I am the Monarch

Chapter 253 – Path of a King (1)

At those words, Pichio deeply lowered his head.
All sorts of hardships and humiliations he had suffered at Clay’s side disappeared like melting snow.

“The castle’s citizens have come out, my lord. I will lead you up to the fief lord’s castle.”

Pichio called the North Rinse Kingdom’s palace a fief lord’s castle.
Roan wordlessly nodded his head.
When he lightly waved his right hand, the commanders who lined up behind him all climbed down from their horses.

“Thousand-man commanders and the Amaranth Troop will follow me to the fief lord’s castle. The rest of the troops will set up camp.”
“Yes sir!”

Quiet but powerful answers.
Roan, with a proud smile, moved his steps inside the Sedes Castle.
As they entered into the wide-open castle gate, a fully stretched main street came into their eyes.
It was a street wide enough for about four carriages to simultaneously move through.
A level that wouldn’t be inferior even compared against the capital, Miller.

‘Hhm.’

Roan forcibly swallowed a hum.
To the giant main street’s sides stood an incredible crowd.
It felt as if the Sedes Castle’s residents as well as even the nearby region’s citizens had all gathered.
The shocking thing was that it was greatly quiet despite that many people had gathered.
To add a slight exaggeration, it was enough to be able to hear even the breaths of the people at their sides.

Step. Step.

Roan moved his steps with a composed expression.
Austin and Harrison, Brian and Pierce, Walter and so on too followed his back.

Gulp.

The castle’s citizens dryly swallowed and stared at Roan and the Amaranth Troop.
Heated and stinging gazes.
No, some passionate gazed poured down.
Meanwhile, Roan and the Amaranth Troop had already arrived at the fief lord’s castle located in the Sedes Castle’s center.
At that very moment.

“Sir Count Lancephil! Thank you very much!”

Someone among the crowd shouted at the top of his lungs.
That was the start.

“Thank you very much, sir!”
“We’ve been waiting!”
“Roan Lancephil! Roan Lancephil!”
“Lancephil! Lancephil!”
“Roan! Roan!”

Heated cheers exploded out.
It was at a level where the ears hurt and the bodies shook from the cheers that simultaneously exploded.
Roan who was about to enter into fief lord’s castle stopped his steps and turned and looked back.

“Waaaaaah!”

Thanks to that, the cheers turned even louder.
Roan again moved a few steps towards the main street and then deeply bowed his back.
Numerous commanders and the Amaranth Troop’s members also followed Roan and bowed at their back.
Before ordinary commoners, a kingdom’s nobles and generals had lowered their heads first.

“Ah……”

The citizens who chanted Roan and praised the Lancephil Fief Regiment let out quiet exclamations.
They stopped their cheering and lowered their heads towards Roan and the Amaranth Troop.
A warm silence fell on the entire Sedes Castle.
Like that, the people who were each different, but also the same lowered their heads towards each other.
After who knew how long.
Roan again straightened his back and moved his steps towards the fief lord’s castle.
There was no long speech.
Now wasn’t the moment when words were needed.
They, through heart to heart, had already exchanged countlessly stories.

‘This is the reason I followed the lord.’
‘It’s the point our lord is different than the other nobles.’
‘This sir is a man who will become even greater.’

The Count Lancephil House’s retainers looked at Roan’s back and tightly clenched their fists.
Burning energy rode their veins and whirled.
Pride and respect.
They resolved and resolved again to forever follow Roan’s back.

“We have arrived, my lord.”

Pichio who walked ahead stopped in front of a giant door.
It was a door far more splendid than at the palace, king’s grand hall in Miller.
Roan slightly nodded his head.
Soon two taemusas of the Amaranth Troop approached and fully opened the tightly closed door.
Through between the slowly opening gates, a brilliant scene showed up.
A grand hall decorated with all sorts of decorations and jewels.

“Hhm.”

Few commanders including Austin leaked out groans.
Because they felt repulsion and discomfort at the overly brilliant grand hall’s appearance.
At that moment.

“Ah! You finally came.”

A bright voice echoed the grand hall.
Roan quietly stood and looked at the opposite side of the gate.
A giant chair situated at the end of a longly laid out carpet.
At that place sat a young man wearing a uniform brilliant enough for the eyes to hurt.

“That very man is Barry Webster, my lord.”

Pichio approached and whispered in a small voice.
Roan slightly nodded his head.
The young man, he was the very king of North Rinse Kingdom and the son of the dead Duke Bradley Webster, Barry Webster.

“I have been waiting.”

Barry brightly smiled and gestured.
An unthinkably bold look.
No, it was an idiotic look.
Roan did not carelessly move.

“Tsk. Do you not hear his majesty the king calling!”
“Hurry and give your greeting!”

The aged nobles situated below Barry raised their voices.
Their numbers were at most five.
Although there also were ones that looked like knights behind them, their number too was about twenty or so.

“They are people who originally were sidelined to countryside by Clay, my lord. The instant they heard the news Clay died, they have returned to the Sedes Castle and are aiding Barry Webster at his close side.”

Pichio once again spoke in a quiet voice.
Roan faintly smiled and looked at Barry and the aged nobles.

‘Foolish things.’

He had already noticed their intentions.

‘They must wish to be treated as a kingdom’s king.’

Sure enough.

“Count Lancephil. Our North Rinse Kingdom had no desire to fight with the Rinse Kingdom. This war was all something Clay has started.”

Barry bitterly smiled and shook his head.

“Of course, not properly controlling my follower is my mistake. And so, I wish to recognize the mistake belatedly and ask for forgiveness.”

The instant his words finished, the old nobles in the surrounding echoed on.

“It was all Clay, that lowly bastard’s act.”
“Since that bastard has died anyway, this event is no different than finished. Why don’t we stop the quarrel about this point and form peace?”
“As a price for admitting our side’s mistake, we will pay war reparations and transfer over the South’s McGinley Region.”1)
“Not only that, what do you think of making an alliance together and amicably working together as brother-nation?”

Nonsenses continued on.
They, through any means, tried to protect the North Rinse Kingdom.

‘We can live extravagantly until death if we can just maintain the kingdom.’
‘We will be able to enjoy riches for ages.’

Foul desires fully filled their heads and hearts.
Roan looked at that sight and formed a bright smile.
He couldn’t hold back a laugh.
It was ridiculous enough to become enraged.
However, Barry and the old nobles looked at Roan’s smile and misunderstood on their own.

“Right. If this event is resolved nicely, Count Lancephil, I will grant you an honorary title of duke. What do you think?”

Barry tactlessly continued on nonsense.

“Hahaha. That is good, your majesty.”
“As expected of your majesty the king!”

The old nobles loudly laughed and flattered.
At that moment, the smile disappeared from Roan’s mouth.
He coldly stared at Barry and the old nobles.

“the South’s McGinley Region” as in the McGinley Region which is included in the group of regions collectively called “the South” that constitutes the southern portion of the North Rinse Kingdom; similar to the term “the South” when talking about USA