'It become completely crumpled.'
It was the last hope.
If Kali Owells was to just perhaps snap Roan, he could have flip the situation of the war.
Of course, he didn't hold any big expectation.
'If Kali was a man of that much degree, the situation wouldn't even have became like this.'
Rather, he was able to run earlier than he thought because his expectation wasn't big.
'After returning to the camp and reorganizing, I should return to the fief.'
He thought to leave the main army's soldiers as rear guards and hold back Roan's ankle as much as possible until the fief war ended.
If lucky, he should be able to place at least a part of Lancephil fief's west in his grasp.
At least not losing.
Now, the thing Jonathan Chase was looking at was merely that much.
Furthermore.
'If the mercenary bastards I planted in the Mediasis Castle were to just capture Roan's subordinates alive……'
He would be able to take the higher ground in the negotiation process afterwards in advance.
It meant that the situation hadn't gotten to the very mess.
But.
'Damn it.'
His heart feeling frustrated and his annoyance soaring up couldn't be helped.
There were several chances where he could have captured the entire Lancephil Fief and end the fief war with a victory.
However, everything crumpled as Roan followed Io Lancephil's back and entered the fief war.
'Bitch like bastard. I will absolutely repay today's humilia…..'
The curse that had filled up to below his chin couldn't quite flow out of his mouth.
Jonathan Chase's face stiffly solidified.
The main army's camp.
At that place, an unknown flag was fluttering.
< Vende Troop. >
Jonathan instinctively pulled his horse's reins.
His breath was caught and cold sweat flowed on his entire body.
"Vende Troop?"
A familiar looking troop name.
At that moment, a knight approached and answered in an urgent voice.
"I, it's the troop of light, sir."
At those words, the faces of the nearby knights were colored with a rotten light.
"By troop of light, you mean the bastards who were poking apart the western region?"
"Even though we couldn't even find them when we tried to……"
Dazed voices.
Jonathan's face comically twisted.
"Damn it! Are you telling me the main army's camp has gone into the enemy force's hand!?"
"I, it seems so, sir."
The commanders stuttered and lowered their heads.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Jonathan spat out curses.
However, he couldn't just keep being angry.
"We're circumventing the camp! We are returning to our fief!"
The moment he gets captured, the fief war would end.
And with a complete loser's look at that.
Jonathan kicked his horse and ran towards the right side, the camp's north.
That was an extremely ideal as well as instinctive decision.
'The south is Roan's territory.'
Furthermore, the hills spread out towards the north were a greatly suitable region for throwing off the pursuit troops.
Dudududu!
The sounds of horse hooves noisily rang.
Thankfully, sign of a pursuit troop chasing from Roan, Tale Legion, nor the Lancephil legion couldn't be seen.
It was a situation where they could safely return to the fief if they just dodge the Vende Troop well.
'If I can just return, if I can just return……'
He could aim for the next chance.
'I will set a proper plan not with Io but Roan as the opponent.'
Roan's entering of the fief war was a part Jonathan too hadn't predicted.
Because it was so, the laboriously set board had shook and the things had become tangled.
At the very least, Jonathan at least thought so.
Dududududu!
Together with a cloud of dust, Jonathan and the knight order entered into the space between the hills.
Suddenly.
Vvuuuu!
With the sound of horn, a heavy-armor troop appeared between the hills.
An infantry troop whose bulky weight could be felt from just looking.
The flag soaring at the lead strongly fluttered.
< Vende Troop. >
"Ah……"
The instant he checked the troop's name, Jonathan let out a quiet exclamation.
The bastards who should be at the main army's camp had appeared blocking the retreat path.
"Hahaha! Sir Count Jonathan Chase! You have moved as my prediction!"
The individual who loudly laughed as he stepped forwards was the Vende Troop's troop commander as well as the one called the knight of light, Brian Miles.
'Director Clay is truly incredible.'
Brian having shown up from between the hills was because there was Clay's advice.
Clay had predicted Jonathan turning right towards the north and running away the instant he checked the main army's camp having fallen.
'Director Clay. Really, I absolutely don't want to have him as an enemy.'
Brian made bitter smile and looked at Jonathan.
Jonathan's face was brightly flushed.
Uddk.
Clenching his teeth, he slightly moved back.
There were no more different ways.
'Piercing through.'
Thankfully, the Vende Troop's number wasn't very big.
It was because they had also left a number at the main army's camp just in case.
"Pierce through. We must pierce through to live."
Jonathan, as if to quietly recite, gave the order.
"Charge!"
Soon, the knight pulled out their swords and kicked their horses.
Risking one's life. 1
An incredible pressure poured out.
"Cover the warhorses' eyes!"
"Everyone prepare for light!"
They had fully heard and knew of the rumors about the knight of light and the troop of light.
The knights, tightly leaning on the horses' backs, covered the horses' eyes with one hand.
Simultaneously, they deeply worn the helmets.
From Brian and the Vende Troop's position, it had became harder to save their enormously mighty advantage.
"Huhuhu."
However, Brian instead quietly laughed and shook his head.
"Idiots. To think you'll cover your eyes during a battle."
At the same time as his words ending, he suddenly raised his right hand up high.
At that instant.
Paat!
From between the hills, a tight rope jumped up.
That also wasn't just one or two but a number reaching as many as tens.
Puuk! Pubuk! Puuk!
The fiercely running warhorses got caught on the ropes and fell flat.
They couldn't have dodged the ropes because both the knights and the horses were covering their eyes.
"Kuk!"
"Uak!"
"Kuuk!"
At the abrupt situation, the knights yelled out screams and rolled on the ground.
Amongst them, there were also ones who were crushed under the giant warhorses and directly passed away just like that.
"Uuuu."
"I, I think my leg's broken……"
Even the ones who had survived, most of them had broken their arms and legs.
They weren't able to properly react because they had been covering their eyes.
Brian, who had been watching, pulled out his sword.
"We're slaughtering the enemy forces. Charge!"
"Charge!"
With a horrifying order, the Vende Troop kicked off the ground.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Each time they made a single step forwards, a heavy sound echoed out.
"Uuuu. Sa, save me!"
"Da, damn it!"
Knights begging to be left alive.
Knights swinging his sword to the end.
Like that, Jonathan's knights, with all sorts of looks, lost their lives in ones and twos.
'Is it ending like this?'
Jonathan sighed with a despondent look.
But he soon shook his head and clenched his teeth.
'No, I can't give up like this.'
Pulling his reins, he glared at Brian and the Vende Troop.
'I'll pierce through in an instant.'
They were heavy-armor troop.
If it was a normal situation, they shouldn't be able to follow him, who was riding a warhorse.
Taat!
The warhorse kicked the ground and quickly ran between the hills.
If it went well, it felt as if he could pierce through the Vende Troop as wished.
But.
Paat!
Together with the sound of breaking through the air, Brian blocked the road in front of Jonathan.
"Where are you going?"
His face was grinning and brightly smiling.
"You, you son of a bitch!"
Jonathan pulled out the sword at his waist and kicked his horse.
'Just this bastard, I need to pierce through just this bastard.'
Behind him, there was no bastard who stood and blocked his retreat path.
Strength went into the grasp holding the sword.
But that sight itself was greatly poor and unsightly.
Unlike Kali, who was an outstanding warrior, Jonathan was an archetypal scholar.
"How funny."
Brian snickered and grabbed his helmet with his left hand.
Cluck.
The plate helmet came down and covered his two eyes.
Instantly.
Flash!
From the entire armor, a bright light poured out.
Jonathan and the warhorse, who had ran up close in order to cut down Brian, quickly turned their heads and tightly closed their eyes.
"Kuuk!"
Jonathan felt the warhorse he was riding unstably falling down.
'I, I have to dodge!'
A situation where he could directly be crushed and die instantly if not careful.
With his eyes close, he wildly twisted his body.
Simultaneously with the feeling of flailing through the air, soon a strong impact was felt from his head.
"Gguuh."
With a phlegm bubbling sound, Jonathan directly blacked out.
Looking at such Jonathan, Brian burst out an amazed laugh as if to say it was ridiculous.
"What? He came and crashed on his own and then got knocked out on his own?"
The place Jonathan's head had crashed was in fact Brian's body.
He had strongly crashed into the weighty heavy-armor.
Brian knocked his armor and formed a bright smile.
"Anyway, have we captured Count Jonathan Chase……"
That was to say.
"We won."
Not only that, they had flipped the start's disadvantageous state of the war and had grasped a complete victory.
Dudududududu.
From the Tale Legion and the Lancephil Legion that was far away, a group running towards him was seen.
The giant flag fluttering at the lead. )
< Roan Lancephil. >
Brian looked at the flag and breathed in deeply.
His chest needlessly shook and felt proud.
Towards Roan who still couldn't be seen, he saluted.
"Vassal Brian Miles. I have fulfilled the order, sir."
The powerful voice rode the western wind and flowed out.
"Uuuu."
His head ached.
A feeling as if the entire world was spinning even though he was closing his eyes.
'Have I blacked out……?'
Jonathan tried to support his head with his hand.
But for some reason, his arms didn't move as he wished.
At that moment.
"If you have slept that much, now wake up."
A quiet and soft voice was heard.
A voice greatly familiar to the ears.
It was the voice he absolutely couldn't forget.
'Roan?'
Creasing his forehead, Jonathan forcefully opened his eyes.
A bright light pierced into his eyes.
Once he blinked his eyes several times, the surrounding scenery came into his eyes.
"Ah……"
Jonathan let out a quiet exclamation.
They were seen.
Roan and Roan's retainers who were quietly looking down while surrounding him.
As if looking at a funny toy, they looked truly pleased.
Uddk.
Jonathan clenched his teeth.
An incredible humiliation.
The rage soared up to the top of his head.
However, he didn't carelessly shout out.
'For now, I need to get untied.'
In any case, it was a fief war the nobles inside the same kingdom had waged.
He shouldn't be able to cut the neck of a noble, and a count at that, without permission.
"Roan. No, Co…unt Roan Lancephil."
The words didn't get attached very well.
No, honestly, he didn't wish to call him like that.
But right now wasn't the time to show off his pride.
"Certainly, your abilities are great. I lost this fief war. It's my complete defeat."
Jonathan, while making a declaration of defeat, made a smile.
An expression as if the things that had happened until now wasn't that important.
"Hahaha. I'll take my knights and soldiers and return to my fief. If you formally request a remuneration, I'll recompense at the reasonable line."
Jonathan forcefully bursted out a laugh.
He lightly shook the arms that were tightly tied.
"So untie this bind for now. You can't treat the kingdom's count like this."
A voice quietly speaking as if to teach.
He innocently labored to pretend a relaxed look.
A look to show that the fief war's end was originally like that.
But Roan and his retainers in fact didn't show any reaction.
'Jonathan Chase.'
Roan looked straight at Jonathan's eyes.
He too was reading Jonathan's intentions.
'He probably thinks that I wouldn't be able to kill him.'
It was something that couldn't be helped.
Roan and Jonathan were Rinse Kingdom's nobles, and counts, which were upper nobles, at that.
He couldn't informally kill an upper noble even whose successor selection needed to receive the palace's permission.
But.
'If I live him alive like this, he will become a big regret.'
It wasn't a very far story.
It was certain that he would immediately perform all sorts of maneuvering saying he had broken the capital's order with entering this fief war and so on.
And most of all.
'I have no thought of ending the fief war like this.'
In the first place, Roan's goal wasn't regaining the Lancephil Fief.
'I will seize even the Chase County.'
Roan bit his lips.
A situation where he couldn't let him alive nor kill him.
But if he were to particularly choose, killing him was, as expected much more beneficial.
Kkwaddek.
He grasped the Travias Spear at his waist.
'I can only report that he died an untimely death during battle.'
Although there would be those who would be suspicious, that too, he could only talk around as needed.
The light in Roan's eyes changed.
He had finally made a decision.
"Um? Count Roan Lancephil. You perhaps……?"
Jonathan faintly creased his brows.
Although his level of martial skills was unsightly, him reading the mood at least was quick.
He instantly realized the killing intent flowing out of Roan's eyes.
"I, I'm a kingdom's count! If you kill me, other nobles and even the palace wouldn't sit still!"
The voice urgently yelled.
Roan deeply inhaled and took out the Travias Spear.
Jonathan became even more impatient.
"You, you son of a bitch! I, if you kill me, you bastard too won't be safe!"
It was an ignoble threat.
It couldn't be helped if it was to live.
However, Roan paid no mind.
Chang!
Together with a metallic sound, the spearhead showed itself.
At that moment.
Spat! Pabat!
Together with a sharp sound of breaking through the air, swords and an arrow flew from Roan's sides.
Pbuk! Pbuk!
Three swords and one set of arrow deeply pierce into Jonathan's body.
"J, just what is this bitch like……"
At the abrupt situation, Jonathan glared his eyes.
His gaze moved following the sword and the arrow's owners.
The owners of the swords and the arrow.
They were Austin, Semi, Brian, and Harrison.
"Gguuuk."
As if saying he couldn't admit death, Jonathan sharply trembled his entire body.
He glared at Roan, then slowly bent his neck.
It was a vain death.
It was the appalling last moment of a man who entertained a greed that did not fit his size.
Roan quietly stared at Jonathan, then exhaled a short sigh.
"All of you, what are you doing?"
At the shortly asked question, Austin answered in a composed voice.
"Count Chase's words are right, my lord. If my lord was to cut Count Chase's neck, numerous problems just can break out."
Following that, Semi shrugged his shoulders and answered.
"I'm just because Count Chase was nasty."
Brian too was of a greatly composed voice.
"There is no need for my lord to particularly step up.
"We'll take care of work like this, sir."
The lasts were Harrison's words.
Roan alternatingly stared at the four people, then soon shook his head.
"You guys……"
Although he did not say much, he was inwardly satisfied and proud.
The subordinates he had roamed the battlefields together with had now became close enough to understand even his heart.
Roan put aside the Travias Spear he held and stared at the numerous commanders.
"The fief war hasn't ended yet."
It was a situation where there was still almost ten days left until the end date of the fief war the capital had decided.
Roan tightly clenched his fist.
"We are going to the Chase County."
Words any longer that that were not needed.
The many commanders including Austin saluted and kneeled down on one knee.
"Yes sir! We will follow our lord."
Voices loudly echoed out.
It was a sound that boiled up the men's aspirations.
Roan slowly nodded his head and looked towards the west.
The vast hilly region came within one glance.
'Let's go until the end.'
The tips of his mouth softly went up.
The true steps began from now.
Like that, seven days had passed.
Boom!
The door of the Rinse Kingdom's grand hall flew open.
The nobles who were sharing a chat inside the grand hall all looked towards the door.
At the mannerless act, everyone's displeased looks were obvious.
At that moment, the knight who entered inside the door kneeled down on one knee and shouted in a loud voice.
"The Count Lancephil House and the Count Chase House's fief war has ended, sir!"
The voice thunderously echoed the inside of the grand hall.
"What?! The fief war has ended?"
"Even though there's still two days until the end date?"
Many nobles whispered with confounded expressions.
Especially the looks of nobles who supported Prince Simon Rinse were greatly dumbfound.
'Has Roan Lancephil perhaps fallen?'
'That he ultimately couldn't protect the fief……'
'Ah hah…… what should we do of this.'
In the first place, the state of the war at the time Roan entered was truly not great.
Because of that, the nobles who were supporting Simon having pessimistic thoughts was not unreasonable.
On the other hand, the expressions of the nobles who supported Tommy Rinse and Kallum Rinse were slightly elated.
'Finally, even Prince Simon would slip greatly once.'
'With this, the throne succession competition too would have its gaps greatly shrank.'
They were all looks of shaking their shoulders and barely holding back laughter.
At that moment, Viscount Tio Ruin, who was Simon's right-hand man, opened his mouth with sorrowful expression.
"Yes, what had happened?"
At those words, few nobles snorted.
Their expressions were ones saying why would he ask something obvious.
But soon, their expressions ended up colored in a rotten hue.
The knight's answer that followed was a completely unpredicted thing.
"Count Roan Lancephil chased out the Chase Legion from the Lancephil Fief and then instead attacked the Chase County……"
He raised his head and looked at the many nobles.
"And has completely captured the Chase County."
The knight gulped his spit once, then shouted at the top of his throat.
"The victor of this fief war is Count Roan Lancephil!"
< Tie (4) > End.
T/N: I'm really sorry about the recent delays, and I think you guys deserve an update on my current personal life related to translation speed. Currently, I'm rather ashamed to say that my grades have basically plummeted to a red zone, so I'll have to spend less time translating and more on studying until my grades go back up. Essentially, that would mean 1 chapter a week released on weekends, when my schedule is more flexible. I sincerely apologize to you guys for this.
On that note, the next release will probably be one chapter on next Tuesday; afterwards, IatM will be released one chapter per week on weekends.
Translator : CSV
Proofreader: Kuhaku
Korean phrase 사생결단, which literally is words "death, living, decide, end" put together in order without any alteration. The dictionary meaning of the phrase is to make/cause a conclusion/end without concerning about one's life.