I am the Monarch

“The thirteenth son?”

Peid Neil made a frown. He too had learned theology before but it was his first time hearing that God Devesis had thirteen sons and that was the same for Roan Lancephil and Manus Persion.

“I thought God Devesis only had twelve sons though?”

It was such a well-known fact that even Roan who didn’t have much interest in theology knew about it. Manus nodded and stared at Aerea Britz as well while Aerea shook her head with confusion.

“There’s no way. In the theology book I read, it said God Devesis had thirteen children and that the last child’s name was Felius.”

“What was the name of that book?”

Peid asked while tilting his head to which Aerea replied with a confident expression.

“Pevlar by Acheus.”

As soon as her words ended.

“What? Acheus? Plus the Pevlar?”

Peid shook his head with a dumbfounded expression. Roan and Manus, however, opened their eyes wide in confusion.

“Is it a famous book?”

“I thought I read a fair bit of books myself but it is my first time hearing that author and that book.”

They shrugged their shoulders after hearing a name and title which they had never heard of before. Peid made a faint smile and replied with a calm voice.

“Acheus is a minstrel that was active a few hundred years ago and Pevlar is a book which gathered all the poems and legends told by Acheus.”

He stared at Aerea and added more words.

“He was a minstrel who focused mainly on the tales of the gods. They were way too absurd so he’s not very well-known and besides, there aren’t many lyrics leftover so he’s been completely forgotten now.”

“Ah… that wasn’t a theology book but a poem book? They did appear quite poetic I guess…”

Aerea turned her head away with an awkward smile as Peid continued with a smile.

“It has been so long since Acheus was active and he’s not even that famous so it’s not strange for normal people to misunderstand.”

Hearing that, Aerea once again turned her head but this time towards Peid.

“By the way, how did Viscount Peid Neil know about Acheus?”

Roan and Manus looked at Peid with nods in agreement. Seeing that, Peid made an embarrassed face and lowered his head.

“When I was sent to the countryside of the kingdom after losing the war with the Persion Kingdom…”

Manus made an awkward smile in front of the sudden story about the past.

“I found out about Pevlar and Acheus back then.”

Thinking back on those boring, horrible days, Peid made a bitter smile.

“The place I had been relegated to was very rural so I had some time up my sleeve.”

“Sorry.”

Manus gave an apology unconsciously and Peid responded with waves of his hands.

“No no. There’s no need for Sir Prince to be sorry. It was all my fault.”

Seeing the polite, modest attitude, Manus could at least slightly get rid of the apologetic feelings he had. Then, Roan who had been listening to them walked up.

“Can I hear a bit more about that Acheus and Pevlar?”

“Sorry?”

Peid asked back with slight surprise and that was the same for Aerea.

“Just like what Viscount Neil has said, I think all the stories written there were all just legends. Thinking back, I’m ashamed to have been considering that a theology book.”

However, even after hearing that, Roan’s expression remained extremely serious.

“I want to hear those absurd stories.”

He thought that perhaps the truth about Travias, Felius might be written within. Aerea looked back and forth between Peid, Manus and Roan before soon nodding her head.

“If Your Majesty wants it, I could tell you any time. Actually, I could ask the household and lend you the Pevlar book…”

It was then.

Booooooooo!

The sound of a war-horn hit their eardrums. At the same time, thousands of soldiers appeared from behind the broken hillside. They weren’t even carrying a single flag but the aura and pressure given off by their regiment were enough to suffocate people.

“Where do they belong to?”

Seeing an unidentified regiment appearing out of nowhere, Manus, Peid and Aerea made frowns but Roan, on the other hand, looked on with a calm gaze. The ones that had appeared from the horizon all wore black helmets and black armours.

“The Dark Regiments…”

He could tell instinctively that they were the dark regiments which Gorg and Episs had talked about. Heaving out a short sigh, Roan took the Travias Spear out.

“It will be a rough battle.”

Those words left his mouth but his actual expression and tone remained calm and bold.

“Mhmm.”

Manus and Aerea took out their swords and glared at the Dark Regiments. Unlike the two, Peid who was closer to a strategist took steps back and regathered the soldiers that had survived. Due to the repeated onslaught, their remaining numbers weren’t too large.

“Will it be fine with this little soldiers?”

Peid made a bitter smile at Manus’ words.

“We will have to try out best.”

They couldn’t just give up without even trying.

Dudung! Dudung! Dudung!

During all that, the Dark Regiment rang their war drums as they descended the hill and formed an encircling formation. The force given off by the thousands of soldiers was truly otherworldly.

But then, something else happened.

Booooooo!

From behind Roan, Manus, Peid and Aerea, the sound of a war-horn was heard.

“A, are we already surrounded?”

Peid looked at the back with a frown followed by Manus and Aerea. On the other hand, Roan gave a faint smile with his eyes still on the Dark Regiment at the front.

“Although not a lot, they’re our reinforcements. They are brave and strong soldiers.”

His voice was carried by the wind.

“Reinforcement?”

They made slight frowns in response because they hadn’t been expecting any reinforcements to be sent from anywhere.

Boooooo!

The sound of the horn got louder. The faint appearance of the group at the back which initially appeared as dots slowly revealed themselves. They were all in rugged clothes with evident exhaustion, but the knights and soldiers still gave off ferocious auras. Manus who had been staring at them slowly surfaced a look of deep joy.

“Romils Hotten!”

The knights and soldiers that were approaching with the wind and the sound of the war-horn were Romils Hotten and his troop.

“Prince!”

Romils unsheathed his sword and raised it into the air with a large bellow. The hundreds of knights and soldiers following behind also raised their swords high up and screamed.

“Uaaaaah!”

“We are here!”

Just like what Roan had said, although their numbers didn’t amount to much, they were still ferocious, strong reinforcements. Hearing the sound behind, Roan made a faint smile and twisted his wrist.

Chang!

Along with the sound of steel, a spearhead showed itself and at the same time.

Hwarururuk!

Reddish-black flames enveloped the spear and the spearhead as his armours and hair were also painted faintly in a reddish-black colour.

The God of War Roan Lancephil – he was finally showing his true self.

“We have such ferocious, trustworthy soldiers…”

A bold, powerful voice resonated across the battlefield.

“So the commanders can’t just give up.”

Roan turned his head back a little to stare at Manus, Peid and Aerea.

“Let’s…”

The smile hanging on his lips was deepened.

“Clearly show them our real strength.”

That was the end of his words.

Taat!

Roan lightly kicked off the ground and sprinted towards the hill.

Swish!

After he left, a strong gust replaced him.

Kung.

Episs’ body which had been standing up sorrowfully without a head was pushed by the wind and fell on the ground. Feeling the wind rushing up their cheeks, Manus, Peid and Aerea looked at Roan getting further away.

“That is not the speed of a human…”

Manus was greatly moved while Peid and Aerea only gulped in nervousness.

It was then.

Kwaaaaaang!

Pillars of red yet black flames soared up with deafening roars as rocks and dirt splattered around. When Roan swung the Travias Spear once, hills collapsed and grounds were turned.

Dududung! Dududung! Dududung!

The war drums of the Dark Regiment turned more urgent.

“Kuaaak!”

“Kieeek!”

The soldiers of the Dark Regiment ran in towards Roan with strange shrieks and their killing intent filled the battlefield but,

Kwang! Kwaaang! Kwaaaaaang!

They couldn’t fight against Roan. Whenever Roan swung his spear, tens of soldiers got chopped in half as blood splattered around. At the same time, reddish-black flowers made of flames would bloom at the places where the spear travelled.

Manus clenched his teeth.

“Let’s go as well.”

He couldn’t just stand back as something hot boiled up from within.

“Romils Hotten!”

With the largest voice he could force out, he called Romils.

“Please give us your orders!”

Romils who had already arrived near him replied with a resolute face. Manus pointed his sword towards the Dark Regiments, at Roan who was fighting against them all alone.

“We’ll fight together.”

As soon as his words ended.

“Yes sir!”

Answering in one voice, the troops alongside Romils started marching before Manus did. They placed Manus in the centre and formed a charging formation to protect him despite the fierce charge.

Dudududududu!

They had not a single horse but the earth roared from the sharp synchronised movements of the soldiers.

“Can’t be the only one losing out!”

Aerea who had been watching on raised her left hand up.

“Special Corps! Listen! We follow His Majesty Lancephil and Prince Manus! We fight together!”

“Yes ma’am!”

Their replies sounded straight after the command and echoed away.

Taat!

With Aerea at the lead, hundreds of soldiers belonging to the Special Corps followed Manus and his troop that did not fear death and kicked off the ground. It was then that Roan who had been wreaking havoc alone inside the Dark Regiments’ soldiers soared up the air.

Hwarurururuk!

Flames rose up alongside his spear and after dividing the blue skies into halves, it roared as it smashed down onto the ground.

Kuuuung!

Deafening roars hit the eardrums of the listeners and let alone the hill, the entire ground shook greatly. However, there weren’t any pillars of dirt of flames being formed and instead,

Crack! Crack crack!

The small hill started cracking and forming patterns resembling a turtle’s shell.

“Kuek!”

“Kieeek!”

The soldiers of the Dark Regiments were frightened by the vibrations that crumbled the ground beneath them and attempted to run away to all directions.

It was then,

Flash!

Reddish-black light came scorching out from within the cracks.

“Kek?”

“Kuk?”

The soldiers of the Dark Regiment who had been occupying the hill tilted their heads after seeing the reddish-black light soaring up their body.

Instantaneously

Hwarururururuk!

Light turned into fire. Reddish-black light turned to flames of the same colour and devoured the soldiers as well as the hill itself.

“Kueeeeek!”

“Kaaaaaak!”

The ones that were devoured by the fire screamed and threw their limbs around in pain but soon, those movements came to a gradual stop. They turned to black ashes floating above the reddish-black flames.

Tung!

Roan who had soared up into the skies landed on the ground. In front of him, there was an incarnation of hell and roaring flames.

“Kuek.”

“Kikek. Kiek.”

The soldiers of the Dark Regiments glared at Roan without daring to approach. Actually, they appeared to be glaring because it was impossible to see their facial features due to the helmet covering their faces. However, it was still evident that they were confused.

During that time, Manus and his troop, as well as Aerea and her Special Corps raced through the battlefield and gathered behind Roan’s back. Even when facing the thousands of soldiers of the Dark Regiment and the reddish-black flames, they showed no fear.

“Ah…”

Peid who had stayed behind with the leftover soldiers in a defensive formation let out a mutter unknowingly. Behind the reddish-black flames stood Roan and behind his back, there was Manus and Aerea.

“The three nations are fighting as one.”

His voice trembled. It was truly a fearsome alliance without fear of empires. It was an alliance he had been dreaming of, which he couldn’t even try to form let alone succeeding.

‘Although I couldn’t do it…’

Peid’s eyes faced Roan.

“It’s possible for the God of War.”

This was the difference between himself and Roan. He was filled with passion and although they were still in a disadvantageous situation, he did not think it was possible to lose.

‘We will be victorious.’

He was filled with confidence.

Peid had no idea but the citizens of the Amaranth Kingdom were living with those emotions and it was something that had been felt by anyone that had fought together with Roan at least once. To them, Roan was not simply a monarch, commander or a friend and was instead, faith.

Just by being with him, they would be confident. That was Roan.

Suddenly,

Boooooooo!

All of a sudden, from the left side of the Dark Regiments, the north-west direction, a war-horn sounded. At the same time, over the reddish-black flames, an enormous number of soldiers showed themselves while carrying small and large flags unlike the Dark Regiments.

“Hmm.”

Not just Roan but Manus, Aerea and even Peid who had been in a distant location frowned as they faced the newly arrived group of soldiers.

‘If it’s the enemy’s reinforcements, it would turn rough.’

The situation which was already rough could fall into the absolute favour of the opposition.

“Mhmm?”

Manus who had been staring at the unidentified regiment’s flags frowned.

‘That flag is…’

It was a familiar flag. Romils from next to him widened his eyes and bellowed.

“Baron Vance Vonte!”

The flag soaring up in front of the regiment was definitely the flag of Vance Vonte.

“Vance Vonte huh…”

Roan made a frown. He too had heard of that name through the Argens.

‘A noble that had originally supported Prince Manus before going over to Prince Reitas’ side near the end…’

It wasn’t looking good. With this situation in front of them, a noble under Reitas Persion had appeared with a regiment. Roan, Manus, Aerea as well as the soldiers behind them felt their expressions turning stiffer.

However, they had no idea about the real reason why Vance Vonte had appeared in this Eviance area…

A strange wind was approaching the battlefield. It wasn’t a north, south, east or west wind but a huge gust, a tempest from nowhere.

<A Bloody Battle (7)> End.

Translator: Lunargrasp

Proofreader: Deathwing