I am the Monarch

Chapter 198: Sudden Change (4)

Simon Rinse, Tommy Rinse, Kallum Rinse.

The Rinse Kingdom’s three princes raised a war over the throne.

At the time when King Deni Von Rinse left the world, Simon, who was staying at the capital, Miller, at the time, entered the palace foremost, recovered the king’s corpse, and calmed the palace.

He, while getting into funeral preparation, promptly sent letters to Tommy and Kallum, who were staying in the kingdom’s south, to immediately enter the palace.

But Tommy and Kallum, who realized that Deni III had died without choosing the next generation’s crown, did not follow Simon’s order and instead raised armies.

To this, Simon too instantly reacted.

He raised a large scale force together with the nobles who supported him and then attacked Tommy and Kallum.

At this time, he also sent a conscription order to Roan, the allied leader of the northeastern region and who had the strongest military force in the Rinse Kingdom, but Roan refused.

No, he could only refuse.

Because the Byron Kingdom and the Istel Kingdom had timely came and invaded.

Roan, cooperating with the Eastern Regional Corps Supreme Commander Viscount Aaron Tate, organized a defending army. (Note: Aaron Tate was a Baron back in ch. 153 Poskein Subjugation (1) which is the last time he appeared according to my memory, but the author seems to have changed his status in this chapter.)

A situation where other nobles were absentminded by the throne succession war and weren’t even lending their fief regiments.

Roan was essentially facing two kingdoms by himself.

From a glance, it was a greatly disadvantageous situation.

But in reality, the war situation flowed favorably, and one-sidedly at that towards Roan.

Although there were various reasons, the biggest were four.

First was that the defense of the Lancephil Fief, which touched borders with the Byron Kingdom and the Istel Kingdom, was well-made to a perfect degree.

Following the kingdom’s border, gateways and forts were located without a single gap for even water to flow. (Note: “without a single gap for even water to flow” is a Korean phrase for really tight. Use “without a single leaking gap” instead?)

The second was Lancephil Fief Regiment’s mighty military strength.

The Lancephil Fief Regiment boasted a military strength mighty enough to be unable to be seen as a mere fief regiment. The actions of Taemusas, which anyone could apply for so long as their abilities were met unlike knights that emphasized bloodline and house, were in fact incredible.

Although the Lancephil Mana Technique, the further developed and tinkered Tale Mana Technique that was born through three kingdom’s basic mana techniques, wasn’t a very powerful mana technique, it was a truly effective mana technique that even ordinary soldiers could show great effects if they persistently trained.

The Byron Kingdom Army and the Istel Kingdom Army, which were relying on few knights, were being helplessly defeated by the Lnacephil Fief Regiment’s Taemusas.

The third was the existence of Poskein Navy.

The Poskein Navy, which had seized the Poskein Lake’s North, West, and East, boasted a mighty military force with the military port of Exos Island as its base.

No, rather than a mighty military force, it was almost the sole navy force amongst the numerous kingdoms.

The Poskein Navy, when the Istel Kingdom invaded through land route, separately crossed the Poskein Lake’s North and directly hit the Istel Kingdom’s rear western region.

Thanks to that, the Istel Kingdom Army had an obstruction formed in their ration supplying and couldn’t exhibit proper strength.

Byron Kingdom Army too, as the Istel Kingdom Army that they invaded together with kept collapsing and getting held back, experienced various bottleneck problems in their advance.

And the biggest reason that the two kingdoms couldn’t maintain a sound strength.

The Pershion Kingdom, which touched borders with the Byron Kingdom and the Istel Kingdom, had suddenly raised an army.

The Pershion Kingdom, the instant the Byron Kingdom and the Istel Kingdom attacked the Lancephil Fief, immediately attacked the two kingdoms’ borders.

The Pershion Kingdom’s Prince Manus Pershion had personally raised an army to help Roan.

Thanks to that, the Byron Kingdom and the Istel Kingdom couldn’t focus their entire strength on only Roan due to minding their frontlines with the Pershion Kingdom.

With these various reasons, Roan had not only perfectly blocked the two kingdoms but also was going out on a fierce counterattack.

But because the three princes were able to focus on the throne succession war thanks to Roan’s such grand performance, it could be said to be a truly paradoxical situation.

“Phlam Region Victory Report, my lord!”

“Traltier Fort Victory Report, sir!”

“Pinto Gateway Victory Report, sir!”

Messengers raced up from every direction.

Undisguisable pride floated up on the faces of retainers who fully filled the conference hall.

The things that were arriving one after another were all news of victory.

Everyone’s gazes turned towards Roan.

Currently, he had completely destroyed the Istel Kingdom Army’s main army and had returned to the Mediasis Castle.

“If it’s like this, the two kingdoms won’t be able to hold any further and retreat, my lord.”

“We should now slowly think of what to receive as war reparation, sirs.”

“Hahaha. I knew that we were strong, but I didn’t know that we were possibly this strong, my lord.”

Voices overflowing with confidence.

But in actuality, Roan had no particular words.

There was a separate messenger he was waiting for.

After who knew how long.

“The agents have arrived, my lord.”

The door abruptly opened and Chris appeared.

Roan deeply breathed in as he nodded his head.

Soon, more than twenty agents of Agens appeared.

They lined up on one side of the grand conference room and saluted.

Roan looked at the agent who stood leftmost amongst them and nodded his head.

“Should we hear it?”

A lightly asking sound.

The agent lightly bowed his head then took out a small piece of paper from his clothes.

“I have monitored the Arrten Region of the kingdom’s West, my lord.”

The Arrten Region was one of the places the three princes’ throne succession war was unfolding.

The report that followed afterwards was truly horrendous.

“Ebbing and flowing battles are unfolding and the losses of the kingdom’s citizens are becoming severe, sir. Furthermore, in the case of Prince Simon, he is either killing or turning surrendered soldiers into captives.”

Many retainers formed shocked expressions.

“The surrenders soldiers?”

“Even though they are all citizens of the same kingdom as us?”

Sounds of shaking heads.

The agent bitterly smiled and continued his report.

“The bigger problem is Prince Tommy’s side, sirs. At that place……”

He couldn’t easily continue the words and hesitated.

“He laughs at people’s lives. Not only thoughtlessly killing his soldiers and retainers, he is even killing the ordinary citizens of the kingdom.”

“What?!”

“No, how could such a thing……”

“Ridiculous.”

The retainers angrily opened their eyes and shouted.

Roan was also the same.

With his brows creased, he bit his lower lips.

The agent’s story continued.

“Prince Simon had once executed all surrendered soldiers. Afterwards, few troops of Prince Tommy and Prince Kallum became scared and surrendered to Prince Simon.”

“Hmm.”

Roan leaked a short groan.

The situation of how it happened roughly became drawn inside his head.

“It must have been on the pretext of executing the traitors.”

At Roan’s words, the agents nodded their heads.

“Yes. That is correct. Prince Tommy has recaptured the troops and regions that had betrayed him and has committed a revenge of blood.”

It was an absurd event.

Even though it was the middle of the throne succession war, everyone was the same Rinse Kingdom’s citizens.

No, even when in a war with an enemy kingdom, no one carelessly touched the ordinary citizens of the kingdoms.

Because controlling the captured land became difficult later on in the case ordinary citizens’ resentments poured down.

Furthermore, there was no particular need to create infamy.

Unless one planned to become a despot.

“He’s crazy.”

“Even if he climbs to throne after doing such rabid acts, just how would the kingdom run properly.”

The retainers shook their heads with expressions full of rage.

The agent’s report continued on.

“Prince Kallum is showing the most faultless actions, but……”

As expected, the aftertaste wasn’t good.

The agent exhaled a short sigh.

“Prince Kallum seems to be trying to pull in a foreign power, my lord.”

“By foreign power, Aimas Union?”

In the first place, Kallum had a rather deep relationship with Aimas Union.

It was because his maternal grandfather Liss Kowan had a friendship with Aimas for a long time.

But Aimas Union was, with the Poskein Lake in between, far away from the Rinse Kingdom.

Them sending an army to the Rinse Kingdom shouldn’t be an easy task.

At that moment, the agent shook his head.

“No my lord. It seems he had joined hands with the north’s Diez Kingdom. And……”

A truly troubled expression.

He hesitated for a moment, than cautiously continued his words.

“There are rumors that he joined hands even with the Istel Kingdom.”

“Istel Kingdom?”

The retainers soon creased their brows and asked back.

The Istel Kingdom was an invading kingdom.

To join hands with the enemy kingdom, it simply wasn’t something that one would do with a sane mind.

“It’s a field of dogs.” (Note: Korean phrase meaning “mess/chaos”, but I translated it directly to maintain the vulgar tone.)

Ultimately, someone couldn’t hold back and burst out in rage.

It wasn’t a speech that a mere noble house’s retainer could dare to say of princes.

However, there was no one who berated him.

With current situation, the Rinse Kingdom would fall into hell regardless of whoever became the king amongst the three princes.

The reports of the agents that followed too were gruesome and horrendous.

“I have monitored the Hoel Region of the East, my lord.”

“I have monitored Miste Region of the South.”

“I have monitored Southeast’s……”

“I……”

The reports of the regions where the throne succession war was unfolding kept continuing.

Like the first report, the other regions too were suffering from the princes’ wrongdoings and idiotic orders.

Execution of surrendered, destruction of villages, enslavement of the kingdom’s citizens……

Everything was of worst.

In no time, it became the final agent’s turn.

“I have monitored the capital, Miller.”

The center of the Rinse Kingdom and where the apex of the political power was located.

“There was no noteworthy state of crisis in the capital, Miller, because it was under Prince Simon’s control. But……”

As expected it wasn’t a good report.

“Prince Simon raided the noble houses that support Prince Tommy and Prince Kallum and has executed all of their families and relatives. On top of this, he immediately hunted down and arrested even in the case of citizens who show actions that may perhaps support other princes and is sending them to the Grain Mountains’ mines.”

“It’s a hell there too.”

The retainers formed bitter smiles.

“And this is a rumor circulating amongst few nobles, but……”

The agent too formed a bitter smile.

“They say that Prince Simon is preparing a coronation ceremony.”

The retainers once again asked back with shocked expressions.

“Coronation ceremony? On what grounds?”

“Even though the throne succession war is still going on?”

“Would other princes and their supporting factions stay still?”

At those words, the agent answered in a calm voice.

“It seems to be a judgment that there is no big issue since he already rules over more than half of the kingdom’s land, sirs. Anyhow, that is a rumor that is going around amongst few nobles. And……”

His gaze headed towards Roan.

The agent, deeply breathing in, formed a peculiar smile.

“There is an odd rumor that is going around amongst the Miller Castle’s residents, and especially between ordinary commoners.”

“An odd rumor?”

Roan showed a reaction.

The smile hanging on the agent’s mouth became much thicker.

“It’s a rumor that says, since the kingdom and the citizens have fallen into distress and screams don’t end anywhere due to the three princes’ throne succession war, a hero who would break up and save this situation must appear.”

“Hmm.”

Roan leaked a quiet groan.

The agent’s story continued.

“And every person, as that hero,……”

He left the end of his words hanging.

Naturally, everyone’s gazes headed towards Roan.

The agent cheerfully smiled and finished his words.

“Is choosing my lord.”

The retainers smiled along and nodded their heads.

Even for them to think of, that rumor was not so wrong.

The sole person who was shining even in such a difficult situation.

That person was in fact Roan.

But in actuality, Roan had no particular change in expression.

He complimented the agents who had worked hard, then called away all the retainers and only left Chris at his side.

“A hell opened up over the entire kingdom.”

His heart felt bitter.

Chris, together with a short sigh, nodded his head.

“I can more than understand their feelings of wanting a hero, my lord.”

He looked straight at Roan’s two eyes.

“To the three princes, the kingdom’s citizens are currently existences same as mote. They have no thoughts of looking after and embracing them. Rather, they treat them as burdensome existences.”

Existences who were only being hindrances to going all the way to the apex of political power, the throne of the king.

The three princes considered them to be just that much.

Roan deeply breathed in.

“Your thoughts?”

A shortly asking sound.

Chris unhesitantly answered.

“You save them, my lord. They require of my lord.”

A voice bold and full of certainty.

Roan quietly stared straight at Chris’s eyes.

A silence flowed.

Although there were no words, many stories were held within the two people’s gazes.

Finally, Roan slowly nodded his head.

“Chris.”

“Yes. My lord.”

Chris stood up from his seat and lowered his head.

Roan too leaned on the table with his hand and stood up from his seat.

“Bring Clay.”

“Are you finally calling him, sir?”

Chris delighted and asked.

Roan slowly nodded his head.

“Yes. I now plan to personally set the board and draw the picture.”

The big picture called salvation of the kingdom and its citizens.

Clay would become the paint that would draw that picture.

His heart quickly raced.

At the same time, the tips of his mouth gently went up.

“Let us go flip the world.”

< Sudden Change (4) > End.

Translator: CSV

Proofreader: Sai101