in at once exceeded 60,000, almost all the troops were gathered around the castle. It was a large army of 160,000.


    What was my strategy for this 160,000-strong army?


    The answer lay in the basement of Aintorian Castle. The secret space was filled with swearing about the betrayal of the twelve families.


    The ancestor of Aintorians retreated from the original royal capital of the Ancient Kingdom to what is now Aintorian due to the betrayal of the Twelve Families.


    This ancestor is the one who developed the Mana Formation and created secret passages throughout the continent, and then, feeling torn apart by the betrayal, probably completed the last mana formation of his life.


    It was truly a mana formation for self-destruction, however, Aintorian¡¯s ancestors had been unable to use it. The reason for this was unknown.


    ¡°Yurasia, we¡¯re going underground!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    After killing the enemy captain, I entered the basement of Aintorian Castle because the time was right. When Yurasia entered it, the mana formation was activated. The white mana formation emitted a flash of light. At the same time, the earth began to shake loudly underground. The self-destruct formation was activated.


    ¡°All right, Yurasia, let¡¯s get out of here!¡±


    We had to move quickly to the horses.


    I explained that it would take quite a while for the activation to complete, but I was in a hurry because I couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact time. The reason this was possible was that I could use [Invincibility for 30 seconds] a couple of times after the activation was complete.


    Yurasia nodded and the two of us tried to get out of the mana formation, but at that moment the light disappeared from the formation and it stopped working.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yurasia and I looked at each other.


    ¡°It looks like it won¡¯t work if the user leaves the mana formation.¡±


    What kind of trick was that?


    At that moment, Yurasia bit her lip.


    ¡°Go alone. I¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not! I¡¯d rather not run away than sacrifice you! Even if I¡¯m defeated by Narja, as long as I¡¯m alive, I can rise again. Let¡¯s just give up and get out of here.¡±


    The mana formation in the previous secret passages had no particular restrictions as long as it was activated. But this one, perhaps because it was a mana formation for self-destruction, seemed to have something extra.


    That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t use it myself! It¡¯s like a ring that once you put it on, you can¡¯t take it off until you die.


    ¡°¡­¡­The ring is the key, so why don¡¯t we just use the ring?¡±


    Yurasia said¡­¡­.


    ¡°Wait, Yurasia!¡±


    In an instant, without any hesitation, she cut her own finger with Rossade. Blood spurted out and her finger fell into the mana formation.


    Yurasia frowned in pain but the mana formation was activated again. She left the formation again but this time it remained active.


    I didn¡¯t have time to think any further, so I grabbed Yurasia¡¯s arm and ran away. As I rode away on my horse, the mana formation gradually emitted a strong light, which soon scattered outside Aintorian castle.


    It seems that Aintorian ancestors couldn¡¯t make up their minds to cut off their hands, so they created this thing. How much did they care about their own bodies?


    When I went outside, I saw the pattern of the mana formation in the basement projected on the sky. By this time, I had already killed Lamp, and then slipped out of the castle gate!


    A huge flash of light soon spread out, enveloping the Castle Aintorian. I continued to use [Invincibility for 30 seconds] and rode my horse like a madman.


    * * *


    ¡°My God¡­¡­that¡¯s impossible!¡±


    A huge mana formation projected in the sky.


    As the huge mana formation began to glow white, the ground shook. The ground where the mana formation was carved began to crack at that moment. It was an earthquake with a magnitude of over 9. The catastrophe began to occur in Castle Aintorian, outside of it, and in smaller areas.


    The ground crumbled like melted chocolate. The crumbling earth swallowed the soldiers, and the strong earthquake continued to expand its reach and before Fran knew it, it was right in front of him. The ground cracked and the lava swallowed the soldiers.


    Castle Aintorian and its surroundings completely collapsed.


    ¡°General! Please run!¡±


    The vassals of the Valdesca family immediately grabbed Fran. The ground, which had drifted down, no longer served the purpose of ground, but continued to produce a spectacular sight of fire columns extending from all sides like a tornado into the earth.


    ¡°Run! Run! Run! Run now!¡±


    The soldiers outside the range lost their color and fled crazily in the opposite direction, it was the same for the ten warlords. As a result, the Narja army fell into a situation where it was divided and cut off in four directions.


    ¡°What is this¡­¡­impossible, such a mana formation! What the hell is this power¡­¡­¡±


    Fran, who had been looking at the mana formation with a vacant face, stood up with a clatter as if he had realized something.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve used the Ancient Kingdom¡¯s mana formation¡­¡­its heritage!¡±


    The technique of the mana formation that appeared was very similar to that of the Ancient Kingdom.


    After a lifetime of research, Fran was convinced that it was the remains of the Ancient Kingdom. It was the best that Fran¡¯s common sense could come up with.


    No, he had already lost. Fran blinked vacantly as he watched the earthquake hit.


    ¡±My lord, we have to get out of here immediately!¡±


    The vassals of the Valdesca family forcibly grabbed Fran and activated their treasures.


    * * *


    Narja¡¯s large army had only 30,000 men left, this was a great victory.


    A message appeared repeatedly in front of me, informing me that my level had increased.


    My level, which was 25, had risen to 35 and I gained 4,000 points! However, I was more worried about Yurasia¡¯s finger than the rewards. Her finger could not be put back.


    ¡°Yurasia, are you okay?¡± I


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Did you get rid of the Narja army?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But¡­you idiot! There had to be another way¡­¡­.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of any words at all.


    Yurasia was nonchalant. I thought of something she had said to me one day. When I asked her to lend me her ring, she tried to cut off her finger on the spot, right?


    ¡°I will make you pay for this, even if it costs me my head.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. You saved Roserun and me, who was like an empty can that was being eroded by the darkness. So, you don¡¯t have to feel so bad about one finger.¡±

 CH 89

    We pursued the enemy, who had completely split up. There were still 30,000 left, but the psychological damage to the Narja Kingdom army was enormous.


    [Narja¡¯s Royal Army]


    [3rd Army]


    [9,200 men]


    [Morale: 20]


    [Training level: 92]


    The Third Army was down to 9,200 men, but morale had completely plummeted.


    The most decent part of my troops was the Iron Cavalry. Having encountered the 4th Army, the infantry and archers had suffered considerable damage, but the Iron Cavalry, which had been diverted to Elheat for a surprise attack, had 8,400 men left. And the infantry-centric 3rd Army was not strong enough to compete with my Iron Cavalry.


    [Aintorian Iron Cavalry]


    [8,400 men]


    [Morale: 100]


    [Training level: 97]


    It was a unit with a morale of 100 points. Furthermore, the military superiority was also overwhelming.


    [Narja¡¯s Royal Army, 9,200 men.]


    [Aintorian Iron Cavalry 8,400]


    [Military Superiority: Narja < Aintorian, 50% increase in attack power.]


    [Morale: Narja < Aintorian, 100% increase in attack power.]


    The remaining troops of the 3rd Army, which had retreated without being able to enter the castle, began to be pushed back by the Iron Cavalry as their attack power skyrocketed along with the large difference in morale.


    [Narja¡¯s Royal Army, 2,300 men.]


    [Aintorian Iron Cavalry, 7,900 men.]


    The third army retreated in a one-sided manner. The reason why morale dropped to such a low level was probably because of the death of Lamp, one of the Ten Warlords and the commander of the 3rd Army.


    The Third Army was destroyed. When this happened, the number of the Narja army that had begun to retreat was less than 20,000.


    * * *


    ¡°An ancient mana formation, I wouldn¡¯t believe it if I saw it with my own eyes.¡±


    Elheat was still in a state of disbelief now that the battle was over. To my allies, I naturally explained that the mana formation was a power I had discovered in an ancient ruin and that it was the ancestors of the Ancient Kingdom who built it.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it worked properly. Now the Narja army won¡¯t be able to be mobilized until the king returns from the Herald Kingdom.¡±


    No matter how large Narja is, without this 160,000-strong army, they won¡¯t be able to attack me for a while. With that much damage inflicted, I¡¯ll have time and opportunity. But even so, it was impossible here in Aintorian. Narja was right next to me and I was open on all sides.


    You never know where the enemy will appear from, east, west, north, south, or southwest. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve moved all my troops to Berthaquin. I¡¯ve also moved all my people and the gold in my castle in the past three months.


    The reason why it was not discovered was, of course, the existence of the secret passage. If it were not for the secret passage, I would not have carried out this plan. The secret passage in the ruins guarded by the mountain tribe of Berthaquin led to Lunan.


    Berthaquin! It was a blessing in disguise, surrounded by mountains as well as iron. Furthermore, there was an ocean behind it.


    Berthaquin itself was small, but I was in a situation where I could own the territory that lay beside it. So my first goal was to build a nation the size of the three territories of the former Kingdom of Bridget.


    All of this was possible because it was surrounded by mountains. It was a natural fortress.


    I currently have 20,000 troops left. Elheat was with me, of course, and Count Voltaire followed me all the way. He wasn¡¯t someone I particularly wanted to be with, but by chance, he kept following me.


    Voltaire wasn¡¯t the only one following me. There were hundreds of thousands of refugees following me. They seemed to think of me as a shield to protect them from Narja.


    I opened up the secret passage for these refugees. It would take too long to cross the mountain. It had to be done.


    The secret passage was already known to them when all the lords of their territory agreed to the migration. That¡¯s why they were going to move the refugees and tear down the entrance. So that no one could use it. I don¡¯t want Narja to come through there and attack me. The sooner we get rid of my regrets, the better.


    * * *


    ¡°I have to go there since I¡¯ve left my residence anyway and my house is already occupied by the Kingdom of Narja. If we follow the Lord of Aintorian, he¡¯ll give us some farmland and exempt us from taxes for the time being!¡±


    ¡°What kind of land is that?¡±


    ¡°They say it¡¯s a territory by the sea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an ocean.¡±


    The refugees were eager to take Erhin¡¯s word that he would guarantee their safety in the Lunan area, which would be in the middle of the battlefield anyway. He said that from now on, Narja and many other countries would fight to get the territory of Lunan. It was hell just thinking about it.


    No one wants to be in the middle of a battlefield. Even if it meant abandoning one¡¯s homeland, if a battle broke out, they would live like worms if they stayed behind.


    Therefore, it was only natural that they would lean toward who will protect them. In addition to that, Erhin went around addressing the procession of refugees.


    ¡°If you follow me now, there will be many uncertainties, but I assure you that your lives will not be in danger! I will provide you with farmland and you will be exempt from taxes for the time being. You may decide to settle there but I will reclaim Lunan¡¯s territory someday, and you may return to your homeland then if you want to! I will do all of that if you believe in me! I will be your shield!¡±


    Rumor led to rumor, and eventually the civilian population of refugees¡¯ favorability to Erhin exceeded 90.


    * * *


    It wasn¡¯t just the refugees who were excited by my victory. The lords and troops of the territories in the southwestern part of Lunan began to come to me, since they could only surrender to Narja if they remained in Lunan. Since there were no rumors circulating about Kashia being merciful, the lords of southwest Lunan chose me.


    Of course, they were different from Voltaire in the sense that they assessed the situation to the fullest extent, since they did not join us before the battle that destroyed the Narja army, but afterwards. Voltaire was afraid, but he didn¡¯t run away and joined my army until the end. He was indecisive, though, so he couldn¡¯t decide whether to run away or fight with me. In any case, I was going to give him more attention than the lords who joined me later. After all, the move to the new territory had been very large and noisy.


    After the massive move, I and my main vassals all passed through the secret passageway and arrived right under Berthaquin.


    And then, when I stepped into Berthaquin¡­In front of me, there was really a huge army of 30,000 standing in a row. Not my own tired army, but a very energetic 30,000-strong army.


    The people were all nervous, but¡­¡­. The troops that showed up were not wearing the black military uniforms of the Narja but the blue uniform of Lunan.


    ¡°I see you, Your Excellency! We have prepared the various territories as you requested and have come for you!¡±


    The general who had led the 30,000-strong army to greet me dismounted from his horse and knelt in front of me. At the same time, 30,000 troops also knelt in front of me.


    This general¡¯s name was Fihatri.


    [Delphine Fihatri]


    [Age: 24]


    [Martial Force: 81]


    [Intelligence: 85]


    [Command: 89]


    He was a person that I had been paying a lot of attention to in my travels to and from Roserun, he was also a young warlord with the ability to lead an army of over 100,000.


    At his grand welcome, the lords who followed me were all so frightened that they too fell to their knees.

 CH 90

    The southwestern tip of the former Bridget territory, this is the location of Berthaquin. At the top is a mountain range, below is the ocean. It was a natural fortress for sure.


    Most of Berthaquin territory is mountainous. If I exclude the mountains, the usable land is about half that of Aintorian. Considering that the mountains can be used for slash-and-burn farming, there¡¯s some room to spare.


    The territories I¡¯ve decided to start with are Berthaquin, the neighboring territory of Raihein, and Brinhild, which used to be Bridget¡¯s territory.


    Aside from the population, there is a lack of people who can rule properly.


    It takes a lot of people to maintain a single city. Leaving it to just anyone would have negative consequences, as security and people¡¯s spirit would decline. That¡¯s why I gave up on the eastern side of Bridget¡¯s royal capital, which was occupied by Lunan¡¯s troops, for now.


    I¡¯m going to start building it up from here and later occupy the eastern side as well.


    ¡°As you said, immediately after the invasion of Narja, most of the troops in the southeast of Bridget retreated to Lunan. I obeyed orders and stayed behind to secure Brinhild!¡±


    Of the troops led by Fihatri, 20,000 had retreated to Lunan. Perhaps they joined Ronen who fled to the southern part of Lunan. Well, I¡¯ve left another spark over there. If that spark was useless, I could use other methods, but I was going to watch the heat of the spark for now.


    Ronen was the real enemy who had caused her father¡¯s death. With Hayna intellect she would not spend effort on the dying Lunan, but would have tried to take revenge on Ronen.


    ¡°What about the population of southeast Bridget?¡±


    ¡°There is some difficulty because they are essentially Bridget citizens¡­¡­.We¡¯ve tried to encourage them to move to the west, where we are, but we¡¯ve failed to win them over.¡±


    ¡°Well, that can¡¯t be helped. Don¡¯t keep anyone from leaving your territory, even in Raihein and Brinhild. Forcing them to do so at a time like this will have a fatal effect on public sentiment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    I can¡¯t help but think that the people of Bridget perceive me as just another enemy but if I govern them well my influence will increase.


    First of all, I have to concentrate my power as much as possible.


    There was a lot of work to be done, but the first thing I did was to inspect each of the roads leading from Brinhild, the old royal capital of Bridget, to the eastern part of Bridget. To the north is a mountain range and to the south is the coast, in other words, it¡¯s blocked.


    The east is the one to watch out for. The road to the east was open, but there was a small cluster of mountains on that side as well. I went to inspect the mountainous area because it had a barrier to stop enemies from entering Brinhild, the royal capital of Bridget.


    ¡°Sir, it looks like it¡¯s this way.¡±


    The first barrier that Fihatri took me to.


    [Brin Hill barrier]


    [Endurance 50]


    It was worse than I thought.


    ¡°There are a few guards down there, but they don¡¯t seem to be in good condition. It¡¯s a long stretch of country to the east, and the mountainous terrain blocks most of the enemy, so they may have been caught off guard.¡±


    In the end, it was necessary to repair the damage at a cost. Although I had brought in all the gold that was in the basement of Aintorian, there was a limit.


    As the population grows, relying only on that gold will be a problem later on. For now, I have no choice but to enforce a policy of tax exemption, a policy that will cost me a fortune.


    ¡°Supply as much food as you can and gather as many men as you can using the food stored in Bridget¡¯s royal palace. We¡¯ll need to build an extension.¡±


    ¡°Very well, my lord!¡±


    I can¡¯t leave my flank unprotected. There is no force that can invade this region immediately, but I must be prepared. I plan to promote trade in the future, so I¡¯ll have to make money that way.


    What¡¯s important is the barrier that will protect me. That was the first priority, and then I started to allocate the population.


    If we were to establish a kingdom while declaring the revival of the ancient Aintorian Kingdom, the first step would be to use my current territory and the royal capital would be Brinhild.


    It¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s a place with a reasonably good royal castle.


    [Aintorian Domain]


    [Total population 1,050,000]


    Since I have not yet proclaimed a new country, the total population of the three regions labeled as Aintorian territory in the system is 1,050,000.


    The existing population of Aintorian is 250,000, it¡¯s a lot for a single territory, but that¡¯s because I¡¯ve implemented an aggressive influx policy.


    Besides, the existing population of Brinhild, Raihein, and Berthaquin is about 500,000. This was a small number considering that Brinhild was the royal capital of a country, and the population of the rest of the country had left due to the war I had started last time.


    The rest were refugees from the Lunan region who had followed me.


    As for the most important public sentiment, the existing population of about 500,000 people in Bridget had a bad number of [43], while the people I had emigrated from the Aintorian territory beforehand, that is, the people who had come to trust only me, had a high number of [92].


    In addition, the refugees who had come with me after I had defeated the great army of Narja after the war had begun also had a reasonably stable public sentiment of [85].


    The total of these was 60, which is not a very good number. I have to wait for Bridget¡¯s citizens¡¯ public sentiment to rise slowly.


    The allocation was 600,000 for Brinhild, 300,000 for Raihein, and 150,000 for Berthaquin. It was done in accordance with the size of each region but the problem here was the lords of each region. I was troubled by the lack of personnel.


    [Merja Haddin: 60 Martial Force, 57 Intelligence, 70 Command]


    [Bente: 49 Martial Force, 38 Intelligence, 82 Command]


    [Zint: 93(+2) Martial Force, 41 Intelligence, 52 Command]


    [Yusen: 82 Martial Force, 69 Intelligence, 90(+2) Command]


    [Givens: 70 Martial Force, 34 Intelligence, 76 Command]


    [Mirine: 5 Martial Force, 74 Intelligence, 20 Command]


    [Roserun Yurasia: 89(+3) Martial Force, 57 Intelligence, 95(+2) Command]


    [Demasin Elheat: 96 Martial Force, 70 Intelligence, 97 Command]


    [Lecter Fihatri: 81 Martial Force, 85 Intelligence, 89 Command]


    [Voltaire Ganid: 30 Martial Force, 60 Intelligence, 61 Command]


    [Berta Leman: 80 Martial Force, 50 Intelligence, 78 Command]


    Elheat has not completely become my vassal but he was still helping me. So I was in no hurry. I was going to wait until he brought up the subject on his own. I¡¯m sure he has his own problems. The good news is that Elheat¡¯s vassals are now completely anti-Ronen.


    They know the false image of the country of Lunan better than anyone else, so they will probably be able to persuade Elheat. Count Voltaire, on the other hand, stayed where he was. He seemed to have no intention of leaving. When he sees me, he flatters me.


    Elheat¡¯s vassals, Voltaire¡¯s vassals and none of the Lunan lords and vassals who chose to accompany me had any special abilities.


    Elheat¡¯s vassals are specialized in warfare, so if Elheat became my vassal completely, they would be specialized in that field.


    If I were to embark on a war of conquest, I would have to call them back to work with me anyway, but for now, I had to manage each region.


    For this reason, I chose Yusen, who had already confronted the mountain tribes in Berthaquin and obtained valuable information, to be in charge of Berthaquin, and Haddin to be in charge of Raihein. They are the people I trust the most.


    Fihatri was superior in some areas in terms of ability, but he had already done quite a lot of the work.


    [Lord of Berthaquin]


    [Yusen]


    [Berthaquin¡¯s people¡¯s spirit has increased by 5.]


    As soon as I appointed Yusen as the lord of Berthaquin, a surprising change appeared. Was it the result of Yusen¡¯s high command ability? Or was it a result of Yusen¡¯s already successful activities in Berthaquin and his desire for stability?


    Haddin¡¯s first assignment in Raihein had been uneventful.


    ***


    I visited Raihein. The purpose of my visit was to stabilize public sentiment by announcing a tax policy prior to the development of agricultural land and the encouragement of fishing.


    Raihein was larger than Berthaquin. Of course, in terms of importance, Berthaquin was by far the most important because of its iron production. It was practically the most important region because it could stimulate the mining industry.


    However, in terms of agriculture and fishing, Raihein was bigger than Berthaquin.


    [Raihein]


    [Population: 325,031]


    [People¡¯s Spirit: 74]


    The low public sentiment of the existing citizens and the migrants combined and became [74]. The migrants had heard about the general tax policy, but the indigenous people of Raihein had not so I set out on my own. The earlier I started, the more effective I could be in explaining things to them.


    ¡°Many new people are moving in, and that will upset the people. But¡­¡­¡±


    I went around to every village to make that speech. The effect of the tax policy is huge, of course. One year of tax exemption is not a small price to pay. This is true even today, and even more so in this age when the tax rates are much higher.


    The tax policy also succeeded in reducing the dissatisfaction of the existing indigenous population, and public sentiment soared to [85].


    In the end only Brinhild was left.


    [Brinhild]


    [Population: 624,501]


    [People¡¯s Spirit: 54]


    It didn¡¯t help that the lowest level of public sentiment was mostly the existing population. What they worried about more than anything else was that they were taking the place of the migrants.


    Even in Raihein, the uncultivated land that is offered to the migrants. In general, the population of this period was small compared to the size of the country. Think of it as only 620,000 people in a place the size of Tokyo.


    Anyway, I started my speech in Brinhild as well. The idea was not to disadvantage the existing residents of the area in any way, but rather to accommodate them with a one-year tax exemption. Since I intend to enforce the draft in the future, I have to do as much good as I can now to raise public sentiment.


    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to implement a tax policy so that the migrant population and the existing indigenous population can be well integrated!¡±


    Naturally, no one complained about the tax exemption.


    [People¡¯s spirits have been raised from 54 to 76.]


    [People¡¯s spirits increased from 76 to 91 due to additional effects.]


    But unusually in Brinhild, public sentiment rose even higher. It was a phenomenon that had not occurred in Raihein. I stared at the system, wondering what it was. There was no way an added effect could be created without a reason.

 CH 91

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Yurasia tilted her head, looking at me with an innocent face. Lately she¡¯s been showing me all kinds of expressions.


    ¡°You¡¯re staring at me so hard, I think you¡¯re going to break your eyeballs.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just wondering about something.¡±


    When I think of what makes Raihein different from Brinhild, one thing comes to mind, the presence of Yurasia but 97 commanding power alone should not have this effect.


    Yurasia¡¯s commanding power has increased along with her high attractiveness, and I think it is the result of her attractiveness that brings about this kind of public sentiment effect.


    If I were to put a numerical value on Yurasia¡¯s attractiveness, it would probably be close to 100. So the mere fact that she was around me raised the public sentiment by 15. It had a tremendous added effect.


    So, what if I took Eurasia to Raihein and gave another speech? It was well worth the challenge.


    ***


    ¡°Oh, wow! So this is Berthaquin¡¯s lord castle!¡±


    Givens cheered at the sight of Berthaquin castle.


    ¡°This place is ours now? Well, I¡¯ve risen to the occasion! After all, it¡¯s important to know who to connect with. If I hadn¡¯t met His Excellency back then and had stayed with another unit, I might have already died in the battle with Narja.¡±


    Givens muttered to himself as he stroked his head. Of course, the biggest reason for Givens¡¯ rise was his abilities. There was a great possibility that Erhin would not have been able to coordinate properly in the battle at Linon Castle without Givens and Yusen.


    Anyway, the important thing is to go to the mountain tribe¡¯s headquarters right now and bring Berta Leman. His Excellency wants to see him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    The mountain tribes, due to the nature of their territory surrounded by mountains, were largely on the defensive. If they were active, it would be much harder for any troops to come over the mountains. So Erhin was going to expand their area of activity to Brinhild.


    ¡°What are you going to do, captain?¡±


    ¡°I need to concentrate on developing the agricultural land in the area, and I¡¯ve been ordered to encourage the fishermen to develop the harbor. We also need to increase the number of small fishing boats.¡±


    As a result of Yusen¡¯s efforts the population of Berthaquin was 150,000 and the public sentiment remained at 90.


    ¡°Mirine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    Mirine and Zint¡¯s house is one of the largest mansions in Brinhild.


    ¡°Why did you bring him here? Zint, I called Mirine here and you don¡¯t trust me? You can¡¯t follow her around without doing your job!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. I told him to stay home¡­¡­.¡±


    Mirine replied as she held Zint¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not following you. I just had some business to attend to at the palace.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t invite you.¡±


    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t invite me?¡±


    What kind of nonsense is this guy spouting?


    See? You weren¡¯t called! I told you I was the only one who got called! Get away from me!¡±


    At any rate, please let go of your tightly clasped hands before you start arguing. No, wait a minute, this is a deliberate attempt to show how lovey-dovey you are, right? Well, it can¡¯t be helped.


    I understand the importance of these peaceful moments, especially since I¡¯m often out of the house with Zint. In fact, it was times like this that I wanted to encourage him to stay with Mirine. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t give Zint another job. No, in the first place, Zint would never be entrusted with anything other than fighting.


    ¡°|It¡¯s okay. You can stay.¡±


    The reason I called Mirine was to try and get her to do a job. She had always had an excellent brain, but as a result of her diligent study, her intellect had increased considerably.


    Since I¡¯ve taken the trouble to have her study and increase her intelligence, of course I should entrust her with work. Brinhild current agriculture value was 46, which was quite far behind. It was probably due to the fact that the king of Bridget was almost completely indifferent to the people.


    First of all, the agricultural values of Brinhild, Raihein, and Berthaquin needed to be increased. It would be a great loss if they could only produce 46 crops in an area that should be producing 100.


    [Brinhild]


    [People¡¯s Spirit: 91]


    [Agriculture: 46]


    [Fishing: 52]


    [Forestry: 45]


    The figures were not good for any of these despite the fact that it is a fairly large area.


    By the end of the tax exemption policy in a year¡¯s time, these numbers should reach a maximum value that will allow me to finance the country efficiently.


    So let¡¯s start with agriculture. The fishing and forestry industries needed the right people who knew the field.


    ¡°There are many books on agriculture. You have experience in farming, don¡¯t you, Mirine? You must know more about agriculture than the noblemen or the military. Can you meet with the peasants, listen to their opinions, and use the books on agriculture in the palace as a reference to formulate a plan for improving agriculture?¡±


    ¡°Me? I can do such an important job¡­¡­?¡±


    Mirine¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and she looked at Zint and then at me.


    ¡°Yurasia, how about you help Mirine with that job for now?¡±


    With her, there will be some positive effect, after all Yurasia¡¯s attractiveness is like a scam that will have a positive effect on internal affairs. Of course, I don¡¯t have overly high hopes for her. However, it was not without expectations that Mirine¡¯s intelligence would be able to create some kind of policy.


    It was no wonder that she was the most intelligent of my retainers after Fihatri.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m always in favor of helping the people.¡±


    Yurasia nodded quickly.


    ¡°With the princess?¡±


    Then Mirine jumped up, even more surprised.


    Yurasia stared at her suspiciously, and Mirine freaked out.


    ¡°That¡­¡­why¡­¡­someone like me?¡±


    ¡°Mirine, be confident. And that¡¯s an order.¡±


    It was something I should definitely try to make her do in order to give her confidence.


    ***


    The people¡¯s spirit, agriculture, and development are all good. But the most important thing was the army. Without an army, I can¡¯t do anything.


    [Aintorian Territorial Army]


    Since I didn¡¯t proclaim the founding of the country, the Lunan army I brought with me and the existing army I raised in Aintorian were unified in the system under the name Aintorian Territorial Army.


    There were a total of 62,000 of them. The existing Aintorian Territorial Army was 22,000 strong, and naturally, morale was sky-high. Their training level was also quite high. To be honest, I had no problem just maintaining the status quo.


    The morale of the Lunan army led by Fihatri was a whopping 98. In fact, they were almost evenly matched with the Aintorian Territorial Army, which had tasted victory.


    ¡°Fihatri, this unit you had with you. You have no experience in major battles, so why do I sense that morale is so high?¡±


    Training level was 72, but morale was 98. I couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    ¡°These are the soldiers who have been following you since Roserun.¡±


    That¡¯s true, but is that the only reason morale has been so high for so long?


    ¡°They are very happy to be His Excellency¡¯s soldiers again. They are less likely to die fighting alongside His Excellency than fighting for the King of Lunan. I¡¯d say that¡¯s the opinion of most of them.¡±


    That¡¯s true.


    ¡°Of course, the biggest reason is something else: the strength of the troops that have crossed the mountains in your service. The fact that you kept your promise to them made them realize that you are not like the other lords. Some of the soldiers cried all night because they were so happy to send the money to their parents and families.¡±


    In fact, it was deliberate, but it worked out the way it was supposed to, thanks to Fihatri¡¯s good communication.


    ¡°Erhin, are you there?¡±


    As I began to think seriously about raising an army and my plans for it, Elheat came from behind Fihatri.


    ¡°Sir, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    It¡¯s about time we sorted out the designations. How many of us are lords here?


    The founding proclamation will have to wait. Rather than declaring, ¡°I¡¯m going to be king!¡± it gives me more legitimacy to have people around me proclaim it. Of course, the title of Aintorian descendant does give me a legitimate claim to the throne.


    For now, let¡¯s wait and see what happens.


    ¡°I have a suggestion. Are you willing to train spear cavalry? If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯m ready to devote my life to their training and management!¡±


    ¡°Lancers?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve suggested it many times in Lunan, but it was always rejected because we didn¡¯t have enough iron and no budget could be given.¡±


    The King of Lunan would never allow it.


    The existence of such a troop was rare. There are many reasons for this. First and foremost, it¡¯s hard to train them. However, it was a fact that if I succeeded in training a large number of them, they would become a formidable force.


    Come to think of it, Elheat is a master of the spear. As the name ¡°Demon Spear¡± suggests, this is a person who has accumulated his current martial force through spear techniques.


    On the battlefield, distance is absolute, the longer the weapon, the more overwhelming the advantage. If an ordinary soldier swung a spear on his horse like a warlord on the battlefield, ordinary infantrymen could not even approach him and would fall.


    If there was a suitable person who could teach and train that spear technique, and if there was enough iron to make the weapon, then of course I should nurture them.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll take care of that. I will do my best to help. By all means, please!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Elheat couldn¡¯t hide his excitement and was delighted like a child at my words.

 CH 92

    Just as our internal affairs were getting back on track, a problem arose. The mountains in front were protecting us, but the coast was completely empty.


    It was true that the sea blocked the invasion of the enemy. That¡¯s why we chose this place, but it¡¯s a different story when the surrounding countries have fleets.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem with Bridget.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why are there only four ships?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that, the previous king of Bridget was defeated badly in a naval battle with Estren. After that, they lost control of the sea completely. Speaking of Estren, isn¡¯t it a country with a strong navy since the time of the Ancient Kingdom? During the time of the ancient kingdoms, they built a huge port in Estren and a large fleet that went across the continent. It was the Estren family of the Ancient Kingdom who took the lead in building the large fleet, and since they founded the country, the naval power has been strong for generations.¡±


    That¡¯s what I thought. Estren is a port town, and it¡¯s a naval country. I decided that it would be better to raise an army, and it was the King of Bridget that I killed that made that happen.


    ¡°Then we have a rather serious problem. Look at it.¡±


    I pointed to the map.


    The route from Estren to Brinhild, Raihein, and Berthaquin is too close. If Estren invaded the sea with a large fleet, it would be troublesome. The front is blocked by mountains, and even if we can somehow defend the sides, we are completely defenseless against an enemy coming from the sea.


    If they were to form an alliance with another country and one side invaded from the mountains and the other from the sea, the problem would become serious. No, an invasion from the sea alone would be a problem.


    The geographical advantage of being surrounded by mountains makes it difficult to invade. However, if they were to attack from the sea, it would be easier. Besides, they could choose their battlefield.


    They would have to come in from the sea and fight on land, but it would be a problem if this land, which had not yet been developed, became a battlefield.


    Even if I was confident that I could win, there was still the possibility of serious damage to my well-tended farmland. This land must not become a battlefield for at least a year before it is stabilized. If I go out and fight, and my territory is invaded, the unification of the continent will not be feasible.


    If I lied about creating the safest place for them to stay, the people would probably leave. Who would want to live in a place where the fishermen living along the coast are worried that the ships might attack at any moment? It¡¯s like leaving the back door open.


    ¡°That¡¯s a big problem¡­¡­.I looked into the process of occupying the Bridget territory after the king¡¯s death, and it seems that there is a reason why there was no movement in Estren even during such a chaotic time.¡±


    ¡°What reason?¡±


    ¡°The king of Estren is currently avoiding war due to his advanced age. In addition, the king is unable to produce an heir, and there is a fierce dispute among the nobles, who are divided into factions, over who will be the next king.¡±


    The struggle for the throne.


    Since no successor has been decided, each faction will try to set up a king who will allow them to take control of the country¡¯s government.


    ¡°So it¡¯s unlikely they will start a war. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Fihatri nodded, but I was considerably more negative. I couldn¡¯t remember the succession issue, but there was one important person in the game that I remembered clearly.


    There would soon be a coup d¡¯etat here in Estren. That person seized the royal power and embarked on a war of conquest, where he played a very active role with his superior abilities and his special military unit called the Grand Fleet.


    He grows into a man who will fight for the supremacy of the continent in the future. The coup d¡¯etat had occurred after the fall of Lunan, if it hadn¡¯t happened yet, it would soon. Estren would later become a very dangerous nation.


    ¡°Most importantly. What if we could make this great fleet of Estren ours?¡±


    ¡°Estren Grand Fleet?¡±


    Fihatri looked at me as if to say, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± It was a normal reaction, since he was worried about being attacked, but suddenly he said something out of the blue.


    ¡°The question is, what would happen if we had this huge fleet? The mountains stop the enemy from getting in, but they also make it inconvenient for us to get out. But with a fleet like this, we can easily travel anywhere on the continent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. The fleet will definitely increase our war potential.¡±


    So I need to get my hands on that fleet.


    ¡°Send a messenger to Estren. I¡¯m sending a delegation to request an alliance.¡±


    Of course, there was no way they were going to enter into this alliance, which was completely unprofitable for them. An alliance was just an excuse.


    To completely remove the danger of the empty rear, that was my biggest challenge right now.


    If I could obtain about 150,000 troops, and if I could at least guarantee the stability of the people and agriculture, then I would finally be able to declare the founding of my country and embark on a full-scale campaign on the continent.


    It is impossible to train 150,000 troops in a situation where I do not know when the enemy will invade. If they invade frequently, the number of troops will dwindle.


    In order to train 150,000 troops, we also need to increase our population and Estren actually had the solution to that population problem as well.


    ***


    Mirine was busy meeting farmers who had been farming in the Brinhild area for generations. She was very serious in her approach to the work she was entrusted with.


    Yurasia followed Mirine around and the peasants were very cooperative due to her charm level. She was also in charge of training the army, so she had a lot of work to do.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Estren Kingdom.¡±


    I visited Yurasia and talked to her.


    ¡°The Estren Kingdom? What brings you there?¡±


    ¡°To secure the rear¡­¡­.I think.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    Yurasia had planned to go with me, however, this time it was not to be because there were many parts of the system that would not operate properly without her in Brinhild.


    All of Brinhild¡¯s internal affairs right now are assisted by her. The training of the army is also more efficient with her, she is like a cheat.


    In addition, in order to hide from the public eye, I can¡¯t be accompanied by someone who stands out. Yurasia¡¯s very presence was conspicuous, so she was not suitable to accompany me this time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go alone this time. In the meantime, I need you to train the army and take care of internal affairs. I need you to stay here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yurasia¡¯s cheeks puff up at my words, she didn¡¯t seem to like it. The blonde¡¯s furrowed brow scared me.


    ***


    The port of Estren was huge. It would be an exaggeration to say that it was like looking at the Suez Canal, but the scenery of the wooden ships was solemn.


    The entire port of Estren was filled with warships, there¡¯s too much to gain here in Estren. It would cost a fortune to build a new fleet of that size. Not just money, but time as well.


    I¡¯m not even sure if the fleet will be complete by the time the continental conquest is over. The more I looked at the ships in the harbor, the more I wanted them, but there was nothing I could do about it now.


    I turned around and headed for the royal palace in Estren. My goal for now was an alliance. Of course, that was never going to happen. Anyway, I sent an envoy to confirm my intentions beforehand, and was given permission to visit, so I came to the royal palace.


    The king of Estren was quite old, as I had heard. That meant that the king had no children. The fact that he was childless meant that he had a problem with his lower body, sexual dysfunction or something like that.


    The game¡¯s setting is that the nobles were fighting over the next king¡¯s throne because of this, and he was letting his magnificent fleet rot instead of using it. The king of Estren, with his shaggy white hair, stared at me. This king is an ordinary king that you can find anywhere.


    The king¡¯s power is not strong, but that doesn¡¯t mean that the nobles have completely taken over the government.


    ¡°Are you a vassal from Aintorian?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    The king looked at me blankly and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Aintorian¡­¡­.His Majesty has granted you a visit because he thinks you are the heir to the ancient kingdom, but you are now a family with the status of a frontier lord. It¡¯s not like occupying Bridget will make you a nation, so what qualifications did you have to request an audience with His Majesty? Moreover, your master is so cocky to send his vassals instead of coming in person!¡±


    A nobleman who is overtly hostile. It must have already been rumored that I had destroyed Narja¡¯s 160,000-strong army, but I could tell that the reason he emphasized my escape, excluding that part, was to gain diplomatic advantage.


    I didn¡¯t feel good about it, but I wasn¡¯t going to show it. Because now I¡¯m not Aintorian Erhin, I¡¯m pretending to be his vassal, Merja Haddin and my goal is not an alliance, but to enter the palace.


    Whether I was turned away or insulted, my goal was to come in first.


    [Retin Kashak]


    [Age: 34]


    [Martial Force: 92]


    [Intelligence: 81]


    [Command: 90]


    Moreover, my first objective was this very nobleman who was humiliating me ahead of time, Retin Kashak. His abilities are quite good. He¡¯s even better than Fihatri, who¡¯s all 80+.


    He is the one who will stage a coup d¡¯etat to take control of Estren and conquer the continent. If this coup is successful, he will invade Aintorian. He¡¯s the kind of guy who¡¯ll get even more aggressive when he hears about me.

 CH 93

    Chapter 1/2 sponsored by SvenNeitzel, thank you for your support.


    I¡¯m confident I can win, but I don¡¯t want to waste my country¡¯s power in a war when I should be gaining strength. That¡¯s why I came to this place to get rid of this man beforehand. Of course, that is the reason why I hid my true identity.


    ¡°Yes, that¡­¡­.¡±


    I stepped back, stunned by Kashak¡¯s spirit.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to propose an alliance!¡±


    ¡°Alliance, you say? An alliance between an independent nation with only one territory and this Estren? What¡¯s in it for us?¡±


    Kashak raised his voice.


    I fell on my buttocks and sat down in a very uncomfortable position.


    ¡°Count Kashak, there¡¯s nothing to say there. He just couldn¡¯t save Lunan because the former king of Lunan sent him to Roserun. In the midst of all that, he did a fine job defending the people of Lunan, defeating Narja, and settling in Bridget.¡±


    However, there was a nobleman who was surprisingly supportive of me. I was a little surprised that they knew so much about it so accurately. There are a lot of people who think the rumors are exaggerated.


    The system confirmed that it was someone named Count Dufour¨¦. From the looks of it, he seems to be quite friendly towards me, but I don¡¯t know how he really feels. He wasn¡¯t a famous person in the game.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it ridiculous that they want to cooperate with us by forming a military alliance when they can¡¯t even protect themselves? Rather, it seems to me that they want to establish a safeguard in the southeastern part of the continent through an alliance, and then develop themselves to revive the old land of Lunan¡­¡­.They simply want to take advantage of this Estren, Your Majesty.¡±


    You were exactly right. That was the purpose of proposing the alliance. Of course, I didn¡¯t come here to seriously propose an alliance, so you didn¡¯t guess perfectly.


    All the nobles except Count Dufour¨¦ nodded at Kashak words. The king seemed to think so as well. He shook his head and said to me,


    ¡°My vassals, it is all thanks to the Ancient Kingdom that my Estren has a powerful navy. Therefore, I will discuss it again with the nobles in light of Aintorian¡¯s name. You should stay back for a while. In the meantime, I will prepare a place for you to stay in the royal palace.¡±


    Yes, this is what I wanted in the first place. I don¡¯t care about alliances.


    ***


    Count Kashak Retin, he is the most powerful young warlord in the Kingdom of Estren. He has never revealed his ambition, but he has a strong determination. His ambition was to rule the Kingdom of Estren.


    The current king was old, cowardly, and had no desire for war. He only wanted to maintain the status quo. That¡¯s why he¡¯s being pushed around by the nobles and wasting this wonderful time of his life. No matter how much he tried to convince the king that if he didn¡¯t act now, he would only be eliminated, the king would not listen.


    The same goes for the duke¡¯s people, who are constantly fighting for their succession. Kashak saw them as incapable of doing anything but undermining the country.


    The continent was falling further and further into chaos. In times like these, if they didn¡¯t act properly, they would only head down the path of ruin.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for this cowardly king and his political warring nobles, he could have sailed his fleet during the war between Roserun and Bridget to take advantage of them. And by now, they would have occupied a significant portion of Bridget¡¯s territory.


    That was their first chance and now, with the destruction of Lunan, they have a second chance. And yet, nothing was being done! Kashak couldn¡¯t take it any longer, the time had come to carry out the coup d¡¯etat he had been planning for ten years.


    Now that Narja had lost a large army, it was time to move! Kashak had confidence in himself. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s the Aintorian or Narja he was confident that he could win.


    ¡°The king has lived long enough. I will kill him, set up a puppet king, and change this country! To do that, we have to get rid of everyone who gets in my way.¡±


    Kashak¡¯s ambition, which he had been keeping inside for ten years, came out in front of his right-hand retainer Nelchin, who was loyal to him.


    ¡°Sir! We are ready! Eliminate that old defender of the king and Estren will be ours!¡±


    Kashak nodded at Nelchin¡¯s words. The two old men guarding Estren meant the commander of the Grand Fleet, Chesedin, and the captain of the Royal Guard.


    For Kashak, the presence of these two men, who were also his childhood friends, was the thing he did not like the most. They were the ones who must be eliminated in order for the coup to succeed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with the two old men together. As soon as they are dealt with, you must take control of the palace and replace the king!¡¡Everything must be done swiftly. In the end, history belongs to the victors. If we change the king, then we will be righteous and all opponents will be recorded as traitors.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°We must be careful. Only with caution will success follow.¡±


    Kashak urged Nelchin to be exceptionally careful, he had to succeed. His plan was perfect, no matter how he thought about it there was nothing unexpected.


    ***


    Marquis Ramel Chesedin, was the commander of the First Fleet of the Estren Kingdom. Virtually no other country could overlook Estren because this First Fleet was in good shape. Estren was surrounded by an ocean in between and a huge river that flowed from that ocean. With his naval skills that could be used not only in the ocean but also in the river, he was quite an important presence in Estren.


    The First Fleet¡¯s troops were naval, but the moment they landed, they became land forces. So, it also meant that if he left Chesedin alone, he would have to fight the perfect First Fleet in a coup.


    It would not be difficult to take control of the First Fleet, which had fallen into chaos after losing its captain.


    Chesedin was on his way to the SS barracks in the royal palace for the retirement ceremony of his friend, the SS captain Shaq but Kashak held him back.


    ¡°Your Excellency, the Marquis, I need to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°I have an appointment. We¡¯ll talk later.¡±


    ¡°I have urgent news concerning the Narja Kingdom. I need you to come with me to see His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What urgent news? I was told the Narja Kingdom has lost that army.¡±


    ¡°The king¡¯s troops are still there. This is very important information that could bring disaster to Estren!¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    He had no choice but to go along with Kashak if he said so much. No matter how many troops they lost, Narja was still Narja. There was no one who could ignore the most powerful country on the continent.


    Furthermore, Chesedin friend and SS captain, Shaq, was not even allowed to go to work at the barracks today. This was because Shaq had already lost his life to Kashak sword.


    As Kashak shouted to the soldiers, one of the several deputies who had assumed a cautionary posture reported to Chesedin.


    ¡°This is exactly the spy I planted in Narja. I¡¯ve brought him here directly to get new information!¡±


    Chesedin could only nod at the serious look on his face. In the end, he followed Kashak. He had never dreamed that Kashak had any ambition.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the details in front of His Majesty.¡±


    After being told that, he couldn¡¯t ask any more questions.


    Once inside the palace, he was disarmed as a matter of course. Kashak, of course, was disarmed, as were his soldiers, and also his confidant, who was quietly standing behind Chesedin.


    Once disarmed, Kashak took the lead. The audience chamber of the magnificent royal palace, the largest building in the Estren Kingdom, reflected the sun¡¯s rays. The gold color was even more majestic in its splendor when illuminated by the sun.


    Kashak, who was leading the way, stopped in front of the court of the queen, the king¡¯s favorite. The king was over eighty years old and his new queen was only twenty-two years old. The age difference between the queen and the king is common in dynasties with a long history.


    The king, who had been unable to fulfill his role as a man for quite some time, was unable to have children, but he loved the queen and was still staying in her room.


    When Kashak stood in front of the room, the SS soldiers blocked his way with spears.


    The soldiers who noticed Kashak and Chesedin bowed their heads one after another. But of course, the spears blocking their way remained in place.


    ¡°I have urgent intelligence to convey to Your Majesty. Make way.¡±


    When Kashak glared at the spear and said, the soldiers showed some difficulty. The chief attendant of the imperial palace soon appeared, as he had heard them talking.


    ¡°His Majesty says he will not see anyone now.¡±


    Kashak furrowed as he shook his head resolutely.


    ¡°It concerns the Narja Kingdom, the enemy may invade.¡±


    Although they do not share a border with the Narja Kingdom, the rumors about them that have been circulating on the continent lately have been incredible. The chief attendant¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°Oh, is that true?¡±


    Kashak nodded strongly and the chamberlain hurried inside.


    A few moments later.


    ¡°Please come in.¡±


    The chief attendant hurriedly guided Kashak and Chesedin, while Kashak secretly signaled Nelchin with his eyes so that Chesedin would not notice.


    It was the day he had been aiming for a long time. This was the very day he had been planning for ten years. Of course, for Kashak, a coup d¡¯etat was a last resort. That¡¯s why it took him ten years to reach this point.


    Today was the day he would take power to pursue his dream. Kashak followed the chamberlain, thinking that the blue sky was blessing him.


    Only high-ranking nobles were allowed to meet the king. Naturally, neither Kashak soldiers nor Chesedin followers could come with them.

 CH 94

    Chapter 2/2 sponsored by SvenNeitzel, thank you for your support.


    Kashak wanted to get his lieutenant away from Chesedin. The only reason why he couldn¡¯t assassinate Chesedin like Shaq was because of that follower.


    He is a warlord who has been guarding the Chesedin for many years and has strong martial force. That¡¯s why the assassination of the Chesedin was so difficult for him. So he looked for a better way, an opportunity to separate them.


    That was exactly what he did at this moment. He had to prevent Chesedin from escaping to the fleet. That would be the worst of the worst.


    Kashak walked on, satisfied with the fact that he had successfully left the Chesedin alone and gained an audience with the king. However, the time it took him to reach the king seemed too slow.


    Perhaps it was the tension, but the weight of each moment slowed down the time. When he finally entered the palace, he saw the king. He was sitting next to the queen, cuddling up to her. The queen brought a piece of fruit to the king¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°What about Narja? We don¡¯t even have a border with Narja¡­¡­¡±


    The king asked, coughing heavily. He was sure that death was imminent, he had already been waiting for it for ten years.


    The king has been living a long life in spite of his chronic illness. Thanks to him, Kashak opportunities were slowly diminishing. He looked at the king in front of him and the Chesedin next to him, hiding the hatred in his eyes.


    ¡°By the way, you are¡­¡­.¡±


    Then he furrowed his brow again. The king and queen were confronted by a completely unexpected person. But he quickly turned his head away.


    The man was weak, that was Kashak¡¯s assessment. No matter how many times he was in the palace of another country, he would never show his weakness like that.


    This was the man who sat down on his buttocks when Kashak shouted. A man who came to another country and showed his disgusting appearance, he was already out of Kashak¡¯s sight when he saw that he had no pride. So ignoring him, Kashak said in front of the king.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Narja Kingdom is targeting Estren.¡±


    Kashak knelt down for a moment and told him so. Sweat dripped down on his hands. At the false report, the king spat out the fruit the queen had brought to his mouth, unable to swallow it, and coughed harshly again.


    ¡±What does that mean? How can the Narja Kingdom¡­¡­!¡±


    The ¡®how¡¯ implied that such a thing was not possible since they did not share a border with Narja. Naturally, Chesedin looked at Kashak with the same expression.


    ¡°Is that true? How on earth could it be?¡±


    Kashak assured Chesedin and the king with a serious face.


    ¡±It is true.¡±


    At that very moment, the astonished faces of Chesedin and the king suddenly heard the sound of arms clashing against each other. Then, with the sound of the steel, a scream went up.


    ¡°¨CYou¡­¡­one and all, gwaaaaah!¡±


    It was a surprise attack. No matter how strong a warlord is, if he is attacked by his comrades without weapons, there is nothing he can do.


    This was the signal that Chesedin confidant had been separated from him. Kashak, who had been waiting for this very signal, stood up with a confident smile on his face.


    Kashak took out his concealed weapon, a waist belt sword. It is forbidden to bring weapons into the royal palace, that¡¯s why they all disarmed themselves in front of the royal palace, and this weapon was the fruit of a ten-year plan.


    Kashak said a few words with the sword in his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry My Lord. This is also for the new age.¡±


    Chesedin, who was walking towards the outside of the palace where the scream was heard with a quizzical expression, turned around at Kashak words.


    No, he was going to turn around but Kashak gave him no chance to do so. He swung his mana-filled sword down at Chesedin back, which was wide and straight despite his old age.


    ¡°My Lord, get behind me!¡±


    As soon as Kashak grabbed his sword, the queen who was standing next to the king reacted quickly and shouted while throwing the fruit she was holding but Kashak¡¯s sword was faster. Chesedin¡¯s body turned around and collapsed.


    The king, shocked by his appearance, trembled and shouted.


    ¡°Kashak! What are you doing?¡±


    At the same time, the queen shouted outside.


    ¡°SS! Get inside now and protect His Majesty!¡±


    Kashak laughed, they would soon swarm in, but he intended to end it all before that happened. Rather, the ones who came into the palace were the outside SS and Kashak men who had achieved their goal by surprising Chesedin follower.


    ¡°Sir, the SS soldiers will be arriving shortly!¡±


    It¡¯s a race against time anyway. That¡¯s the part he fully expected and he had troops ready to deal with them. All he has to do is kill this king and everything will be over. Kashak quickly pointed his sword at the king.


    ¡°No!¡±


    The queen, Serena, interrupted him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t point a sword at the king and still be a citizen of this country!¡±


    ¡°My queen, we don¡¯t need a king who will destroy our country!¡±


    Kashak tilted his head as he looked into Serena¡¯s wide, straight eyes, the spirit of a young woman, only twenty-two years old. He knew she was a proud woman but still, he couldn¡¯t let her live. He liked her pride and spirit, but he had to kill everyone who was in his way at this moment.


    ¡°Kill the vassals over there as they are witnesses! I¡¯ll deal with the king and queen!¡±


    Kashak ordered his men and swung his sword at Queen Serena.


    ***


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll give you a massage.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Queen Serena opened her mouth while rubbing his shoulders.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It feels good. But you know what, you can stop rubbing my shoulders and sit down next to me. The political battles between the nobles only hurt my head¡­¡­.The moment I see your smiling face is the happiest moment. Ho-ho-ho.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very nice thing to say.¡±


    Serena chuckled at that. In fact, Serena was given the title of queen because her father, Dofle, belonged to the centrist faction. Since the two noble houses of Estren were currently in a fierce conflict over the succession, the queenship could not be handed over to either of them.


    It is a known fact that the king is unable to produce an heir, but even so, it would be disadvantageous if the queen were to come from one side, that¡¯s why the daughter of the nobleman Dofle, with whom he had no relationship or connection, was chosen to be the queen.


    Serena was chosen to be queen, regardless of her own will, much less that of her father Dofle. Of course, the king¡¯s greed was involved in this. He wanted a beautiful woman.


    ¡°Ho ho ho, what a beautiful smile.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty! It seems that all the nobles have gathered!¡±


    At that moment, the chief attendant reported.


    ¡°Your Majesty, there are important matters to be decided this time, and you must come!¡±


    Even the noblemen who had come for the king joined them.


    ¡°Nobles, they are bothering the old man.¡±


    The king had no choice but to leave the queen¡¯s room with an uncomfortable look on his face. A short time later, another man came to visit the queen, it was her father, Count Dofle.


    ¡°Father, we¡¯ve been expecting you.¡±


    Serena ordered the maidservant with a cheerful expression as she led Dofle to the table.


    ¡°Bring me some tea.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    As soon as the maids withdrew, Serena looked at Dofle with an impatient look on her face, as if she had been waiting for him.


    ¡°You wanted to see me, Your Royal Highness?¡±


    Serena nodded in response to Dofle¡¯s question.


    ¡°I understand a vassal has arrived from Aintorian.¡±


    Dofle stared at his daughter.


    Ever since she was a little girl, she had always loved small talk. From gossip, to life stories, to war stories, she was always interested in anything. Recently, she had been fascinated by the rumors about Aintorian, she was quite interested in that story.


    When it came to Aintorian, her eyes lit up like a six-year-old¡¯s and she concentrated on the story.


    ¡°Her Royal Highness, is this more about Aintorian than me?¡±


    Dofle asked, and Serena shook her head.


    ¡°No way! Of course, father is the best! It¡¯s just that there are so many interesting rumors¡­¡­.That¡¯s all.¡±


    Serena said, but Dofle laughed inwardly. She was not just a little bit obsessed, she was completely obsessed.


    Dofle knew very well that her interest had only grown since she had been confined to the palace. The young lord of Aintorian was a free-spirited man who had won victories on his own, and Serena was probably getting a pseudo-satisfaction from his actions.


    ¡°What is the purpose of the vassal¡¯s visit? Who came from Aintorian?¡±


    Seeing the curious look on her face, Dofle laughed and opened his mouth.


    ¡°It appears to be someone named Haddin, I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s a vassal of the Count Aintorian and his title is Baron. He seems to be here to discuss an alliance¡­but it won¡¯t be easy. Kashak has exposed Aintorian¡¯s true intentions in front of the vassals, but he seems to think it has nothing to do with the national interest.¡±


    ¡°If we join forces with him, we will be of great help. Haven¡¯t the other nobles heard that rumor?¡±


    ¡°I think the problem is that he has a small force. The aristocrats like to compare, so there¡¯s no way they¡¯d want to form an alliance with a small force on equal terms, no matter how much they¡¯ve defeated Narja, there are many nobles who think that it was luck.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­I think it¡¯s going to get bigger soon. Right now I¡¯d rather just buckle down for more challenges!¡±


    Serena shouted with a frustrated look on her face. Her voice was filled with eagerness.


    ¡°I agree with you, my queen. Given the situation on the continent, Count Aintorian probably chose Bridget¡¯s old territory on purpose. It¡¯s also true that he defeated Narja again in the process, even though everyone is scared of Narja.¡±


    The strategy that defeated Narja in the first war between Narja and Lunan, the strategy that defeated Bridget who attacked Roserun and even the recent battle where he lured and defeated a large army of Narja with a mana formation.


    The last one was even more shocking because the large army that he lured was led by Flan Valdesca, a famous strategist on the continent.


    Has such a person ever existed in history? Wasn¡¯t he the incarnation of the first king of Aintorian, who had founded the Ancient Kingdom? That¡¯s what Dofle thought.


    For the sake of his daughter, who was quite enamored with the topic, he even sent people to Aintorian himself to gather information.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­that we can¡¯t form an alliance.¡±


    When his daughter looked dejected, Dofle thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.

 CH 95

    ¡°Would you like to meet with the Aintorian emissary in person? The alliance is a matter of state, but a meeting would not be a problem. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to tell you much more about Aintorian than I can.¡±


    ¡°Really?! Then I¡¯ll tell His Majesty about it. If he meets with His Majesty, something might change. Maybe he¡¯ll change his mind about the alliance¡­¡­.¡±


    Dofle laughed inwardly when he saw Serena smiling brightly.


    This was the daughter who had been locked up in the birdcage. He had always felt bad for her, but seeing her so happy, Dofle decided that he would do whatever he could to let her see him.


    He knew that meeting the envoy with the king would not change anything, but if it would make his daughter happy, it would be worth it.


    ***


    Kashak swung his sword.


    Serena closed her eyes as she saw the sword blade flash. She knew that this was her end, but it was gloomy. It was her fate to die like this. At that moment, she gave up on everything.


    A strange thing happened as Erhin, who had been cowering, suddenly blocked Kashak¡¯s sword. The royal palace, where you cannot enter without returning your weapon, was completely irrelevant to Erhin, who possessed the summoned item, Daitouren.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    Erhin rescued Queen Serena.


    Kashak men jumped on Erhin in a panic, but they were no match for him. There was no one in Estren who could match Erhin¡¯s brute force with Daitouren, at least not here.


    Kashak¡¯s men were all hit by Erhin¡¯s [Attack] command and rolled on the ground.


    ¡°Watch your back!¡±


    Serena shouted strongly, looking at Erhin with a shocked expression, because behind him was Kashak.


    With that, she ran to the king, because she had to defend the king first. The king¡¯s blood pressure rose in anger, and he fell down, coughing violently, his face red. He had received a psychological shock. It seemed impossible for him to even get up on his own.


    Serena supported the king.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we need to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s get out of here now.¡±


    The king nodded and agreed to Serena¡¯s words, he had no intention of dying.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, that won¡¯t be necessary. The palace is here. Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Erhin said, not paying any attention to Kashak behind him.


    ¡°Aintorian¡¯s vassal. You said your name was Haddin. Were you pretending to be weak on purpose?¡±


    Kashak was more than a little perplexed by the fact that he had killed Nelchin with a single blow. Even he was not confident that he could defeat Nelchin with a single blow.


    Kashak pointed his sword at Erhin with a look of bitterness on his face at the completely unexpected turn of events but Erhin had no intention of exchanging words with Kashak.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. You¡¯re going to die here.¡±


    I¡¯ll get rid of the ones that need to be taken care of. This is why he swung Daitouren at Kashak but Kashak stopped Erhin¡¯s attack. No, it looked like he stopped him, but Daitouren continuous attacks were really fast and sharp. The 92 martial force Kashak who could not use mana was like a child in front of Erhin, who used Daitouren.


    The outcome of the battle had already been decided. In the blink of an eye, Daitouren had decapitated Kashak in a leisurely, circular motion. The severed head of Kashak fell to the ground in the palace and rolled around.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Erhin asked, shifting his gaze from the rolling head to the king and Serena. The King of Estren nodded as he looked at Erhin. Serena propped the king up and sat him down in a chair.


    ¡°I am in your debt, Aintorian¡¯s emissary!¡±


    ¡°We cannot rest yet. There must have been others who sympathized with them. The rebellion was not planned in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    The king was so surprised that he coughed violently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Erhin calmly picked up Kashak¡¯s head and walked out with it. As he had expected, the palace was in chaos, the soldiers that Kashak had sent to guard the palace gates were opening the gates, and at the same time, Kashak¡¯s soldiers were fighting a fierce battle with the SS.


    In fact, the rebellion was on its way to success. If the king and Chesedin had been killed here and Kashak himself had led that army, the result would have been clear, even though the SS were outnumbered.


    The rebels led by Kashak would have eliminated the SS in the blink of an eye and taken over the palace, but without Kashak, it was a pointless rebellion.


    Erhin threw Kashak¡¯s head in front of the rebels and shouted.


    ¡°The leader of the rebellion has been decapitated. What are you doing? SS soldiers, dispose of the rebels who lost their leader!¡±


    The rebel soldiers froze when they saw Kashak¡¯s head. The SS were puzzled by Erhin¡¯s order, but began to rush towards the rebels. Not only did they not have the right to command, but the momentum of Erhin, who was only a person from another country, pushed them to follow his orders.


    Erhin smiled inwardly as he watched them. Destroying this rebellion was a necessary action before the founding of Aintorian that was his reason for visiting Estren under the guise of an alliance.


    The timing of the visit was not difficult to set, since he knew roughly when the rebellion would take place. Of course, Erhin did not expect this to happen during his audience with the king and queen.


    It was surprising that such an audience had even been separately arranged. All he knew was that there would be a coup d¡¯etat while he was in the palace, and he was going to make his move then.


    The rebellion was stopped but it didn¡¯t matter if he stopped it the king was dead. It was just a matter of preventing the coup from happening.


    There were A-grade warlords in Estren, but no S-grade. There were only five S-class warlords on the continent, and Estren did not have one. Although there was an unexpected development and history changed, there was still no special change in the Estren.


    Instead of doing a poor job of assassination, he had killed someone who could have brought Aintorian into the war openly and there were no consequences only benefits.


    ***


    When Dofle heard the news of the rebellion, he rushed breathlessly to the royal palace. He was covered in sweat so it could be seen how desperately he had run.


    The king was in a bad state and Serena, who had been nursing him, came out of the king¡¯s bedroom and greeted Dofle.


    ¡°Serena! You¡¯re safe!¡±


    He was so surprised that he forgot to call her ¡°Your Highness¡± and shouted as if he were calling his daughter before she entered the palace and came right in front of Serena.


    Serena nodded rather calmly.


    I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    After confirming that she was not hurt, he finally let out a sigh of relief and sat down at the table.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Kashak was a rebel¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°That surprised me, too, Father.¡±


    Serena sat down next to Dofle and began to talk about the tense moment. The more Dofle listened to Serena¡¯s story, the paler he became, because she had just returned from the brink of death.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Aintorian¡¯s emissary, I¡¯d never have seen my daughter again¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh, father. You see, I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha.¡±


    Dofle smiled and shook his head as he sighed.


    ¡°But it was good. I¡¯m really glad¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°What kind of person is the envoy? I¡¯ve never even spoken to him, and now this has happened¡­¡­.He saved my life and yours¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°So he killed Kashak?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it didn¡¯t take very long. I think the fight was already decided before they even faced each other.¡±


    Serena calmly explained, recalling the situation as it happened. The more she did so, the more Dofle realized how strong his daughter¡¯s spirit was. How could she remember everything that had happened in such an urgent moment?


    It was the kind of situation that would make a normal person freeze in surprise.


    ¡°He was such a great man. I had thought that he lacked spirit for a vassal of Aintorian, but I didn¡¯t expect such a development. I guess I¡¯d better see him again.¡±


    ¡°Father, we¡¯re indebted to that man and Aintorian.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. What do you think about the envoy? I want to hear what you think of him, regardless of the fact that he helped you.¡±


    Serena answered Dofle¡¯s question immediately, without thinking because she already had an answer.


    ¡°He is strong.¡±


    It was an answer he hadn¡¯t expected but Dofle nodded his head. Then Serena smiled again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about physique.¡±


    Serena waved her hand in denial, then returned to her serious expression and opened her mouth again.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t just slay the enemy and stop there, he immediately read the situation and moved on. In no time at all, he started commanding the SS, and the SS had no choice but to follow him. As a result, the remnants of the rebels were overpowered in an instant.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it happened¡­¡­.¡±


    He had never heard his own daughter praise anyone so much.


    ¡°Father, I have no intention of interfering in the affairs of state. I am in no position to do so. But at least I can trust Aintorian ability to save our life¡¯s. There is absolutely no harm in forming an alliance with them. Please convince the nobles once again!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­something I¡¯ll do my best to do.¡±


    Dofle nodded, but he wasn¡¯t sure if the other nobles would listen to him. It was more important to them that their chosen successor would be the next king than to talk about an unprofitable alliance.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to see you again. I have so much to tell you, Father.¡±


    Serena asked Dofle once again with longing eyes. Naturally, Count Dofle could not refuse the request of his daughter who had sacrificed herself because of him.


    When he left the queen¡¯s palace, he punched himself in the cheek when he realized that he had been treating Serena as a daughter and not as a queen.

 CH 96

    ¡°All you have to do is reward him personally, such as returning the favor¡­¡­.Alliances are a matter of state, Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    The meeting was held again but the nobles of Estren strongly rejected the alliance. Well, that was to be expected.


    An alliance between countries is not a game. In other words, they are formed only when the relationship is equal to some extent, unless it is an agreement of paying tribute and military vassalage.


    It¡¯s like the relationship that Lunan and Roserun had, but I didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of serving Estren.


    ¡°What do we have to gain by allying ourselves with Aintorian? Explain it to me.¡±


    In the meantime, Count Dofle asked me. He was very friendly to me. It was Count Dofle who had arranged for me to meet the king and queen. His words must have meant that I should try to persuade the nobles who were gathered here.


    ¡°First, according to our intelligence, there should be an invasion of the nearby Ramie Kingdom. If that happens, Aintorian¡¯s army can lend a hand. It is a strong army that has dealt with Narja and Brigitte day in and day out.¡±


    In fact, this was not a lie, of course, the time frame was still a long way off.


    As soon as they heard my words, the nobles gave me a look of disapproval.


    ¡°The Ramie Kingdom is our ally. And even if such a thing were to happen, the navy of Estren is the strongest on the continent. We don¡¯t need your help!¡±


    One of them shouted, looking confident about the navy. But that was only when there was a competent commander. Thanks to Chesedin¡¯s death, the navy would soon be in the hands of a foolish man.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let that go unheard. The king of Ramie is an old friend of mine. I don¡¯t think they will attack us.¡±


    ¡°But that is not all. The Narja Kingdom is in a position to attack Estren at any time. Just because you don¡¯t share a border with them now doesn¡¯t mean that you are safe.¡±


    The Kingdom of Narja is not a country with a well-developed navy. That¡¯s why the Kingdom of Estren was completely relieved, but that¡¯s a ridiculous assumption. There is no country that the king of Narja would not target.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You¡¯re just causing confusion with your baseless arguments. Well, it¡¯s also true that you prevented a rebellion. Therefore, I will give you one last chance. Serve this Estren. If you are willing to offer tribute and form a military-vassal relationship, I will let you off the hook.¡±


    The Duke of Zeta, the chief of the nobles, spoke such nonsense.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good. Alliances should be based on equality.¡±


    ¡°Then you can go home now!¡±


    When the Duke of Zeta came to that conclusion, even the nobles began to call for me to leave, there was nothing more to say here. My purpose in coming here was not only to prevent a coup and return home. There were still some things to be gained. Of course, it was not an alliance.


    That hadn¡¯t even been in my mind from the beginning, because there was a more reliable way than that. The promise of an alliance is like a relationship on ice that can always be broken by betrayal.


    ¡°If that is what they say, then you must go back¡­¡­.I¡¯m sorry, envoy, but you must return to your country. I will repay you with gold for your kindness in saving my life¡­¡­.!¡±


    In the end, the king gave way to the nobles.


    ***


    ¡°My brother is dead?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡­.It¡¯s too heartbreaking. Master Lushak!¡±


    ¡°Kukkuk, I see. My brother is dead?¡±


    Kashak¡¯s territory.


    The vassals knelt down to avenge their enemy with a look of regret on their faces, but Luciak started laughing. He tried to laugh in his heart, but it was a normal laugh.


    ¡°Master Lushak?¡±


    The reaction of the vassals made Lushak change his expression in panic.


    ¡°I will avenge him. I will never forgive the royal family and the nobles of Estren!¡±


    He said that, but inwardly he was shouting with joy at the fact that he would inherit the entire power that Kashak had built up.


    ¡°You said the allies that my brother has infiltrated in the capital and the royal court are still alive and well?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If it weren¡¯t for the intervention of the Aintorian emissary¡­¡­they would have stood up and protected the lord all at once!¡±


    Thud! Lushak kicked his vassal with his foot in the middle of his story then he shouted under his breath.


    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m your lord from now on! Can we please get that straight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡±


    When the retainer raised himself to apologize, Lushak snickered.


    ¡°Oh well. Count Lexemann, a friend of my brother¡¯s, is willing to lend a hand, and then it¡¯ll be easy. The palace guards would be no problem once the people that my brother had infiltrated open the gates!¡±


    It was a plan that Kashak had meticulously prepared for ten years. It was not going to all fall apart overnight.


    ¡°We will launch a bloody vendetta against the royal family of Estren, who are trying to destroy our family.¡±


    The brother of the ringleader of the coup, although he should have been arrested for his role in the coup, Lushak had no intention of giving up the Cossack throne he had finally obtained, and led his entire army to march on the capital.


    This was done swiftly under the cover of night. The soldiers in the territory were also elite soldiers that Kashak had poured his heart and soul into raising and they were quite fast.


    ***


    [Lushak rebels]


    [Soldiers: 22,000]


    [Morale: 90 + 10 (rage)]


    [Training level: 88]


    Lushak rebels march on the royal capital of Estren.


    The gates of the royal capital are easily opened by the conspirators that Kashak has infiltrated.


    ¡°For Master Kashak!¡±


    What Kashak had done for the past ten years was considerable. Otherwise, Lushak rebels, or originally the Kashak Territorial Army, would not have had a +10 rage gauge on their morale.


    It was only natural that the family would be destroyed since they had been caught staging a coup d¡¯etat. His younger brother, Lushak, wasn¡¯t going to be beaten quietly, and the army quickly took over the royal palace.


    The military power was a good indication that if I hadn¡¯t killed Kashak, they might have been a dangerous element that could have invaded Aintorian at any time during the war with Narja.


    ¡°Kill them all! Kill all of the king¡¯s army!¡±


    Lushak began to ravage the royal city while uttering the typical lines.


    [Estren Royal City Guards]


    [Soldiers: 30,000]


    [Morale: 70]


    [Training level: 80]


    At first, the King¡¯s City Guard was 30,000 strong, but the number of soldiers who turned to the Lushak rebels reached 10,000. These are the soldiers who adored Kashak among the royal city guards. It can be said that they are the legacy of Kashak.


    Thanks to them, the number of the rebels quickly reached 30,000. The royal capital is a port city. The main force of the defenders is the navy, so it was also significant that the rebels attacked on land.


    The gap widened in the blink of an eye and the royal capital was set on fire. Well, it was only natural. The commander of the fleet, the capable warlord Shaq, was assassinated by Kashak. Kashak had also killed Chesedin, the veteran warlord who had defended the country and was its spiritual support.


    How can they stop the rebels in such a situation?


    Killing Kashak prevented the coup for a while, but in the end, the rebellion was destined to succeed. Retin Lushak, this guy is no big deal. He¡¯s really a violent man who makes a mistake and gets executed after Kashak comes to power.


    Estren would be a mess if such a man came to power. I had hoped that the incompetent Lushak would be in power instead of a competent and capable warlord, and that¡¯s what happened. What I have to do now is to overthrow the government held by such an incompetent Lushak.


    Even in the midst of this chaos, there was one thing I had to get. ¡¡In any case, my troops were useless. Right now, I needed stability and training, and I had my hands full just keeping Narja in check. Of course, Narja was in a situation where they couldn¡¯t move right away.


    ***


    ¡°Your Majesty, this way, please!¡±


    When the king received the news that Lushak had broken into the palace, he began to evacuate through an old hidden passage. The queen, Serena, and Dofle, who was worried about his daughter, were with him.


    The other leading nobles did not enter the palace, which was on fire, but fled out of the capital, because in a situation like this, the best way was to go back to their own territory. All they could think of was that if they headed for the royal palace, they would be surrounded by Lushak¡¯s army, isolated, and then die. However, there was no way that Lushak would stand by and watch them flee outside the capital.


    The king was the only one who knew about the hidden passage so only Dofle, who rushed to the palace because he was worried about his daughter, was given the chance to escape to safety.


    The king entered the hidden passageway with the SS, attendants, maidservants, Serena and Dofle to protect him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what is that gate?¡±


    Serena asked when she saw the huge iron door at the end of the hidden passage.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, either. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s a facility from the time of the Ancient Kingdom, but I don¡¯t know how to open it.¡±


    ¡°I see. The one in the middle is called the Mana Formation, by any chance?¡±


    A mana formation was painted in the center of the gate. Serena had seen it in a book, and when she asked, Dofle nodded.


    ¡°So it seems. Your Highness now is not the time to be worrying about gates that won¡¯t open.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Serena. The hidden passageway built by the previous king of Estren is next to it. Let¡¯s hurry up.¡±


    By the king¡¯s order, the existence of the giant iron door was erased from their minds and the group started walking again.


    ¡°Father, are you alright?¡±


    Serena squeezed Dofle¡¯s hand and he nodded at her. There was no way he was going to be weak when Serena was fine.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The King and Serena¡¯s party spent a considerable amount of time trying to get out of the hidden passage. The king was old and unsteady on his feet, and the hidden passage was quite steep, so it was not easy to escape. However, since it was a hidden passage that was difficult to find, he had not been tracked down yet.


    After that long struggle, they were finally able to get out of the hidden passage. The hidden passageway led to the outside of the royal capital, which meant that they were now outside the citadel that surrounded the city.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I will take you to Dofle territory for now. It would be better to evacuate to a safer place first, and then reclaim the capital in union with the other territories.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll do that. I don¡¯t care what it takes, I just need to rest for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    They started their journey again, but the old king was in no condition to ride a horse and he could not get a carriage as soon as he left the hidden passage, so his speed was quite slow.


    Dofle knew they couldn¡¯t go on like this. Lushak rebels, who had noticed the king¡¯s absence from the palace, were searching everywhere outside the capital.


    The faces of the SS turned pale when they saw the re

 CH 97

    ¡°Seize the king! His Excellency, Lord Lushak, has decreed that whoever captures the king will be rewarded handsomely! Kill everyone else!¡±


    When the rebels broke into the king¡¯s ranks, they were quickly intermingled and the SS and maids were killed.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯d better split up and run. They¡¯re after you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t die yet¡­¡­.! Come on, say something!¡±


    ¡°Please change into the clothes of the chamberlain. Then put His Majesty¡¯s clothes on the chamberlain and make him like His Majesty. Most of the rebels were in the provincial territories so they will be fooled.¡±


    Serena¡¯s good looks were widely known in Estren so she stood out. If there was someone dressed as a king with the queen, they would normally think it was the king and they would pursue him.


    This was not a viable solution because the rebels were so numerous that even if they split up and fled, there was a chance that they would both be caught but there was no other way.


    The reward that is supposed to be given to the one who captures the king will blind them and they will all go after the king alone, which will buy them some time.


    ¡°Serena, you¡¯re¡­¡­? That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, we don¡¯t have much time¡­¡­.!¡±


    The king was troubled but this king¡¯s top priority was his own life. Of course, he loved the queen, but he was willing to abandon her to save his own life.


    ¡°¡­¡­Then we have no choice. I¡¯ll have to rely on you for now. I¡¯ll give you a big reward when we retake the capital¡­¡­.!¡±


    The king quickly nodded to Serena¡¯s suggestion, not bothering to say anything unexpected.


    ¡°Find the king!¡±


    Still, the SS numbered 1,000, so while they struggled in the rear, the group split into two.


    ¡°Your Highness, your life is at risk in this situation.¡±


    Dofle shouted to his daughter, his blood boiling.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m queen, it¡¯s only natural that I should protect my husband.¡±


    ¡°I know that you do not have a relationship with him, and that you have no special feelings for him. Besides, His Majesty is too old to have spent the night with you! What kind of husband is that?¡±


    The king had long since lost his ability to function as a man. As a result, he was unable to have children with his other wives. The older he got, the more impossible it became for him. Even so, he was a womanizer who sought out only beautiful women.


    ¡°That may be so, but I¡¯m already a queen!¡±


    Dofle was overcome with despair. At this moment, there was something more important to him than the fact of losing his country. He did not want to lose that so he pulled Serena¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Father?¡±


    ¡°Serena! Get out of here!¡±


    ¡°I am a member of the royal court. It is only natural that I should share life and death with you.¡±


    ¡°Your marriage to His Majesty was a mistake! Damn, I should have taken you and defected to another country when the nobles tried to use our house¡­¡­!¡±


    Dofle expressed his regret.


    ¡°Still!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You will live free, Serena. In the world you¡¯ve dreamed of since you were a child! I should have done this a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Father¡­¡­!¡±


    Dofle took one last look at Serena.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Dofle hit Serena hard on the back of the neck, knocking her out. At any rate, Count Dofle is also a warlord.


    ¡°You two, take my daughter and run! Hurry!¡±


    He then shouted to the two vassals that had followed him. They were vassals who had served the Dofle family since Serena was a child.


    Sir¡­¡­that¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°I told you it was the last order. Now go! If you hesitate, you¡¯ll never get away from here. This is my last request to you. I¡¯m going to ask you to do the same. Would you leave your daughter behind? I want you to take Serena and return to your lands where your families are! This is my last order as Lord!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The two vassals looked at each other at the firmness of his intentions. They too had children. So they could not help but understand Dofle¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°You go! I will serve you to the end, my lord.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll take care of this!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time for this. Go now! The rebels are almost upon us!¡±


    The situation was so tense that eventually one of them had to nod. It reminded him of his own family back home, and he had to accept the proposal.


    ¡°I am a warlord. I¡¯ll fight the rebels and buy us some time. In the meantime, you must flee!¡±


    Dofle drew his sword to meet the rebels, hoping to buy them some time. Of course, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out much longer but it was the only way.


    ***


    In a way, Estren¡¯s downfall was caused by a power struggle that was divided over succession and didn¡¯t care about anything else.


    In the end, it was a war of factions. Faction warfare is good when it is a harmonious combination of checks and balances, but it is irreversible when it is only about one¡¯s own interests. That¡¯s why forces like Kashak appeared, who were dissatisfied with the existing nobility.


    In any case, it was important to know if Lushak would continue to be the tyrant I knew him to be. I was going to stay in the vicinity of the royal capital for a while because I needed to see it with my own eyes first. And as I looked around outside the capital, I saw the rebel army gathering.


    ¡°What crime have you committed against the people? Please stop the senseless killing now!¡±


    A voice came from ahead.


    The owner of the voice was familiar to me. I had only met him once, but he was someone I could not fail to remember. He was not the same type of person as Yurasia, but he was as good looking as her.


    What was more memorable than his good looks was the spirit with which he threw himself without hesitation to protect the king. Kashak had also praised her spirit.


    I¡¯m not sure why the Queen of Estren is alone under siege by the rebels.


    ¡°What the hell is she talking about?¡±


    The rebel soldiers naturally tuned out her words.


    ¡°You people¡­¡­¡±


    She stared at the soldiers with an intense gaze. Then she closed her eyes, as if she had a premonition of death. She acted as if she had no intention of begging for her life but there was an oversight. The soldiers didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of killing her easily.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a woman so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Look at the clothes she¡¯s wearing. She must be a lady of some rank.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wipe that drool off your face!¡±


    They¡¯re troops without a commander to enforce discipline.


    Especially if it is the same type of king as the king of Bridget, it is natural for the soldiers under his command to turn into a mob in the occupied cities. In order to boost the morale of the soldiers, orders for looting, arson, and murder must have been continuously issued without hesitation.


    I leapt to my feet and attacked the soldiers. I didn¡¯t even need to use Daitouren since my basic martial force itself had already been strengthened. Dealing with a small army was no problem at all. If there was a change in the situation, I could use [Invincibility for 30 seconds] and then worry about whether or not to use Daitouren.


    I hit the [Attack] command lightly and cut off the arm of the soldier who tried to slash me then beheaded him. Though the soldiers were surprised by the cruel death of their comrade and thrust out their spears, I had no problem dealing with them.


    ¡°Guaaaaaah!¡±


    [Dofle Serena]


    [Age: 22]


    [Martial Force: 2]


    [Intelligence: 77]


    [Command: 72]


    Looking at her command, she must be the type of person who attracts people with her charm like Yurasia. Her beauty is on par with Yurasia¡¯s, but her command is lower than Yurasia¡¯s, which seems to be largely due to her martial force.


    Yurasia is the type who stands on the battlefield herself, so naturally the synergistic effect of her high attractiveness will cause soldiers to follow her.


    Perhaps her command is not the type of command that is needed on the battlefield to subdue and control those around her. Anyway, this woman, Serena, who had closed her eyes and prepared to die, didn¡¯t feel any pain, but rather gently opened one eye to see what was going on when she heard the screams of the soldiers.


    ¡±Your Highness, why in the world are you here? And all by yourself!¡±


    She noticed me, too, and brought her hands to her mouth, a hundred times more astonished than I was.


    ¡°Oh, my God! You¡¯re Haddin-sama, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    She still thought I was Haddin because I called myself Haddin in Estren.


    Anyway, she noticed me and suddenly fell flat on her face in front of me. She had a very earnest look on her face.


    ¡°Please help His Majesty and my father! You¡¯re the one who defeated Count Kashak with one blow.¡­.I believe it¡¯s possible for you to do so!¡¡If you can help me¡­¡­I¡¯ll do anything. I will repay you for the rest of my life!¡±


    She was about to hit her forehead on the ground. I asked, trying to hurry up to stop her.


    ¡°More importantly, why did you decide to leave the palace alone like this?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­¡­my father who sent me away. I¡¯m not sure what to do. But I can¡¯t just leave my father and run away to save myself. So I was returning to my father.¡±


    Her father, Count Dofle tried to help so I have to repay the favor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s ride the horse first. By the way, do you know how to ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I can ride! I learned when I was a kid!¡±


    She saddled the horse that the dead rebel had been riding under alone and looked at me. Her face showed her sincere desire to go quickly.


    I was talking about how to use Lushak¡¯s rebellion to Aintorian¡¯s best advantage while I rode back to the capital with Serena.

 CH 98

    ¡°Over there! Father sent me out from over there¡­¡­.¡±


    Perhaps she was feeling impatient, but Serena rode even faster. The more she did so, the more she couldn¡¯t avoid encountering the rebel forces scattered all over the capital.


    They naturally attacked me and Serena but every time they did, I fired off a series of [Attack] commands without even allowing them to get close but there was a limit.


    I hurriedly crushed the spear of the cavalryman attacking her. I could have used the Dairen to make it impossible for anyone to get close to her, but on a battlefield like this, anything could happen at any time. It would have been foolish to use my last resort for safety against a mere group of soldiers.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe from here, so we¡¯ll take my horse.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    I put her on my horse.


    As I was riding in this state, what I saw was a battlefield. Dofle was lying in front of a large number of dead rebels, the battle was already over.


    ¡°Father!¡±


    Serena got off her horse and ran to her father.


    Dofle¡¯s chest had been pierced by a spear. That meant he was beyond recovery.


    ¡°Father!¡±


    Serena screamed.


    The rebels around us reacted and jumped on us but I dealt with them. As I was slashing down the rebels attacking me in the dark, an enemy general who seemed to be the commander of the rebel army appeared for the first time.


    [Lecter Gethmann]


    [Age: 34]


    [Martial Force: 84]


    [Intelligence: 20]


    [Command: 78]


    I was surprised when I saw his martial force. There was no way that Lushak¡¯s abilities could match his, it meant that a real leader had appeared.


    Perhaps their objective was to capture the king, so an important person had appeared.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    The man gives me a questioning look.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Kashak¡¯s best friend, Lecter Gethmann.¡±


    Kashak had a friend who was involved in the rebellion. They were quite close and created a synergy that led to the reconstruction of Estren until it was destroyed by the Narja Kingdom. I can¡¯t remember his name, but judging from his abilities, this person is probably his friend.


    ¡°Do you know me? Who are you? You don¡¯t seem to be a nobleman of Estren.¡±


    That¡¯s what Gethmann said when he saw me in my nobleman¡¯s attire.


    I didn¡¯t respond to that and since he¡¯s an obstacle to my strategy he needs to be removed, unfortunately my martial force is only 82 while his is 84. Lushak needs to be left alone to become a violent tyrant. I don¡¯t want anyone to be able to control him.


    I have some saved points that I can use to increase my martial force but why do I have to go that far? The right thing to do was to save as many points as possible.


    It seems that this guy is the strongest around here, so I should use Daitouren. Using Daitouren against an 84 martial force is like using a cow tool to catch a chicken. Anyway, I summoned Daitouren and used the [Attack] command.


    ¡°What?¡­¡­!¡±


    Just like when Kashak died, this man, with an incomprehensible look on his face, was struck by Daitouren and fell from his horse. After dealing with him I also took care of the rebels around me.


    I got off the horse after sorting out the situation without difficulty.


    Dofle was still breathing.


    ¡°You¡¯re here¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As soon as he saw me, Dofle coughed up blood and smiled at me.


    ¡°Can I ask you to take care of my daughter? I want you to take her to Aintorian¡­¡­.I want her to be free to live¡­¡­¡±


    Then, with tremendous mental strength, he continued his speech.


    ¡°Father¡­¡­Father!¡±


    Serena tried desperately to stop the blood from flowing out of the area where the spear had pierced, but to no avail.


    ¡°Serena¡­¡­¡±


    As soon as he looked at Serena, Dofle coughed up blood.


    ¡°Father¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Serena, I¡¯m sorry for everything. I hope you have a happy¡­¡­rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Father, please don¡¯t say another word. No¡­¡­.no¡­¡­.!¡±


    Dofle tried to bring his hand to his daughter¡¯s face, which was covered in his own blood, but he dropped his arm, unable to continue his words any further.


    ¡°Father!!!!!¡±


    Serena screamed again.


    But there were no tears in her eyes. She only screamed, shaking her body for some reason in a situation where she should have shed tears. Perhaps she could not accept the death of her father.


    She just kept shaking Dofle¡¯s body and fell into a state of mental collapse.


    I was going to lose my mind if this continued so I went to her side and picked up Dofle¡¯s body.


    ¡°He is a man who has worked all his life for his country. We can¡¯t allow him to be hurt by the hooves of an enemy horse. Let¡¯s bury him.¡±


    Serena squeezed her father¡¯s arm and followed me silently.


    ***


    Serena, who had been hugging Dofle¡¯s tombstone, finally opened her mouth. Fortunately, she seems to have regained some of her senses when she talked to me.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Haddin.¡±


    She still thought I was Haddin. Well, it¡¯s not like she has a system, and since I called myself Haddin, it was only natural for her to think I was Haddin.


    ¡°By the way¡­¡­.¡±


    She slurred her words as she looked at me with a strange look in her eyes.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I asked back.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me your real name?¡±


    She asked me with a look of conviction on her face for some reason.


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m not Haddin?¡±


    ¡°I know who you are.¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Lord Merja Haddin is a civil servant. I also know that he is much older than¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­.¡±


    How did you know that?


    Until Fihatri joined us, Baron Merja Haddin was the only nobleman in my household. So the name is known in its own way, but I didn¡¯t think she even knew how old Haddin was in this distant country.


    ¡°The truth is, I¡¯ve always been fascinated with¡­¡­Aintorian. My father used to tell me stories all the time, and every time he did, I felt like I was parading around the world. So I was even more fascinated. I know¡­¡­because it was the joy of my life to beg my father to send people directly to Aintorian to get more information.¡±


    I looked at her, a little surprised. It was true that I had become famous on the continent. The destruction of Bridget had ensured my fame. So I¡¯m not surprised that she knows me, but I¡¯m amazed that she knows so much about my vassals.


    ¡°Was that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I wanted to hear more Aintorian stories, and I even begged my father to let me see you. I also asked my father to persuade the nobles to form an alliance¡­¡­.¡±


    So that¡¯s what happened.


    I was a little confused as to why Count Dofle wanted to help me, but I didn¡¯t know there was a story behind it.


    ¡°The story of Aintorian was very new to me as I was trapped in the royal palace. So¡­¡­you are¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think I am?¡±


    I asked, and Serena looked a little troubled.


    ¡°When it comes to Lord Yusen and Lord Elheat, the image is different and¡­¡­.But your hair color is¡­¡­.well, gray hair is a symbol of the Aintorian family.¡±


    It seemed she had guessed it from the start by looking at the color of my hair. Then there was no need to hide any longer. However, Serena blinked and looked at me as if she still couldn¡¯t believe it even though she knew what was going on.


    She blinked repeatedly for a while, her face stunned.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    I held my hand out in front of her and called her, and she finally said it in a shaky voice.


    ¡°Master Erhin¡­¡­no, I did think that you looked like the figure I always imagined, but¡­¡­why are you here, Lord of Aintorian¡­? I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    ¡°The vassals¡¯ work was so important that I came myself, is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°What should I do¡­¡­! What am I supposed to do¡­¡­!¡±


    She began to get flustered, choking on her words.


    ¡°Your Highness, I suggest you calm down and talk¡­¡­.Take a deep breath.¡±


    I grabbed her arm, which was trembling badly. Then Serena nodded vigorously and did as she was told and inhaled.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡­but this is impossible¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°And by impossible, you mean¡­¡­you met the hero of your dream story and he wasn¡¯t what you imagined?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not! It¡¯s exactly as I imagined. My father would be pleased. My father also enjoyed the story of Aintorian a lot. He was the first person to tell me about it¡­¡­.¡±


    Serena, who had been speaking while thinking about her father, suddenly stopped talking. She saw the tombstone again, and the fact that her father was no longer there must have crossed her mind.


    Fortunately, this meant that she had accepted her father¡¯s death and was coming to her senses.

 CH 99

    I caught up with the author so there won¡¯t be new chapters until he releases more.


    Two weeks have passed and the royal capital was completely occupied by Lushak. However, Lushak did not take the throne. He chose a young royal who was easy to manipulate behind the scenes and he himself became a duke after he took over all the real power.


    The reason why he didn¡¯t take the throne himself was simple: there were still many of Kashak¡¯s lieutenants left, and there were probably some who advised him against it.


    He only occupied the royal capital, but he did not bring the entire territory of Estren to its knees. Of course, the powerful nobles of the royal capital, the dukes who had tried to escape, were captured and taken hostage.


    If the name of the Estren dynasty is kept alive and someone from the Estren royal family is put on the throne, it will be the Kingdom of Estren anyway. If he could gain so many benefits by not taking the throne, he would have had no choice but to accept it.


    How to completely defeat Estren in this situation? Just overthrow the central government.


    The local aristocrats have not really given their approval to Lushak. If only the central government seized by Lushak disappeared with the fires still burning around it, there would be rebellions in many territories to seize that power.


    The country is in a state of turmoil where each region is fighting against each other without centralization, and without a king, the country cannot be united.


    At the moment, Lushak has taken control of the royal capital and is somehow promoting the idea of a unified country, but as soon as he is gone, Estren will be divided into four sides. If that were to happen, there was no way the surrounding countries would leave Estren alone.


    They would not miss this chance to gradually subjugate Estren¡¯s territory by destroying it individually while their own people were fighting among themselves.


    Then they will fight each other for more territory, and the entire southeastern continent will not be interested in Aintorian.


    Once the rear is secure, I will be able to deal with Narja and South Lunan without worry. The hill overlooked the gates of the royal city, where the head of the king who was killed while fleeing still hung. Fortunately, Serena had been somewhat relieved of Dofle¡¯s death in two weeks.


    Her familiarity with the land had been very helpful.


    ¡°What do you intend to do now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill duke Lushak.¡±


    ¡°Duke Lushak¡­¡­.?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a duke now.¡±


    I answered and she suddenly knelt down.


    ¡°Is such a thing really possible? If you can kill Lushak¡­¡­if you can avenge my father¡¯s enemies, I will have no regrets even if I die!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not killing him to avenge you, Your Highness. It¡¯s for Aintorian sake.¡±


    ¡°I will do whatever I can to take revenge!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I understand. Please stand up first. This is not something to get down on your knees about.¡±


    When I tried to help her up, Serena made a thoughtful gesture and then opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind about something.


    ¡°His Majesty is dead and I am a fugitive from the royal palace, so I am no longer a queen. I¡¯m just a sinner who couldn¡¯t save her husband or even her father¡­¡­.¡±


    Actually, that¡¯s what I was hoping for. I need help, and capable people are always welcome.


    ¡°I will, if Your Highness makes up your mind.¡±


    ¡°Decide? I¡¯ll do¡­¡­anything. I will obey you.¡±


    Serena smiled and said so, dimples forming on her cheeks.


    ¡°You will work for me as a part of Aintorian. You said you would do anything, and you will live up to that commitment.¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m going to¡­¡­become a member of Aintorian¡­¡­? But I have no talent whatsoever. Why should I be¡­¡­!¡±


    You don¡¯t have to say that much. In terms of talent, your basic attractiveness value is high enough to be a trump card in a civil war.


    Attractiveness is a hidden ability that is not displayed separately, but if it is high, it will not lower public sentiment when conscripting or collecting taxes. It also has an effect on development and agriculture.


    Even one more such person would have a considerable positive effect on the country and Aintorian was currently experiencing a serious shortage of manpower.


    ¡°Not to toot my own horn, but¡­¡­I became queen because of my face, not my talent. And I¡¯ve never accomplished anything on my own, only helped my father implement the policies he wanted.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I think there¡¯s another talent you mentioned in your story.¡±


    Serena was too stunned by my words to continue.


    A few seconds later.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡­talent, but I will follow Master Erhin regardless of whether I am a member of¡­¡­Aintorian or not. My dream was to travel the world and live freely and at this moment, I have already fulfilled my dream, because I¡¯m looking around the world with Erhin-sama like this. That¡¯s why I feel so at ease now. I want to shout that I am free!¡±


    ¡°Then I will treat you as a subordinate from now on. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡±


    She nodded loudly. With a slightly exaggerated gesture.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so determined, I¡¯ll give you a quick order.¡±


    As I said this, Serena straightened her posture and looked up at me with a tense face.


    ¡°Shout.¡±


    She looked at me with a surprised face when I ordered her to do so.


    ¡°We¡¯re the only ones here now. You have a good view of your father¡¯s burial place and the royal palace. You can give it your all here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    She did not cry in the face of her father¡¯s death and tried her best to suppress her emotions.


    At first, it seemed as if she could not accept his death. Later, after she hugged the tombstone and admitted her death, she showed her endurance again and again, either because she missed the timing or because she could not take revenge. But she couldn¡¯t keep doing that forever.


    She nodded at my words and looked around. Then she screamed at the top of her voice. After calling out the name of her father, the man she loved most in this world, over and over again, she finally started to cry.


    I was not going to stop her, she should cry as much as she wants now.


    ***


    It was quite complicated, though.


    The only way to defeat Estren without using troops was to invest time. After all, causing the periphery to explode is the surest way to bring down a puppet regime. Especially if there¡¯s a good cause involved.


    Luckily for me, I had one, a queen who could claim the pretext of carrying on the will of the king who had ruled Estren for so many years.


    Just as I had hoped, Lushak was out of control. After all, his humanity was the worst of them all. In less than two weeks, he had begun to oppress the people around the capital. Dozens of villages near the royal capital disappeared one after another.


    A puppet government is more vulnerable to a cause, and it is the people¡¯s will that reacts to it. A country that disobeys the will of the people cannot function normally.


    If the value of the people¡¯s spirit falls below [10], it will turn into a mob and cause a civil war. If I could manipulate the sporadic civil unrest, it would be enough to drive out Lushak and create anarchy. Then, I could kill two birds with one stone by using the anger of the people to gather the people of Estren and bring them back to Aintorian.


    It was also a chance to increase the population of Aintorian, in fact, this was my original purpose. The most important thing I can obtain from Estren is population.


    Our current population is 1.05 million and there was still room for more as Brinhild was quite large. The larger the population, the more money it would cost, but more troops could be trained.


    Narja is full of monsters and I could no longer rely on points, so I needed an army that could fight on equal terms. I¡¯m going to move the people of Estren to Bridget since the battlefield will be there.


    My plan is to convince them that we share the same cause of overthrowing the puppet regime and guarantee them a stable life after explaining to them the bleak reality of the region where the war will take place. It¡¯s pretty selfish, but it¡¯s the only way.


    Public sentiment and population are part of conquering this game, and it¡¯s a way to save my life. Honestly, my life is the most important thing.


    I¡¯m not from this world, and I don¡¯t have any justice or cause in mind. I just have the will to conquer this game. In any case, it¡¯s easy to manipulate the people¡¯s minds to create a civil war.


    Originally, the public sentiment in Estren¡¯s capital was reasonably stable at 70. Thanks to the mediocre king, the aristocrats hadn¡¯t made any significant policies other than fighting for power, so they had been able to maintain the 70 figure.


    However, within two weeks after Lushak came to power, public sentiment had dropped to 30. It only needs to drop another 20 from there. Right now, there was not yet enough unrest in the numbers to cause a civil war, only a few voices of discontent here and there.


    I had to manipulate the civil unrest and give it a powerful edge. I needed to infiltrate the government to persuade the citizens to become my people after denouncing and overthrowing the puppet government.


    Without an army, I would have to use the will of the people to overthrow this puppet regime. Furthermore, I was confident that I could lead the rebellion to success, not failure.


    It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t take out Lushak on my own. There was no one who could stop me for at least half an hour but that would not be the people¡¯ s will. There would be no reason for the people of this country to follow me.


    I need a good reason to make the people of other countries follow me. Population is power, that¡¯s why I was going to infiltrate the largest village in the area.