With Istel kingdom’s retreat, Byron kingdom also started to get cornered down.
Thanks to Roan’s plan, of suffering consecutive defeats, they had entered quite a deep region of Rinse kingdom.
And the supply line also got quite large.
On top of this, the central region of Rinse kingdom also joined up.
But a bigger problem than this exploded at the rear.
The orcs that were half annihilated last spring, with the huge scaled subjugations, started to gather up suddenly and attacked the supply lines that were at the region.
And even if they hadn’t done that, it was a big blow for Byron kingdom that were working really hard as the supply line enlarged.
They could only hurry to retreat and meanwhile, suffered a big blow.
Unfortunately, there was no such existence like Peid of Istel kingdom in the rear guard of Byron kingdom.
Actually, the orcs gathering and attacking the supply lines was all a plan of Roan.
Roan sent Chris to the southern region of Byron kingdom and visited the small and big orc tribes.
The orcs, that couldn’t acquire harvests properly because of the subjugation tactic, showed interest at the information of the supply lines Chris brought.
And as they also entered a deep part of Rinse kingdom in this situation, the defenses became quite sloppy.
The orcs that were doubtful at first saw that the situation was turning favorable and decided to attack Byron kingdom’s supply line just like Roan and Chris wanted to.
So for Byron kingdom, they couldn’t keep continuing the war and fled as all these things happened.
The only unfortunate thing was that Rinse kingdom wasn’t aware that the attacks of the orcs was all devised by Roan and Chris.
And it was because Chris was retreating while evading Byron kingdom that he still couldn’t send the notices of it.
For Roan, that committed the sin of violence against a noble was quite an unfortunate situation.
If this merit was known, his punishment would have become a bit lighter.
“Roan.”
“Yes. Sir count.”
Roan was kneeling while tied with ropes.
A look of a sinner.
Io looked at him with unfortunate eyes.
Io let out a short sigh and said.
“Violence against a noble is a really big sin. It’s a sin which the last resort of punishment can be applied.”
Roan didn’t show any reaction.
Io continued speaking.
“However, bringing victory in this fierce war is also another truth. We can’t kill the hero of the kingdom.”
The corps commanders that were assisting all took in a deep breath.
Expressions they couldn’t guess at all how the situation would flow.
Io touched his chin with his fingers.
“I, Io Lancephil, will lay down the punishment instead of the supreme commander of the eastern region.”
His mouth raised.
“I will demote troop commander Roan of the 2nd rose troop of the 7th corps to that of a normal soldier and exile him.”
“Ah…….”
A low exclamation came out of the mouths of the commanders.
It was a fiercer punishment than what he thought.
As they originally knew that Io appreciated Roan, they had the suspicions that he would just let it pass.
They just thought that the punishment would be a demotion and a cut of his salary.
‘He’s certainly count Lancephil.’
‘He’s someone that has it clearly differentiated.’
The commanders sent applauses at Io’s fair decision.
Like this, their shaken discipline would get firm.
In the other side, Roan’s expression was excessively calm.
‘Exile……..’
Actually, the punishment Roan thought of was getting sold as a slave.
Compared to that, an exile was quite a light punishment.
‘Although I was just planning to flee whatever I became.’
Roan had many choices.
Something possible as he knew the future.
‘The first was taking place here on the eastern region…….’
If it was possible, he wanted to stay in Lancephil’s territory.
‘Because I thought that the big thing that would happen here was a big opportunity.’
There was a suitable opportunity to raise a force.
6 years from now on, a big disaster happens in Lancephil’s territory.
The day that all the territory fell in chaos.
‘THen, an opportunity would certainly come.’
To grab that opportunity, he learnt Flamdor mana technique and returned once again to the eastern region.
But now, it wasn’t a situation that he could stay here anymore.
‘The second is going to Grain mountains.’
It was more difficult than the first one and complicated, but it still wasn’t something bad.
On top of that, as Grain mountain ranges was quite steep, it was a region where patrolling was almost impossible if he dedicated to hide himself.
‘It’s the most suitable place for a castaway.’
Although the situation was certainly difficult, it wasn’t that he didn’t have holes to escape.
Roan calmly organized the thoughts in his head.
Then, Io’s voice was heard.
“The place you will be exiled to is……..”
He dimmed his last words.
Aaron and the other commanders looked at Io’s mouth.
Io took in a breath and said.
“It’s the region of Tale.”
At that moment, the faces of several commanders contorted.
In the other side, there was surprise in Aaron’s face.
On top of that, his mouth was slightly raised.
Io looked at Aaron and lightly smiled.
Just like.
‘I told you not to worry.’
A feeling he was saying that.
Roan, that was maintaining a calm expression also put a surprised expression now.
‘Tale?’
Laughs kept coming out.
The countless plans in his head all crumbled.
‘If it’s Tale……’
Roan took in a deep breath.
‘I won’t have to go to Grain mountains.’
The need to become a castaway and suffer the dangers had disappeared.
Region of Tale.
It certainly was a region where monsters appeared frequently and was left behind.
But the reason a smile appeared in Roan’s and Aaron’s mouth.
That was because the region of Tale was located inside Lancephil’s territory.
*****
Region of Tale.
A dangerous region located at the southeast of Lancephil’s territory.
It was close to Poskein lake and was surrounded by big and small mountains.
Different from the other regions, the soil wasn’t that good and as monsters frequented a lot there weren’t as many people habitating.
It was one of the several exiling places that even the Lancephil family didn’t want to get involved with.
Most of the commander agreed that they should send him to an exiling ground of the west or south instead of the region of Tale.
However Io wasn’t planning to back down anymore.
He was sending Roan to a place where he could reveal his talent and accumulate merits.
Several opinions came for 4 days.
In the end, both sides took a step back.
They decided that the soldiers of the 2nd troop should also get exiled along with Roan.
‘I have to send Roan with the army he was together with. So they won’t be able to think of nothing much when they come back.’
The commanders were excessively aware against Roan.
Most of them got the position of corps commander by inheriting it.
They were low humans that were worried for their seat to be taken away.
Roan and Aaron opposed to their opinions but they couldn’t go against the majority.
In the end, everything got decided like this.
Roan got exiled to the region of Tale and the soldiers of 2nd rose troop would be following him.
Meanwhile, Benjamin’s powerlessness got revealed and he got taken to custody in Miller.
He tried to get some commanders by his side while expressing his unfairness.
But the commanders weren’t by his side anymore.
No, they pushed back Benjamin more fiercely for in case, they would also suffer because of him.
In that situation, it was revealed that Benjamin laid an unreasonable order to several corps of the region, including the 7th corps.
Io sent his opinion paper to the royal palace that they should take away the title of nobility from Benjamin and that they should exile him.
‘If my opinion gets received, Roan using violence against a noble doesn’t become that big of a problem.’
Aaron just hoped for the royal palace to make the right judgements.
And the situation got organized like that quite quickly.
The commanders all returned to their headquarters to organize the region.
They started to leave one by one and the only ones that remained were Io and Aaron.
“Commander Tate. Don’t worry too much.”
“Yes. I will just believe in you.”
Aaron bowed.
He saw Roan, tied in tight ropes behind Io.
‘It’s a region located inside of the count’s territory. If he takes care of him……’
Rather, it can become an opportunity to reverse things.
Io patted Aaron’s shoulder and got up his horse.
Hiiiing.
Lancephil’s army started to move with the cry of the horse.
Their territory was Pavor, that had the lord’s castle.
Aaron just looked at the march while standing at the entrance.
“Roan.”
Roan passed in front of his eyes.
Roan smiled faintly and nodded.
“Don’t worry too much.”
A farewell like it was nothing.
Aaron felt something in his chest and ground his teeth.
“I’m sorry.”
Words he hardly brought out.
Roan just smiled faintly at that.
The rope that was tied in the horse kept pulling him.
Roan walked and meanwhile saluted Aaron.
A composed and calm look.
Aaron got moved for nothing and turned his head.
He didn’t have the courage to be looking at Roan anymore.
Then, his eyes turned round.
“You……..”
He saw a familiar group behind the march of the count.
Austin and the soldiers of the 2nd rose troop.
They had packed their things and were following the march.
The soldiers bowed towards Aaron before leaving the camp.
“We decided to follow troop commander Roan.”
Austin’s words.
The other soldiers all nodded with resoluted expressions.
“Are you saying that you will follow him to that dangerous place?”
“Yes. We got chased out of the army anyways. We don’t have anywhere to go anymore.”
Austin turned his head and looked at Roan’s back getting farther away.
“Troop commander became like that while protecting us.”
He took in a deep breath.
“As Troop commander protected us, now we should be the ones protecting him.”
At those words, Aaron slowly nodded.
“You are better than me.”
Hot sights were exchanged.
Austin and the others bowed once again and then started to move.
Aaron looked at them and clenched his fist.
“Everyone a little, wait really a lit bit.”
Flames appeared in a deep part of his eyes.
“I will certainly make you return to where you belong.”
*****
The march stopped earlier than what was thought.
As Io couldn’t see the camp of the region, he stopped the march and went to Roan.
“Loosen his rope.”
At the short order, some soldiers gathered and cut off the ropes.
Behind Io, Kali shook his head with a displeased expression.
Io made a hand sign towards the soldiers of the 2nd rose troop that were looking at themselves at the back of the march.
Austin and the others hesitated for a moment and then stood in a line behind Roan.
“What’s the reason you followed us?”
At those words Austin replied in a little nervous expression.
“We decided to be together with troop commander Roan.”
“Are you saying you are also following him to the exile place?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Austin replied without hesitation.
Io smirked and shook his head.
“You can’t enter an exile place if you aren’t a sinner.”
At those words Austin and the soldiers hit their chests and said.
“Then make us one. Disobeying orders in a battlefield is also a sin.”
“Send us to the exile place too.”
A voice that was as hot and earnest as his eyes.
Roan looked at the expressions of the soldiers with a stifled expression.
An expression mixed with thankfulness and sorry.
He couldn’t say anything.
Then, Io’s voice was heard.
“There’s no need to do so. I don’t think of Roan as a sinner.”
He smiled faintly and said.
“Because the other commanders were watching and because of the army’s discipline, I did say that he should get exiled but I don’t think of Roan as a sinner. Rather, I think of him as an excellent commander.”
Io looked at the faces of Roan and the soldiers alternately.
“I’m planning to send Roan to a territory of a Lancephil’s family territory. I’m going to give him a small troop and make him subjugate the monsters of the region of Tale.”
It wasn’t a simple exile.
He was planning to entrust Roan with that region.
Roan and the soldiers put surprised expressions.
Io didn’t mind and continued saying.
“Roan. Will you be able to do it?”
The region of Tale was a place that even the family of Lancephil couldn’t lay a hand on it as they wished. Making him subjugate that place was more dangerous and difficult than one could think.
However Roan didn’t hesitate.
He bowed.
“Yes. I’m confident.”
As soon as he said that, Austin and the soldiers laid down on the ground.
“Sir count. Take us in your territory. We will subjugate the monsters of the region of Tale along with troop commander Roan.”
“Take us into account.”
At those words Io smiled faintly and looked at Roan.
“What do you want me to do?”
At the question, Roan copied the soldiers and laid down.
“I want to be together with them.”
An earnest voice.
Silence laid for a moment.
Io slowly nodded.
“Good. I will take in all these soldiers.”
“Ah…..”
A low exclamation came out of the mouths of Roan and the soldiers.
A bright smile appeared in their faces.
Contrary to that, there was displeasure in the face of Kali.
‘How can he take such care of him?’
He couldn’t understand Io’s treatment.
But it seemed like Io didn’t mind at all.
“I will make a completely new troop for you.”
It was the moment that the 2nd rose troop, no, the rose troop got newly born.
Io looked at Roan’s eyes fixedly.
“Troop commander Roan. Will you use Rose as the name of the troop?”
At those words, Roan fell in his thoughts for a moment.
His thoughts of wanting to remain with the dead Gale, the adjutants and the soldiers was just like a chimney.
However, the name of rose troop was still that of a troop belonging to the 7th corps.
Roan slowly shook his head.
“I want to use another name.”
“Did you think of something?”
At the question, Roan nodded.
He turned his head and looked at Austin and the soldiers.
“Amaranth, we will be the Amaranth troop.”
A low voice but with strength.
An exclamation came out of Io’s mouth.
“A flower that doesn’t whither…….It’s a really good name.”
It meant that although he couldn’t use the name of rose troop, he would never forget his dead allies.
‘And I will never again lose my troop members.’
Now, the flower won’t be dying at all.
Because the newly born rose troop won’t eternally whither.
< A new opportunity (1) > End
Translator’s note: Regular chapter!
I’m back bxtches!
Translator : Subak
Proofreader: st8_lupe.