I am the Monarch

Chapter 253: Path of a King (1)

“Huff. Huff. Huff.”

Rough breaths rose up to the tip of his tongue.
His chest greatly heaved up and down.

“Pu, push on a bit more! The Sedes Castle is before our noses!”

Mills Voisa shouted with a defeated look.

“Ye, yes, sir.”
“Le, let’s push on, all of you.”

The commanders, knights, and soldiers who followed behind laboriously raised their voices.
Everyone’s looks were a mess.

‘Among fifty thousand soldiers, are the ones that followed behind only about five thousand……’

Mills exhaled a long sigh.
It was a complete defeat.

‘Roan Lancephil isn’t a human.’

He didn’t wish to admit it, but couldn’t help but admit it.
Roan swept the battlefield together with a rain of fire.
Holding a single spear, he alone fought against fifty thousand soldiers.

‘But the soldiers who were actually done in by that bastard are about five thousand.’

Of course, annihilating five thousand soldiers alone from the start was an ability beyond the human limit.

‘Afterwards, more than twenty thousand soldiers were annihilated at the Lancephil Fief Regiment’s attack headed by Ian Phillips.’

Mills tried to gather the remaining soldiers and step up in counterattack but couldn’t achieve what he desired.
Because more than twenty thousand conscripts had all surrendered to Roan or ran.
The rumor Roan had spread in the battle waged with the Rinse Liberation Army 2nd Squad had perfectly struck on.

‘The bastard, even while waging a battle immediately at this moment, prepares for a different battle and war, and the next battle and war.’

His level was different than himself who was busy at the battle immediately before his eyes.
Mills tightly clenched his teeth.

‘But it is still too early to give up.’

His gaze continued towards the front.
Already the Sedes Castle was right before his nose.

‘The surviving five thousand elite soldiers and the five thousand soldiers left in the Sedes Castle. For now, we will engage a castle defense battle and await the Byron Kingdom Army and the Istel Kingdom Army’s linking up. If needed, we could even request reinforcements from the Estia Empire……’

Furthermore, the Sedes Castle was plenty in supplies as befitting the North Rinse Kingdom’s capital.
The number of the castle’s residents too were large that they could be utilized as defending soldiers in an emergency.

Uddck.

His teeth naturally gritted.

‘Roan. Don’t think it ends like this.’

Mills clenched his fist as he hurried his steps.
One among the commanders walked ahead and shouted.

“Open the gate! It’s the Liberation Army 3rd Squad! Sir Mills Voisa has returned! The Commander in Chief has returned I say!”

Thunderous voice knocked the tightly closed castle gate and the castle wall.
But for some reason, the castle gate did not show even a hint of opening.
No, even in the towers and ramparts there wasn’t any reaction.

“Hm?”

At that moment, Mills who was looking up the rampart creased his brows.

‘That glint just now was……?’

Instantly, goosebumps shot through the back of his neck.
Cold sweat flowed together with an unpleasant and nervous feeling.

“Raise the shields!”

Mills instinctively shouted and completely crouched down his body.

“Eh?! Eh!”
“Sh, shield?!”

Numerous commanders, knights, and soldiers flustered at the abrupt order and then grabbed their shields a moment behind.
At that instant.

Piing! Piing! Piibibibibing!

Together with a clear echo, black arrows covered the sky.

Ssweaaaaaak!

A sharp shriek of air pierced into the ears.

“Da, damn it! Wha, what is this……”
“Block them!”

Five thousand remnant soldiers hurriedly raised up their shields.
But regardless, the speed of the arrows falling was slightly faster.

Pubububuck! Pubububububuck!

“Kek!”
“Kuuk!”
“Ggruk.”

The remnant soldiers that had barely survived and walked with their last strength all the way to the Sedes Castle turned into porcupines and fell one after another.

“Kuuk. Commander in Chief, sir. Staying like this is difficult!”
“We must move back, sir!”

The commanders hid their bodies below the shields and shouted with desperate voices.
Mills for a very short moment faltered.

‘The Sedes Castle was the last bastion, but…… kuuk.’

His face remarkably twisted.

‘Roan Lancephil. Are you bastard truly a ghost or something? Just when have you captured the Sedes Castle!’

A feeling of wanting to at the very least angrily scream out.

“Kuuk!”
“Uuuuh!”

Even while Mills contemplated, the Liberation Army 3rd Squad’s soldiers were losing lives one after another.

“Commander in Chief, sir!”

The commanders loudly called Mills.
Only then Mills tightly bit his lower lip and then nodded his head.

“We retreat. We move towards the northeast and link up with the Byron Kingdom Army.”

Finally, the retreat order fell.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

When the commanders and knights shouted in a loud voice, the soldiers who were barely holding on hurriedly began to walk backwards.
It was a mindless retreat as if a dog with its tail set alight.

Pbuck. Pbuck.

As Mills and the soldiers retreated, the arrow shower too lessened.

“Should we chase, sir?”

One soldier who was watching the situation from above the rampart cautiously asked.

“No, there is no need.”

The person answering shortly was none other than Pichio.
He faintly smiled and stared at the back of Mills’s head getting further away.

“They are already caught in the snare.”

Even if they do not particularly chase, it was clear they would soon be caught.
Roan was already seeing through to that point.
Furthermore, Pichio too wasn’t a position that could carelessly leave the Sedes Castle.

‘If not careful, we could lose the castle.’

Inside the Sedes Castle, those who followed Clay, Duke Webster House, and the Estia Empire were still holding their breaths and watching for their chance.
Right now, guarding the Sedes Castle and awaiting Roan was the best plan.
Pichio turned his head and stared at the south.

‘My lord.’

It almost felt like Roan’s flag could be seen.

‘Do please hurry in, sir.’

A heated thing filled his heart.

‘Here is your land.’

Pichio exhaled a long sigh.
His breath rode the wind and flowed towards the south.

*****

The weather was bright.
The sky was clear without a speck of cloud and the sunlight was warm.
The gently blowing fall wind even tasted sweet.
On a day when everything was perfect.
The tightly closed Sedes Castle’s gate widely opened.
A drawbridge laid over a swelling moat.
In front of that alone stood Pichio.
He, with a neat uniform appearance, stood straight and stared at the south.

Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!

Quiet sound of drums was heard.
Following behind, a sound of musical performance familiar to his ears rode the wind and flew up.
It was the performance of the Milta Military Band of the Lancephil Fief Regiment.

Flap!

Finally, at the road’s end showed up an army with giant flags before it.

<Rinse Grand Commander.>
<Count Lancephil.>
<Roan Lancephil.>

Below the flags, the sight of Roan Lancephil riding a warhorse was visible.
Although it was slightly worn out from the fierce battle, the cleanly maintained crimson armor took on light and twinkled.
The crimson mantle worn around his shoulders rode the wind and fluttered.
Even from just watching him, awe and majesty were naturally felt.
Roan did not merely develop his might and charisma as he experienced countless battles and wars.
He, as he led a grand troops and legions, had become a true leader.
The march was very slowly done.
There was no reason to hurry.
A moment later and together with a cool autumn wind, Roan and the Lancephil Fief Regiment arrived before the Sedes Castle.

“Congratulations on your triumphant return, my lord.”

Pichio saluted and bowed his back.
Roan faintly smiled and climbed down onto the earth.

“Pichio. You have done well until now.”

He held Pichio’s hands together and thanked his hard work until now.

“I had merely done the work I had to do, my lord.”

Pichio was humble.
Roan quietly stared at such Pichio and soon slowly nodded his head.

“I look forward to your work from now on as well.”