I am the Monarch

I am the Monarch - Chapter 260: Hometown (3)

A feast started.
No, this was instead more close to a party.
The village people all gathered in the small clearing in the Lare Village's center and raised their cups.
Everyone brought out foods and drinks from their own homes.
They rowdily chattered and celebrated Roan's safe return.
The village people became greatly relieved and rejoiced at Roan having returned without anywhere hurt or sick, and with a healthy look.
Of course, there also were those among them who were curious about the news of the world outside, or found Roan to be a sore in their eyes.

"Roan. Then have you been to the capital, Miller?"
"That place is the biggest and most bustling place in our kingdom."
"Have you seen the palace too? What about Lisa Street?"

The village girls around Roan's age sparklingly twinkled their eyes.
Roan looked at that sight and inwardly formed a smile.

'Magaret, Lindsey, Mami, Misa……'

All nostalgic faces.
Counting from his first life, it was a meeting in twenty years.

"I've been to the capital, Miller, too. That place was……"

Roan tilted his cup and calmly spun out the stories of the world he had seen, heard, and experienced.
At first only a few girls of his age showed interest, but soon kids as well as even the adults gathered in twos and threes.
Beyond young and old and men and women, the outside world was a place full of new and interesting stories.

"The Poskein Lake was so wide that its ends couldn't be……"

The moment his story continued.

"Chatter chatter lot's of words there."

Together with a sarcastic sound, Bekeil approached.
Behind him the hunter gang that always wandered together with him were lined up.

"How's the capital, Miller, how's the Pedian Plain, how's the Poskein Lake…… we can hear that kind of stories even from the leather merchants so shut up about that and……"

Bekeil drew up a seat in front of Roan and sat down.

"Let's hear about your stories. How you've lived 'till now, what you do now."

At those words, the lights in people's eyes glittered and twinkled once more.
Roan faintly smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"There's nothing much. After entering the Peton Training camp, I partic.i.p.ated in multiple wars as a soldier of the Kingdom-Army."

The instant his words finished, the Bekeil gang snorted.

"Peton Training Camp?"
"Kingdom-Army soldier?"
"Joined the war? You? Kuk."

They shook their heads with disbelieving expressions.
That was also the same for Bekeil.

"You who's perfect for an herbalist became a soldier in the Kingdom-Army?"

He sneered with his lips and stood up from his seat.

"Looks like you're lying just because it's your homecoming in so so long a time."
"Yeah, what he said. Just say it honestly. We'll still understand even if you were some poor handyman or a beggar."

The gang sneered once more.
Roan faintly smiled and shook his head.

"I do not lie."

A bold expression and voice.

"That so?"

Bekeil slightly twisted the tip of his lips and asked again.
He waved towards his gang.
Soon, two young men brought out bows.

"Then should we have a shooting wager?"

Roan, in place of answer, looked at Bekeil with a calm light in his eyes.

'Immature, so immature.'

It was childish.
His thoughts were plainly visible.
Bekeil, when Roan remained quiet, made a hasty misunderstanding.

'He's afraid.'

He thought that his guess was right.

'This b.a.s.t.a.r.d really is lying.'

Thanks to that, his confidence soared.

'Kuk. Why don't you taste some humiliation?'

Bekeil formed a crooked smile.
He didn't like Roan monopolizing the people's attention with the stories of the outside world.
Even the girls about his age all seemed to show interest in Roan that his mood turned sour.
Just until yesterday, the village's most popular man was himself.

"I won't say to pay up money just because you lose, so don't get so scared about it."

Bekeil pa.s.sed a bow as if to show goodwill.
Roan quietly stared at the bow.
The people's gazes poured down.

"Huu."

Roan exhaled a long sigh and stood up from his seat.
He slowly shook his head.

"Don't want to."

A refusal.
The sneer hanging on Bekeil's mouth turned even thicker.

"Don't be like that and show us your skills. I want to see the archery skill of the Kingdom-Army soldier."

The girls his age looked at Roan with lights full of expectations in their eyes.
However, Roan shook his head instead of an answer.

'I want to just freely talk like now……'

He didn't wish to particularly show off his abilities and shatter this mood.

"Ah……"

The girls and the kids let out disappointed exclamations.
Looks of disenchantments floated up on few faces.
Bekeil soon let out a snort.

"Why? Was becoming a Kingdom-Army soldier actually a lie?"

He exhaled a long sigh and shook his head.
At that moment, the village head Bas stepped in.

"Bekeil. Knock it off."

Bekeil twitched his eyebrow and raised up and showed his hands.

"Village head. I clearly told you before. Don't tell me to do this or that."

An edge sharply rose in his voice.
Bas awkwardly smiled and nodded his head.

"Y, yes. I get it so……"

The moment his words reached about that point.

"I was going to stop anyway."

Bekeil curtly replied and then glared at Roan.
A sneering look overflowed in his eyes.

"Hmph. I can't drink anymore with a liar like this."

He soon snorted and moved his steps.

"Hmph."
"For a man to so disgracefully lay out lies……"

The hunter gang followed his back.
Bas tried to stop them but soon exhaled a short sigh and shook his head.
Few among the village people took foods and drinks and left following the hunter gang.
The remaining people bitterly smiled and shook their heads.

"The village's mood has changed a lot."

Roan carefully asked in a small voice.
Bas once again exhaled a short sigh.

"The hunter brats with Bekeil are muddying the village's mood."
"You should have berated them sharply."
"It's no use. They don't listen to us adults' words anymore saying they too are all grown up now. Furthermore, Bekeil is the most capable hunter and the captain of the village militia.."

The captain of the village militia that guard the village from the monsters was a role just as regarded and respected in the village as the village head.

'Meaning even the village head can't simply handle him, I see.'

Due to that, the Lare Village was split into a group that followed Bas and the group that followed Bekeil.
Although it wasn't that they had completely split sides like the outside world, it still was true that the mood had worsened unlike before.

"Just thinking of that brat is a headache. A headache."

Bas shook his head side to side and filled his cup.

The expressions of the people remaining in the square also weren't very good.
The heated party mood quickly cooled down.
The people left their seats in ones and twos and returned to their own homes.
Ultimately, the people that remained to the end were only Roan, Bas, and Melly.

"Huu. Should we also return around now?"

Bas held Roan's shoulder with a heavily drunken face.
Roan supported Bas and moved his steps.
Melly followed their backs and looked at that sight with a proud and moved expression.

'So this house is also the same.'

Roan looked at Bas's house and drenched into the old memories.

'How nice.'

A feeling almost like having refound his refuge.

"Roan. I'm glad you are okay. I'm really glad you're okay. I'm really……"

Bas wavered drunken with drinks and repeated the same words.
Roan without simply opening his mouth bit his lower lip.
His last life abruptly floated up.
The life where he met his death without even returning to his hometown for twenty years.

'Would village head and Mrs. Melly have awaited me until the end……?'

Just how much must had they grieved having learned of his death.
His heart tore.
He laid Bas onto his bed, and then for a long while couldn't leave his side.
Melly who stood on the doorsill slowly walked up and rubbed Roan's back.

"Roan. You don't have to feel anything like guilt. Just showing your healthy body, that's enough."
"Mrs. Melly……"

Roan held Melly's hands and lowered his head.
An endlessly sorry feeling rose up to his throat.
Melly laboriously smiled and patted Roan's hand.

"You too go ahead and sleep now. I left your room clean."

Roan nodded his head and stood up from his seat.

"Thank you, Mrs. Melly. And……"

His voice teared up.

"I'm sorry."

He moved his feet and headed towards his room.
Behind him Melly's voice was heard.

"Roan. Don't be sorry. It's fine. It's really fine."

The voice, as he thought, was teary.

"As long as you are okay, everything's fine for us."

It truly was warm.
Roan deeply breathed in and quickly went into his room.
They were the moments he for a long time had missed and longed for.
His heart ached but it wasn't a sad feeling.
A feeling like a clump that was deep within his heart slowly melting and disappearing.

'This room is also the same.'

Roan looked at the appearance of his bedroom and formed a faint smile.
The room was of the same look as when he had left.
It wasn't an appearance of having cleaned just today.

'She cleaned and cleaned it again every day since I left.'

Melly's touch could be felt everywhere in the room.
Roan slowly sat down on the hard bed.
An uncomfortable and old bed.
But it was more cozy and homely than anything in the world.
At that moment.

"Your majesty."

A quiet voice rang in his ear.
Roan slightly nodded his head.
Instantly, a man appeared in the shadow of his bedroom corner.
It was Nadan, Amaranth Taemusa Troop's captain.
Nadan kneeled down on one knee in front of Roan.

"The one called Bekeil had come leading a gang and has stolen few things among your majesty's belongings.

The reported continued on.

"For the time, we have merely watched as ordered, your majesty."

The voice

"Good work."

When Roan replied shortly, Nadan once again disappeared into the dark.

'Bekeil. So you really can't be helped.'

He had wavered.
With a self-doubting heart, he had called the taemusas before the village party began and had ordered to watch the house well.

'So I had thought of such a man as my friend……'

He newly realized just how much he had lacked the eyes for people in his last life.
Roan spat out a long sigh and lied down as if collapsing onto his bed.

'So he went through my bag……'

An odd smile hung on his mouth.
He slowly closed his eyes.

'Bekeil. It's my turn this time.'

An indecipherable thought.
On his face too a mysterious expression floated up.
At that very moment.

'Hm?'

An unpleasant presence got caught in Roan's sharp senses.
It wasn't a presence felt nearby.

'Is this perhaps……?'

He slowly opened his eyes and got off his bed.
Simultaneously.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

A noisy bell sound hit his ears.
It was a familiar sound situated deep within his memories.
Roan quickly exited out of his bedroom.

Cras.h.!.+

With a dull sound, Bas and Melly too raced outside.
Fl.u.s.tered appearances.

"Village head. Is this……"

When Roan cautiously asked, Bas immediately nodded his head even while partially intoxicated.

"Yes. It's the monsters' attack."
"The monsters have come attacking."

Melly added on.
Her expression and voice too were urgent.

'So the village is still perilous.'

Roan recalled the painful old memories and quickly went out of the cottage home.
Bas and Melly followed his back.

"To the north watchtower. The north watchtower!"
"The hunters quickly go and get the bows and arrows!"
"Everyone go to the north fences!"

The village was clamorous.
Torches lit up everywhere.
Hurriedly racing people and wavering firelight.

Chwururururuk!

The screech of monsters heard from afar.
Roan quickly headed towards the village's north fences.

"Line up! Line up! It's the goblins! Match the signal and fire the arrows at once!"

The owner of the voice was Bekeil.
He glared at the outside of the village from the north watchtower.
Now he wasn't a mere hunter but the Lare Village Militia captain.
Roan stood on the inside of the fences and calmly looked around his surroundings.

"Huu. Huu."
"Huuph. Huuph."

Everyone were exhaling short breaths.
However, not one were despairing nor collapsing powerlessly.
The men held bows or stone, old but well-maintained spears and axes and glared beyond the fences.
The women too stood behind them and were gathering big and small stones into mountains.
Very practiced looks.

'Right. Since this is basically the usual for the people of Lare Village.'

There was no discrimination before the monsters' attack.
At that moment, Bekeil waved his right hand.

"Shoot! Shoot the arrows!"

The instant his words finished, the hunters and men lined up along the fences shot the arrows.

Ssweaaaaak!

Together with sharp shrieks of air, tens of arrows split the night sky.

"Shoot! Keep shooting!"

Bekeil pauselessly screamed.

Ggiieeeck!

The sound of goblins' crying was clearly heard from outside the fences.

"They're jumping onto the fences! Stab the spears! Throw the stones!"

This too was Bekeil's order.
The men who were standing by extended their spears between the fences.
The women threw stones.

Sssguk! Pssuck!

The goblins that pierced the rain of arrows and jumped onto the fences got hit with spears and stones and helplessly fell down.
They were shoddy weapons, but it was a perfect response.

Ggiieck! Ggiieck!

In the end, the group of goblins began to run together with a shriek.
Bekeil looked at the group of goblins running away and raised up his arms.

"They're running! It's our win!"

A loud voice hit the ears.

"Waaaaaah!"

The people let out a cheer in one voice.
Bekeil looked at that sight and climbed down from the watchtower.

"Bekeil. This time was excellent too."
"As expected of the village's best hunter."
"He's the greatest militia captain ever."

The gang and few village girls that normally followed him approached and raised up their thumbs.
Bekeil waved his hand a little and then stood in front of Roan.
His face was full of self-admiration.

"How's it?"

Abruptly asking words.
Roan slightly tilted his head asking what he was talking about.
Bekeil sneered largely and added on.

"How does it feel to see a real battle in front of your eyes. You liar."

An edge stood in his voice.

"Why? Does your legs feel weak and your teeth shudder?"

Sneering continued on.

"Kuk."
"Pff."

The gang and the few girls who were lines behind him let out a laugh.
Roan bitterly smiled and shook his head.

"It doesn't look like the battle is over yet, though?"

A calm voice.
Bekeil creased his brows at those words.

"What? What baloney are you talking about? The goblins have all ran. Has your mind gone mad from fear?"

He, as if intentionally to draw people's people's eyes, shouted in a loud voice.
Roan answered with a still calm expression.

"I clearly said it before, I do not lie. The battle hasn't ended yet. Do you not hear this sound?"

A voice full of certainty.
Bekeil let out a snicker.

"Kuk. This guy really had his mind blown or something. Just what sound is……"

The instant his words reached about that point.

Boooooom!

With an explosive boom, the north fences that st.u.r.dily held their places exploded out.

"Huhph!"
"Hph!"

The village people that were gathered near gasped at the abrupt situation and goggled their eyes.

"Wha, what!"
"What happened!"

Bekeil and the hunters looked at the exploded north fences.
Suddenly.

Kwuaaaauung!

With an incredible roar, a green monster pushed through the dark and showed up.
The hunters including Bekeil spastically screamed.

"O, ogre!"
"It's an ogre!"

A size three times larger than an average man.
Strength to crush a rock with a single fist.
A monster that couldn't even be compared with something like a goblin had shown up.
Most of all.

Kwuaaaauung! Kwuaaaauung!

It wasn't just one.

"T, ten!"
"E, even fences are no use to ogres!"

The village people screamed and ran in every direction.
The hunters and the gang hid behind Bekeil's back and raised their voices.

"Bekeil! Do something!"
"Bekeil! Bekeil!'

They pushed Bekeil's back.

"Uuuuh."

Bekeil tightly clenched his teeth and forcibly stood.
Even he who was called the Lare Village's best hunter was no different than a mere pup before an ogre.

Kwuaaaauung!

The ogres discovered Bekeil and the gang and raced up letting out roars.

"Uaaaack!"
"Sa, save me!"

The gang screamed a moment behind and ran away in all directions.
Only Bekeil froze like a stone statue and couldn't freely move.
At that moment, a young man stepped in before the ogre.

"Eh?!"
"Eh!"
"Tha, that's!"

The village people who were hiding behind the nearby buildings let out gasps at the brupt situation.
Bas and Melly looked at the young man standing in front of the ogre and screamed out.

"Roan!"
"What are you doing there! Roan! Hurry and run!"

The ident.i.ty of the young man was Roan.
He turned just his head and looked at the village people.
Everyone were clear with worrying looks.

'I can't hide my skills even at such an event.'

If he didn't step up now, then someone among the village people would lose their life.

'I dreamed of becoming a great general because I wished to protect the village and the village people……'

Now was the moment that dream was fulfilled.

'But in price, I probably won't get yelled at, chewed out, or get chastised anymore.'

He also won't be able to freely mingle and chat anymore.
A corner of his heart felt bitter.
Roan breathed out a long sigh.
His gaze turned towards Bekeil.

"You said to show the Kingdom-Army soldier's skills, yes?"
"Uh, huh? Uh, uh……"

Bekeil nodded his head with a dazed expression.
Roan formed a faint smile.

"I will now show you."

Quiet but powerful voice.

"Open your eyes clearly and watch carefully."

Meanwhile, the ogre had reached close to them.

"R, Roan!"
"Hurry and run!"

Bas and Melly shouted in urgent voices.
At that very moment.

Chaaaaaaang!

Together with a metallic sound, a long spear appeared in Roan's right hand.
A black spear-handle and a sharp spearhead.
It was the Travias Spear.

"W, where did a, a spear……?"

The village people creased their foreheads at the incomprehensible sight.

Keuwuuung!

The ogre swung its giant arm together with a roar.

"Ah……"
"No……"

Everyone burst out exclamations with pained expressions.
The image of Roan's body exploding out was drawn in their minds.
At that moment, Roan who was standing still kicked off the ground.

Pbat!

His image turned faint.
Simultaneously.

Spat! Ppababababababat!

His Travias Spear extended out long and split the air.
The spear smoothly curved and pierced the ogre's chest.

Ssskuk!

A horrid sound echoed out.
The Travias Spear almost brought to mind a snake.
The spearhead shook its head and continued to pierce other ogres' chests.

Kwuaaauung!

The ogres let out howls and flailed.
However, not even one could dodge Roan's spear.
Instantly, ten ogres were all pierced on the Travias Spear.

"Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh……"
"W, what in the……"

The village people stuttered their words with dazed expressions.
Especially Bekeil was of the most greatly shocked look.

"N, n, no way……"

He sharply trembled his hands.
Roan boldly stood holding an end of the spear in one hand and quietly stared at the ten ogres.

Kurrurrurru.

The ogres unconsciously lowered their heads.
It truly was a shocking sight.
They, who with their incredible strengths were known as tyrants even among the monsters, had become frightened at the light of Roan's eyes.

Ggguck.

Roan lightly twisted his wrist and whispered in a composed voice.

"Burn."

Suddenly.

Fwooooos.h.!.+

A dark-red flame soared along the Travias Spear.
The flame directly swallowed the ogres.

Kwuaaaaaaaaauung!

The ogres burst out howls and tried to run, but couldn't escape the Travias Spear.

Kwua. Kwua.

The fiercer the flame became, the howls slowly decreased.
And finally.

Paat!

The dark-red flame exploded out in every direction and the fire burned down.
Simultaneously, the ogres that showed off their giant bodies too disappeared as if washed away.
They all turned into a fistful of ash and scattered into the mountains.

Wooooosh.

The mountain wind coldly blew.
A silence colder than that sank down.
Roan withdrew his Travias Spear and slowly turned around.

Gulp.

The village people simply stood stupefied and stared at Roan.
Their throats soundlessly moved.

"R, Roan……"

The one that came to his senses the first was Bekeil.

"What d, did you just……"

However, his words failed to quite continue on.
Outside the north fences, a roar once again exploded out.

Chwurururuk! Chwururururuk!

They were the goblins' cries.
An incredible sound enough for the entire mountain to thunderously ring.
It wasn't a level of mere tens of them like usual.
More than hundreds even from a quick listen.

'Is it approximately over two thousand……'

Roan inferred the exact number and creased his forehead.

'The monsters' attack at least is something that always happens, but this kind of large-scale attack is the first. Furthermore, ten of ogres simultaneously appearing is also the first……'

It was an odd event.
However, now wasn't the time to do such contemplation.

Dudududududu.

The ground sharply shook as the goblins neared.

"Uuuuuh."
"Wha, what do we do."

The village people once again trembled in fear.
Everyone looked at Roan.
Before anyone realized, they had naturally come to rely on Roan.
Roan deeply breathed in and slowly raised his right hand.

"Amaranth Taemusa Troop."

A quietly calling sound.
Suddenly.

Pbat!

From the sky, tens of, to be exact a one hundred men fell down.
They lightly landed down and then kneeled on one knees towards Roan.

"Amaranth Taemusa Troop. Present, your majesty!"

A sound of shouting in one voice.
An incredible pressure stormed.

"Huhph."

Bekeil unconsciously swallowed empty air and fell as if collapsing onto his bottom.
His legs had given up.
Roan lightly waved his right hand.

"Annihilate them."

The order was simple.

"Yes sir!"

The answer was even more simple.

Pbat!

The one hundred taemuas kicked off the ground and raced towards the outside of the fences.

Chwurururuk! Chwururururuk!

Simultaneously, the sound of goblins screaming pierced into the ears.
A very short time had pa.s.sed.

Pbat!

The one hundred taemuas again broke through the dark and showed up.
Clean looks no different than before.
It simply didn't look as if they had fought a battle with the goblins.
They kneeled down one knee towards Roan.

"The order is completed, your majesty."

A simple report.

"Ah……"

The village people including Bekeil let out quiet exclamations.

'D, did they actually annihilate the goblins?'
'In such a short time?'
'J, just w, who are they?'

Shock.
That was a pure exclamation.
Roan slowly nodded his head.
At that moment, Bekeil who was lying on the ground asked in a sharply trembling voice.

"R, Roan, J, just what are you? Just what are you."

His voice swallowed back.
Roan faintly smiled and calmly answered.

"My name is Roan Lancephil."

Gulp.

The village people swallowed dryly.
Roan's words continued on.

"I am, of the newly founded on this land……"

Small but powerful voice.

"Amaranth Kingdom's monarch."

Boom!

A giant shock struck the entire village.

"M, monarch?"
"Did he just say a monarch?"
"Where is Amaranth Kingdom?"
"On this land?"

The village people murmured with dumbfounded expressions.
At that moment, Bekeil abruptly rose up from his seat.
He screamed at the top of his lungs as if to show he couldn't believe it.

"W, what?! R, ridiculous! You, you a king?!"

Roan quietly looked at that sight and made a faint smile.

"Whether you believe it or not, that is not important."

He looked long across the village people's faces.

"Whatever anyone says……"

A clear voice rode the night wind and spread out to the mountains.
No, it spread out towards the world.

"I am the Monarch."

End.

Translator: CSV
Proofreader: Deathwing

PR Note: The last sentence, I am the Monarch is a little fanservice from me & CSV.?