Chapter 120

I Am the Monarch – Chapter 120 : A Good Person (7)

Clay was confident .

He wanted Roan to be shocked by the abilities he had shown .

‘Only then would he treat me preciously . ’

Clay looked at Roan .

‘Sir Baron Tale’s faction needs a genius like me . ’

Around Roan, there were many skilled warriors as well as geniuses who could become skillful warriors .

However, he lacked civil officials who would help with administration or design military strategies and read the big picture .

No, he didn’t have anyone at all .

‘I shall fill that missing spot . ’

That was Clay’s plan .

But sadly, he was making a big miscalculation .

Because he was overconfident about his abilities, he misjudged Roan’s situation .

Roan and his subordinates .

They were geniuses who were much more outstanding than what Clay had believed .

At that moment .

“Sure . Where will you take me?”

He heard Roan’s voice .

Roan was calm .

He didn’t show any doubt from Clay’s words .

With a slightly surprised face, Clay looked at Roan .

‘Does he believe my words?’

At most, this was their second meeting .

Although he did show an unusual talent, it wasn’t an easy thing to suddenly trust someone he had only met once before .

Because of that, he had prepared all sorts of things to say to persuade Roan beforehand .

‘It seems I won’t need them . ’

Roan’s decision was extraordinary to a such degree .

‘He’s either bold or reckless . ’

Clay stared straight into Roan’s eyes .

There wasn’t a bit of hesitation and only a look of complete trust in his decision .

‘I simply can’t grasp his thoughts . ’

In his mind, Clay shook his head .

Truthfully, Roan’s decision this time was quite bold and reckless even for him .

However, he trusted his eyes that had grown from meeting Pierce, Chris, Harrison, Austin, Semi, Brian, and so on .

‘He had already predicted the current situation several days ago . ’

Roan wasn’t sure just how much of the current situation Clay knew, but it was clear that he had at least completely grasped the big picture .

‘I can’t be embarrassed about accepting other people’s help . ’

To accomplish even greater things, he needed help from a lot more people .

Roan wasn’t a genius and he was just a human who was lacking in many areas .

And so, he needed an ability to be able to judge talented people and put them in the right place .

‘Mr . Clay is someone who can be of great help to me . ’

He felt certain of it .

Of course, being excessively confident and being overly prideful of his ability was something that needed to be changed .

‘If he learns of his shortcomings, he should become humble on his own .

Roan was confident that he could change Clay .

There were various kinds of geniuses around Roan, and they had increased their abilities by several levels with his help .

‘It will be a good opportunity for all of them . ’

Seemingly unaware of Roan’s feeling, Clay whispered in a quiet voice .

“The place I will guide you to is the Janis information agency’s headquarters in Miller Castle . ”

Watching Roan’s complexion, he continued to speak .

“They are the perpetrators who incited Viscount Holten and schemed this event . They are……”

For quite some time, Clay explained in detail about the scheme that the Janis information agency and Anthony Holten had planned .

It was a complete explanation without a single error as if he was an insider .

‘As expected, it was the Janis information agency……’

Roan mentally nodding his head as he listened to Clay’s explanation .

From the start, the Janis information agency was judged as one of the most likely masterminds of the event .

He had even ordered the Amarinth information agency to extensively spy on them due to their unusual movements .

‘But the fact that we couldn’t catch them must mean that their abilities are quite extraordinary . ’

He didn’t particularly wish to blame Keep or the information squad .

‘But how did Mister Clay know of all this information?’

He momentarily felt suspicious .

All the while, Clay continued to talk .

“Most likely, they have mobilized their agents to watch the entire hunting grounds . By now, they must have realized that the plan went wrong and should be returning to the information agency’s headquarters to make their report . ”

Clay’s voice became urgent .

“If we waste time here, the Janis information agency will run and disappear like a reptile cutting off its own tail . Therefore, we must attack their headquarters as soon as possible . ”

Austin tilted his head at Clay’s words .

“Could a mere information agency really be the root of this event?”

He squinted his eyes .

Clay shook his head .

“They are merely rootlets . The true root is within the information they hold . ”

The greatest information agency in the capital .

Inside, the information on Tommy Rinse, Kallum Rinse, and the nobles who followed them was meticulously stored .

Of course, the letters and the conversations that Anthony and the Janis information agency had shared were included amongst them .

Roan nodded his head .

Clay’s words were true .

‘Information is power . ’

With his eyes, he signaled towards Austin .

Soon, Austin brought out a war horse .

“Can you ride a horse?”

Roan stared at Clay .

For an ordinary commoner, it was an impossible feat .

But Clay nodded his head with a calm face .

“Of course . ”

A voice full of confidence .

And with a graceful movement, he got on the saddle .

It wasn’t the skills of a person who had only ridden once or twice before .

“Sir Baron Tale . ”

Grabbing the reins, Clay called out to Roan .

“Before we attack their headquarters, there is something that we must do . ”

“What is it?”

Roan was still composed .

That slightly agitated Clay .

‘Why is he so calm? Is he not satisfied with the abilities that I’ve shown?”

He thought that Roan would be extremely shocked and awed by now .

But throughout everything, Roan was composed and maintained a calm look .

‘He must be forcefully hiding his shock . ’

Clay scrunched his nose and shook his head .

He didn’t believe that there could be anyone who wouldn’t be shocked at his talent .

Of course, there were a lot of other abilities that he still hadn’t shown .

Staring straight at Roan, he continued his words .

“First, we must meet with Prince Simon and receive the permit to move the troops and use force within the capital . ”

Because Miller Castle was the kingdom’s capital and where the palace was located, they couldn’t move troops and use force without permission .

“Prince Simon and his faction is holding a meeting in the eastern wing of the palace . We should head over there . ”

With this much, even Roan should be shocked .

Clay believed so .

But instead, Roan only faintly smiled and shook his head .

“There’s really no need to do that . ”

A soft voice .

Behind him, the Amaranth troop lined up .

With a look asking just what he meant, Clay stared at Roan .

Looking straight into Clay’s eyes, Roan continued to talk .

“We have already received the permission to move our troops and use force within Miller Castle . ”

Boom .

Suddenly, Clay felt as if a stone hit the back of his head .

“Eh?”

A questioning sound as if it was hard to believe .

His face contorted .

Roan cheerfully smiled .

“Last night, I visited Sir Duke Bradley Webster and received the permit beforehand . ”

At those words, Clay shook his head with a big frown on his face .

“How, how did you think of getting permission ahead of time?”

Roan answered as he looked straight into Clay’s eyes .

“Who knows . Should I say that I expected such a situation? Of course, Mister Clay appearing here was something completely unexpected . ”

Of course, it wasn’t a heedless prediction .

The permit for battle inside the capital wasn’t something that could be earned with such pitiful evidence and reasons .

Originally, Roan planned to rescue Anthony Holten from the trap and interrogate him based upon the information that Keep and the information squad had gathered .

Because he planned to catch or hunt down the mastermind once he was revealed, he had received the permit to move his troops and use force within the capital beforehand .

‘Always plan while considering various situations . ’

And while carrying out that plan, Clay had appeared and reported that the Janis information agency, one of the groups that Roan had predicted to be the mastermind, as the source of the event .

Thanks to that, he could skip the needless rescue work and interrogation .

Paat!

At that moment, Austin tied a blue flag bearing the symbol of Rinse Royalty and the house of Duke Webster below the Amaranth troop flag .

That was a type of badge that allowed the use of force within Miller Castle .

Smiling softly, Roan looked at Clay .

Clay looked somewhat stunned .

With a stutter, he asked once again .

“Di, did Sir Duke Webster really give the permit so easily?”

Roan simply smiled instead of answering .

Roan and Bradley .

Only the two knew what kind of condition and trade passed between them .

‘Did, did I misread Sir Baron Tale?”

Clay swallowed nervously .

He felt as if he had looked down on Roan and his subordinates more than he thought .

Seeing Clay like this, Roan inwardly let out a short sigh .

‘I hope he learned something from this event . ’

He hoped that even if Clay’s pride was hurt, it would be an opportunity for him to be humble .

Roan pulled on the reins .

Hihihihing!

The horse cried out aloud .

“We shall head towards the capital!”

“Yes sir!””

The entire Amaranth troop saluted .

Slightly nodding his head at Clay, Roan quickly kicked his horse .

Dududududu!

Soon, the Amaranth troop, with Roan at the head, ran towards the capital, Miller .

‘Eh, eh?’

Clay, who was half stunned, also kicked his horse soon afterwards and leaned down on the horse .

A well-practiced horse riding skill .

Staring at Roan’s back, who was going ahead, he gritted his teeth .

‘I have to prove my worth one more time . ’

He didn’t wish to remain as a mediocre person .

Like so, he was a man who was full of pride and loved all of himself .

Dududududu!

The sound that shook the ground slowly went away .

Once Roan and the Amaranth troop went away, a weird silence fell throughout the hunting ground .

“Did, did they really leave?”

“Whi, while leaving us just like this?”

The nobles, who couldn’t do anything and were standing still on the hunting ground, panicked .

“They babbled about something by themselves and suddenly went toward Miller Castle . ”

“Is it possible that our plan had been revealed?”

“Nah, no way . Even we don’t know where the Janis information agency’s headquarters is . ”

They forced smiles on their faces and looked at each other .

But their eyes were full of fear and unease .

One of them muttered in a spiritless voice .

“What should we do now?”

At those words, the strange silence pervaded once again .

But the silence this time didn’t last so long .

“Get me out of here! Just get me out of here!”

Anthony’s shout echoed through the hunting grounds .

And following that .

“Save me!”

“Please help us!”

The knights and the soldiers who fell into traps shouted from here and there .

Only after that did the nobles take hold of their dazed minds .

“For now, let’s rescue Viscount Holten . ”

“That should be good . ”

Stabbing the ground with a long spear or a sword step by step, they headed toward the trap Anthony fell in .

Soon, a shoddy and lousy rescue operation began .

On the other hand, the Amaranth troop that headed toward Miller Castle was soon in front of the castle’s east gate .

“Un?”

Roan, who was riding ahead of the others, frowned as he pulled his reins .

The speed of the war horse that had been sprinting gradually slowed down .

“What is it, sir?”

When Austin came up to ask, Roan pointed at Miller Castle .

There, tens of horses were rapidly running toward them .

‘Who are they?’

Everyone tilted their head .

When the distance between the two closed, the troop flag raised up high in the lead position was seen clearly .

‘If it’s Bloodstorm, then that’s the troop led by Sir Viscount Ruin . ’

Viscount Tio Ruin, who should be aiding Simon in the palace, led several soldiers and appeared .

‘Is it perhaps because of Viscount Holten and his lackeys?’

It was already well known that Viscount Anthony Holten and many nobles followed Tommy Rinse, the second prince .

Because he knew that, Roan had made meticulous preparations of his own and before he joined the hunting competition .

‘Did Prince Simon send Sir Viscount Ruin because he was worried about me?’

If it wasn’t that, there was no reason for Tio to appear here .

But Roan soon shook his head .

The appearance of Tio, who was riding in the front, wasn’t that of a general prepared for a fight .

A light attire and a bright face .

And the number of soldiers was merely ten high level knights .

Kicking his horse, Tio rode toward Roan .

“Baron Tale . ”

With a fancy horse riding skill, Tio halted his horse .

Still sitting on top of the horse, Roan bowed .

“Sir Viscount Tio Ruin . ”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the hunting grounds?”

Tio tilted his head .

“That is……”

Roan didn’t hide the situation .

A short explanation ensued .

Tio soon made a bitter smile as he shook his head .

‘What idiots . ’

In the first place, there was no way that they, who only knew how to sit in front of desks and flap their mouths, could face Roan .

Roan raised his head slightly and looked at Tio .

“But where is Sir Viscount Ruin going in such a hurry?”

“Ah! I was on my way to find you . There are some things I have for you . ”

Smiling brightly, Tio gestured at his aides behind him .

Two of his aides approached while each holding a bow .

“These are the bows Prince Simon is presenting you . One is for Baron Tale, and the other is for the Hundred-man Commander Harrison . ”

“Ah……”

Quiet exclamations leaked out from Roan and Harrison’s mouths .

They carefully received the bows the aides passed to them .

‘To think he would present not only me, but also Harrison with a bow . ’

It was a completely unexpected event .

Harrison was especially moved .

‘The prince has remembered even a common soldier like me . ’

He couldn’t have even imagined that he would one day receive a present from a prince .

Roan and Harrison deeply lowered their heads .

Tio smiled as he watched that sight .

“I would like to ask you to take a shot right now, but it seems that it isn’t the time for such leisure . ”

Every second was precious .

It was possible that the Janis information agency would cut their tail and successfully run away if things go wrong .

Tio moved to the side and turned the horse toward the capital .

“We shall join in as well . ”

“Are you sure, sir?”

Tio nodded at Roan’s question .

“Of course . We can’t just sit still when they aimed for your life . ”

They were truly reliable words .

Roan slightly lowered his head and then grabbed his reins .

Once again, they were ready to charge straight on .

At that moment, Tio’s eyes, which were surveying the Amaranth troop, noticeably creased .

“You are……”

The one he directed his words at was Clay .

Smiling faintly, Clay lowered his head .

“It has been a while . Sir Viscount Ruin . ”

Surprisingly, Clay and Tio were acquainted .

“Do you two know each other?”

Roan looked at Tio and asked .

With a strained complexion, Tio nodded his head .

“I once took him in as a subordinate . ”

“I once served him in the past . ”

Clay added on those words .

Tio shook his head as he looked at Clay and his composed face .

“I trusted him with a few jobs since he seemed quite capable, but because he was arrogant and insincere, I chased him out . ”

A very direct critique .

But Clay was composed .

“I went out on my own . ”

He didn’t shrink back even in front of a noble .

Tio creased his forehead .

‘That unpleasant attitude is still the same . ’

The sight of him trusting his abilities too much and butting in over confidently had ruined the evaluation of Clay .

Tio turned his head and looked towards Roan .

“For now, let’s leave this story for later since now is time to pull out the roots . ”

“Yes, I understand . ”

Roan forcefully threw away his curiosity and once again kicked his horse .

Dududududu!

With Roan at the head, the troops once again began to move .

The Amaranth troop and the Bloodstorm troop swiftly passed through the east gate and ran down the linear street .

“Ahh!”

“Woah!”

The people, who had been leisurely moving about, dodged left and right as they screamed .

Thankfully, no one was injured .

After they had ran for a while .

The Amaranth troop charged into the commerce district located at the very western edge within the castle .

“That wooden warehouse at the end is the Janis information agency!”

Clay loudly shouted .

Roan gritted his teeth and nodded .

‘It’s the same place that Keep investigated . ’

The two people’s judgments aligned .

From a glance, it was merely an ordinary warehouse .

However, this was the headquarters of the Janis information agency that was the mastermind of the event this time .

The warehouse’s doors were secured with a solid lock .

Roan waved his hand and called out to Harrison .

“Harrison! Use the present the prince has given you and show off your skills . ”

“Yes! Understood . ”

Wrapping his two legs tightly around his horse, Harrison spun the bow once and flicked the empty string several times .

“Hmmph . ”

A sound of controlling one’s breath .

Piing! Ping! Ping!

Three arrows flew out consecutively .

Roan, Tio, and the Amaranth troops soldiers turned their heads and chased the arrow .

Puuk! Puk!

The arrows precisely hit the lock that secured the great doors .

Psuk!

The lock couldn’t handle the impact and broke apart .

“Waah!”

Some of the soldiers exclaimed .

On the other hand, Harrison flicked the empty string a few more times with a composed face and glanced at Tio .

“It’s an excellent bow . ”

Tio shook his head at those words .

“Your skills are even more excellent . ”

He was truly impressed .

Even if the bow was good, it was something that wasn’t even familiar in his hand .

But with only swinging the bow once and flicking the empty bowstring several times, Harrison handled the bow as if he had used it for a long time .

‘If he were to learn how to use mana……’

He may become one of the best archers in the history of Rinse Kingdom, no, in the entire continent .

‘How envious . ’

Tio was tempted by Harrison’s talent .

But he couldn’t possibly show his personal greed .

‘Since he is Baron Tale’s subordinate and his loyalty is also quite excellent . ’

He tried to forget it, but the regret couldn’t be helped .

At that moment, Roan held the Travias Spear up high and charged towards the wooden warehouse .

“We’re piercing straight through!”

And following him, the Amaranth troop shouted aloud .

“Charge!”

A truly fierce and unstoppable charge .

Finally, the head of the charge touched the warehouse’s doors .

Bang!

With a crash, the once solid door broke and flew off .

Within the capital, Miller Castle, an unexpected battle began .

No, the long expected battle began .

End .