Chapter 197

The entire Rinse Kingdom was engulfed in war .

The First Prince Simon Rinse .

The Second Prince Tommy Rinse .

The Third Prince Kallum Rinse .

The three princes pointed their swords at each other .

A tragedy of kindred feud .

The three camps, with the capital, Miller, at the center, repeated fierce battles .

And at the kingdom’s northeastern region slightly afar from there .

At that place, a battle of completely different character was unfolding .

“Kuk!”

“Uak!”

Bitter and gruesome throes of death echoed the battlefield .

Bloodred steel swords bisecting the heads and the chests .

Solid horse hooves trampling the chests of barely breathing soldiers .

The fiercest battle under the sky .

But the most one-sided battle was unfolding on a riverside field .

“Damn it! This is ridiculous! Ridiculous!”

A middle-aged man wearing a brilliant armor was shouting as he swung a longsword .

A rage-filled roar .

He simply couldn’t accept the situation unfolding in front of his eyes .

Two kingdoms against one kingdom .

Even still, the situation of that one kingdom was not even sound .

He thought that it was a war with an obvious result .

“I thought it would be different at least this time……”

The light in his eyes were hollow .

The rage disappeared and a despondent look floated up .

Brutally falling allied soldiers .

Beyond them, soldiers wearing crimson armors were running riot like evil spirits .

“So even the soldiers are ghosts in the Crimson Legion . ”

Sage Celuman, one of the Istel Kingdom Army’s generals and one who held the status of a baron, tightly clenched his teeth .

“Even if I die when I die, I’ll die after cutting one more of you bastards’ throats . ”

Sound spat out like gnawing each and every letter .

At that moment .

“That would be problematic . ”

From the edge of his ears, a quiet and soft but powerful voice was heard .

Sage instinctively turned his head and swung his sword .

Clang!

A spark flew together with a metallic sound .

“Hgh . ”

Suddenly, an incredible presence choked his breath .

‘Just what……’

Between the arduousness, he forcefully clenched his teeth and glaringly opened his eyes .

“Ah……”

A dispiriting feeling .

“You, you are……”

At the place his sight stuck .

At the place his horse’s head led towards, a young man suited with a crimson armor and a crimson cloak stood .

The vanguard of the crimson wave and the owner of the Crimson Legion .

The man who anyone would tremble at if one was of the Istel Kingdom Army .

Roan Lancephil the Crimson Ghost .

He, while slantly holding the black Travias Spear, was pouring out an incredible presence .

“Uuuuh . ”

Sage trembled while clenching his teeth .

His heart wanted to immediately swing his sword and cut Roan’s neck .

However, his hands and feet froze and couldn’t do anything .

‘A, are you telling me that I, Sage Celuman, got scared?’

A situation he didn’t wish to believe .

He was not such a coward .

He was a fierce warrior who would unhesitantly go out to the final duel even if his neck got cut from lack of his skill .

Sage, clenching his teeth, glared at Roan with bloody eyes .

That was the only thing he could do .

Roan, calmly looking at Sage’s such gaze, formed a faint smile .

‘The binding hex is being quite a help . ’

A satisfying and proud feeling .

In truth, there was a reason why Sage couldn’t move his body that he couldn’t know of .

Roan had performed the hex he effortfully trained and honed for the last one year as a surprise attack .

A thing categorized as basic binding hex, it had the effect of momentarily paralyzing the body .

And when Roan’s pressure and presence was added here, even a heavyweight of Sage’s level could only be caught by the spell unless one defended oneself in advance .

‘Since there is no one who knows that I’m using hexes . ’

Preparing for hexes in advance was illogical .

Roan lightly swung the spear he held .

Ssskuk!

The sharp spearhead cut Sage’s neck .

A hollow death .

One Taemusa who was following along at this side stabbed Sage’s neck with the tip of his spear and then raised it up high .

“The lord has cut off the enemy general’s head!”

“Waaaaaah!”

Instantly, cheers exploded out from every direction .

“Uuuuh . ”

“Ru, run!”

“Run!”

“They’re ghosts! Ghosts!”

The Celuman Troop fell apart into pieces and began retreating in defeat .

Roan, without hesitating, gave the order for chase .

“Chase them! Do not send back the invaders sound!”

Only when they indisputably trampled and crush them could they not come and attack again .

Roan personally led the soldiers on the front line .

It was different than the carefree commanding of his rank and file soldier time that Clay worried so much of .

It was the commanding of a great general that raised up the morale and the spirits of the soldiers below him .

Already, there was no one on this battlefield who could endure Roan’s skills .

He was the sole predator of this expansive battlefield .

The Istel’s small and frail deers ran and ran again dodging Roan .

Of course, even though they would be swallowed by the tsunami-like crimson wave even so .

*****

“Die!”

“You die instead!”

Bloody roars rode the wind and flowed .

On an afternoon that hot southern winds blew, the plain that shone with emerald light began to be colored blood red .

The two princes’ armies clashed at Stellon Castle located at the southwest of the capital, Miller .

The Stellon Castle was a place that supported Tommy since long before .

Tommy was confident that he could employ the sturdy Stellon Castle as a shield and repel Simon .

But when the battle actually began, the war situation flowed differently than he had though .

“Damn it! To think Simon’s skills were this good . ”

Tommy harshly emptied his wine cup together with a curse .

“Kuugh . ”

A pungent fragrance rode his throat and climbed up .

“P, prince . Even so, drinking on the battlefield is……”

One amongst the commanders stepped up to remonstrate .

The faces of nearby nobles bleached white .

As expected .

“This bitch dares!”

Tommy pulled out a longsword just like that and slashed the neck of the commander who raised a protest .

“Gurruk . ”

An absurd death .

It was a dog’s death .

‘He’s doing it again . ’

‘Just who would want to stay at his side like this……’

Few nobles lowered their heads and exhaled short sighs .

In fact, the nobles who followed Tommy, after the three princes began the war over the throne, began to slowly hold their swords backwards as time passed .

Putting aside the fact that his abilities were deficient compared to his ambition, it was because Tommy’s personality was cruel and supercilious .

‘I should also rethink once more around now . ’

‘Prince Tommy is hopeless . ’

‘He’s already started to be pushed back even by Prince Kallum . ’

Schism .

Cracks were forming in Tommy’s camp from the very bottom .

“What happened with Duke Voisa?”

Tommy, knowing or perhaps not knowing such mood, looked for his maternal grandfather Duke Edwin Voisa .

The nobles reacted timorously and couldn’t easily answer .

“I asked if he’s here yet!”

In the end, Tommy exploded once more .

“N, not yet, your highness . ”

“Duke Voisa is still on standby at his fief, your highness . ”

“He is waiting for his firstborn Mills Voisa . ”

The nobles flinched and quickly poured out words .

Tommy huffed and breathed deeply, then once again emptied his cup .

“Kuugh . I see . So he is still waiting . Still waiting……”

He didn’t like it .

If he could, he wanted to immediately throw him onto his knees and cut his neck whether maternal grandfather or not .

But to flip the current unfavorable war situation, he was absolutely needed .

No, to be exact, his firstborn, Mills Voisa, was needed .

“Kuku . Simon, Kallum . They must be laughing at me right now, no? Alright, laugh and curse to your heart’s content . Since there isn’t even much time left to do so . ”

Only Mills, who was out in the Estia Empire, needed to come back .

“The moment Mills return together with the Imperial Army, the Rinse Kingdom will become mine . Kukuku . ”

Together with a crazed laughter, Tommy shone horrifying light from his eyes .

He once again emptied his wine cup, then stood up from his seat .

The wide plain that spread outside the castle wall was seen .

“Uaaak!”

“Kuuk!”

“Die!”

The sight of his soldiers one-sidedly falling down .

Tommy looked at Simon’s forces that approached as if to immediately capture the Stellon Castle and threw his cup .

“Hii . ”

Few nobles shrank back with completely scared expressions .

Tommy for a moment looked back with disinterested eyes at the nobles, then curtly spoke .

“Let’s go . We will abandon Stellon Castle . ”

A truly simple and light decision .

The Stellon Castle, the strategic points amongst strategic point, the fortress amongst fortresses, wasn’t a place that should be easily abandoned like so or easily conquered .

But with the slightly unfavorable war situation as an excuse, Tommy made an idiotic decision .

The nobles, without the heart to dare remonstrate, only lowered their heads .

Even to them, there was only one life and was greatly precious .

“Yes, your highness . We will follow as you command . ”

An absurd situation .

A situation of the entire command group retreating in a situation where thousands of soldiers were fighting with their lives had arose .

The news inside the castle soon was passed to the outside .

“We’re already retreating?”

“Then what about us?!”

“Damn it!”

Tommy’s soldiers, who were fighting against Simon’s forces, panicked with half dazed expressions .

Simon immediately noticed Tommy’s forces’ change .

“So the idiotic little brother has ordered an even more idiotic command . ”

Simon, who was watching the situation, bloodily smiled and pulled out his sword .

Viscount Tio Ruin and so on, who were at the side, took up their own weapons with tense expressions .

Simon glared at the Stellon Castle of firm walls and kicked his horse .

“We are conquering the castle in a single breath!”

A sonorous voice .

Tio and numerous warriors followed his back .

“Attack!”

“Attack! Capture the castle!”

A force of thousands, tens of thousands charged towards the Stellon Castle at once .

The Stellon Castle, where the command group had already left, was no different than a candle before a wind .

“Su, surrender! We surrender!”

“We were wrong, sir!”

“We’ll throw our weapons away, sir!”

Tommy’s soldiers quickly threw down their weapons and lay down on the ground .

A situation where the entire command group including Tommy had already left .

In the middle of this, there was nothing they, common soldiers, could do .

Boom!

Together with an deafening boom, even the tightly closed castle gate widely opened .

The defending soldiers who were left inside all ran up and lay down on the ground .

“Waaaah!”

“The enemy has surrendered!”

“It’s our victory!”

Simon’s soldiers shouted cheers and reveled in the joy of victory .

Simon and the numerous nobles stared at the Stellon Castle in front of the drawbridge .

Smiles floated up on their faces .

“I didn’t know that we will capture the Stellon Castle that is famed to be impregnable so easily like this, sirs . ”

“This is all thanks to your highness the prince’s outstanding abilities . ”

“You are truly amazing, your highness . ”

The nobles’ flattery and sycophancy poured down .

Tio looked at the thousands of soldiers who were lying down on the ground and made delighted expression .

“We will reform the surrendered to each troop, your highness . ”

A situation where a single soldier was regrettable .

Thousands of surrendered soldiers were a great military strength .

At that moment, Simon, who had been quietly watching the situation, gave an order with calm voice .

“We will kill every surrendered soldier . ”

Because it was such as calm order, even Tio unknowingly nodded his head .

“Yes, your highness . Under…… eh?! Wha, what did you just say, your highness?”

But he soon grasp the order’s meaning and formed startled expression .

That was also the same for the other nobles .

“P, prince . Even the surrendered are our kingdom’s people . ”

“Those guys are also the same Rinse people, your highness . ”

Flustered voices .

But Simon, as if to say what did that matter, widely opened his eyes .

“Are you telling me to forgive the bastards who pointed their swords at me for merely such reason?”

“Tha, that is……”

The nobles, with panicked expressions, quibbled their words .

Simon soon burst out a laughter .

“Furthermore, there are still many who follow Tommy and Kallum within the kingdom . I plan to clearly show them . Of what happens if they raise their swords at me……”

A killing intent reflected on his eyes .

‘The evil mana again……”

Tio clenched his teeth .

He stepped up to raise a protest to Simon .

But .

‘Even though it is a truly vicious and cruel order, prince’s word is not wrong……’

What if they could sacrifice the surrendered soldiers in front of their eyes and save many more people’s lives?

Gulp .

Tio dryly swallowed .

His gaze went towards Simon .

Simon was already looking at Tio .

A light in his eyes that said “you understand me, right?” .

“Huu . ”

Tio spat out a long sigh and stepped back .

The faces of nobles, who were at least putting their hopes on Tio, turned pitch dark .

On the other hand, an odd smile floated up on Simon’s face .

He looked at the surrendered soldiers prostrating on the ground and once again gave the order .

“Kill them all without leaving a single one left . ”

A cold voice .

The answer did not easily come out .

However, they couldn’t disobey the order either .

“Yes . Understood . ”

Finally, numerous nobles lowered their heads .

Simultaneously, numerous commanders led the troops and moved .

“Eh? Eh?”

“Wha, what are you doing?”

“We, we are also Rinse people, you know?”

“I came out to the battlefield for the first time yesterday . ”

“I only came because they said they’ll give flour . Really . ”

“Let me live . Let me live!”

The surrendered soldiers falteringly stepped back and shouted .

“So you should’ve chosen your master wisely . ”

“It’s all you bastards’ fault . ”

The hearts of Simon’s soldiers who had to execute the order were also uneasy .

They shifted the blame of the current situation onto the surrendered .

Since they could only lessen the guilt even a little bit by doing so .

“We are also Rinse people!”

“You sons of bitches!”

“Uaak!”

“Kuuk!”

Curses and screams .

Wailing cries filled the battlefield .

Simon and the nobles watched that sight for a moment, then soon turned their horses and disappeared .

They moved to find the next prey .

Screams, without ending, kept continuing on at the Stellon Castle .

Simon’s vicious and cruel order seemed to radiate with light .

Because few commanders and nobles who followed Tommy and Kallum became afraid in advance and surrendered one after another .

“Hahaha! All of you look! Were my words not correct? Yes? Hahaha!”

Simon bursted out a crazed laughter .

Numerous nobles effortfully smiled and nodded their heads .

However, a corner in their hearts still felt heavy like lead .

“Hahahaha!”

Simon’s laughter pierced the sky and spread out in every direction .

It was a crazed laughter of a true sense .

But he did not quite know .

That a black flower sculpted by his wretched order was growing in the shade .

The black flower soundlessly and dolefully cried .

The people who inscribed a black flower symbol on their chests .

They all gathered their mouths as one and whispered .

“We are no longer Rinse Kingdom’s citizens . ”

Translator : CSV

Proofreader: Sai101