I am the Monarch

Chapter 321: The Great Warring Period (2)

“So you are the rumoured Roan Lancephil.”

The seventh imperial prince, Moyce Ron Estia, looked at Roan Lancephil with an intrigued expression.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Roan Lancephil.”

Roan already knew who Moyce was.

‘In my previous life, I remember him being rumoured as the unlucky imperial prince.’

Although he was an incredible prince with both ability and personality, his maternal ancestry and background weren’t powerful enough to give him any chance. In addition, because of such positive evaluations of him spreading, he received intense opposition from other princes and there were rumours that his life was in danger every single day.

‘In the end, I died before him so I don’t know what kind of life he lived afterwards but…’

It was highly likely that Moyce didn’t enjoy a decent life either. With a deep breath in, Roan thought.

‘At the start, when I planned on doing things at the Estia Empire…’

The first person he thought of was Moyce. That was how important he was and because it was such an important task, it was crucial for him to send the Administrator, Swift Clock to the imperial capital, Regium.

“I thought the rumours were exaggerated but…”

Staring at the dozens of swords on the ground, Moyce opened his mouth in bafflement.

“They were actually lacking.”

And in agreement, Count Crew Hail gave a nod.

“That is true. It baffles me as well.”

While Crew was in pure admiration, Roan stared at his two eyes with a faint smile.

‘So this person is the first sworn brother of Clay…’

He gave a slight bow towards Crew.

“I heard you were sworn brothers with Duke Pelburn of the Rite Kingdom.”

The smile hanging on his lips deepened and in that instant, surprise coloured Crew’s eyes as he wasn’t expecting Roan and Marino to be acquaintances.

‘When did they meet?’

According to the information he had, Roan and Marino did not have a single interaction but due to Roan’s words, his confidence shook.

It was then,

“Thank you all for answering my unreasonable request.”

With a gentle smile, Roan once again lowered his head because he was the one that gathered Moyce and Crew together.

“Hmm.”

Nile Allen and the knights of the Lucia Empire who had no idea of it let out murmurs but contrastingly, Moyce and Crew were nonchalant and calm.

“We couldn’t stay still after hearing all that.”

Moyce shook his head with a bitter smile before throwing a glance towards Swift standing next to him.

‘When I met him for the first time at the headquarters of the Shadow Guild, I heard a lot from him.”

It was a meeting that had been organised thanks to Edwin Voisa’s introduction. In fact back then, Moyce thought that the story Swift and Edwin were about to tell him couldn’t be any more obvious.

‘I thought they would talk about attacking the Church to save the Amaranth Kingdom and Mills Voisa.’

However, the topic Swift shared was a completely unexpected one. More importantly, it was shocking, gruesome and evil.

‘Although there were countless complicated stories…’

They could all be organised and put into one sentence.

‘The Middle World is in danger…’

That was the main point of the stories.

After hearing that, it was impossible for him to decline meeting Roan and that was the same with Crew. Unlike Moyce, he did not directly meet Swift or other nobles of the Amaranth but instead, Crew had received a letter in secret from the Shadow Guild’s Master, the infamous Shadow Ghost, Deek.

The content of the letter was simple.

‘The Middle World is in danger.’

Crew who was cleverer than others, agreed to meet Roan without much hesitation. That was the reason he slowed down their march and formed a camp at the grassland near the imperial capital of Regium.

“For starters, I think most of us are not aware of the situation in detail so…”

Including Moyce and Crew, Roan glanced at the various knights of the Lucia Empire and continued his words.

“Let me talk about the horrendous, evil happenings that are occurring throughout the continent.”

His voice was calm but the stories that left his lips weren’t topics that left the listeners calm.

“Hmm.”

“Ah…”

Mutters and groans left here and there. Even Moyce and Crew who knew the general gist of the situation were left speechless when they heard the story in a lot more detail. After who knows how long, Roan’s story finally reached the end.

“These are the things that are currently happening within the continent.”

With a short sigh, he concluded the long story.

Silence.

There was nothing but silence above the cliff. Without opening their mouths carelessly, Moyce and Crew fell in deep contemplation.

Gulp.

Nile, as well as other officers and knights of the Lucia Empire, could only gasp.

‘The Mad Dragon? Tallian Church?’

‘The Gates of the Boundary?’

‘Dark Generals and Dark Regiments?’

These were all horrible situations that suffocated them as frustration filled their throats as lumps. In the end, Nile couldn’t hold back any more and opened his mouth in urgency.

“Y, Your Majesty Lancephil. If your words are true, we must end the war immediately and group our forces together. We should qui-quickly go to the Church to relay the truth to His Holiness and stop the crusaders from marching any further.”

His pale expression quivered. Other knights nodded in agreement but Roan shook his head with a bitter smile.

“After investigating it with the help of Argens, Evishun and the Tenebra department, we discovered that the Church had known about these facts for a long time already.”

Kung.

Great shock stormed its way into the crowd.

“Y, you mean that the Church is ignoring the situation despite knowing it…”

Before Nile could finish his sentence, Crew, who had been lost in contemplation shook his head and opened his mouth.

“No, they weren’t ignoring it.”

A bitter smile appeared on his lips.

“Sorry? What do you…?”

Nile frowned as Crew calmly gave a short reply.

“They were encouraging it.”

“Ah…”

Murmurs left here and there from the unexpected turn of events but on the other hand, Roan gave a slight nod with squinted eyes.

‘Indeed, his ability to read the situation is quick.’

With various information as the foundation, he easily figured out the truth behind the matter.

“Count Hail is correct. The Church is wishing for the situation to turn worse.”

“How could that be…”

Since most of the knights of the Lucia Empire were believers of the Devesis Church, they lowered their heads in despair. Their firm beliefs were being greatly shaken. Although they were aware that the Church was corrupted, they did not think it would be this evil.

In the midst of that, Roan stared directly at Moyce and Crew as he continued his words.

“Currently, the Persion Kingdom, the Istel Kingdom and the Rite Kingdom have decided to ally themselves with the Amaranth.”

His gaze and voice boiled within.

“If we let it be, the Middle World will collapse and the world will face its end. To stop that…”

The answer was already decided and they all knew what was correct.

“We must group together.”

The Estia Empire and the Lucia Empire were large nations covering half of the entire western side of the Grain Mountain Range.

‘If the two empires helped us, saving the Middle World will become a lot easier than it is right now.’

With a blazing pair of eyes, Roan stared at Moyce and Crew.

‘Mhmm.’

Being the receivers of that gaze, Moyce and Crew gulped as their heart thumped fast. Their blood caught ablaze. After all that, they already knew what they had to fight for and what their swords had to point at.

“It’s a bit embarrassing.”

Suddenly, Moyce formed an awkward smile. Then, he faced an embarrassed expression at Roan as he reached out with his right hand.

“It feels like I’m just placing a spoon on the task Your Majesty Lancephil and the Amaranth Kingdom has set up so I’m rather embarrassed.”

It sounded complex but in other words, it meant that he would be following Roan’s wish. With a faint smile, Roan grabbed Moyce’s hand.

“Thank you for making such a difficult decision.”

His voice was powerful and it was then.

“Our Lucia Empire will put a spoon on it as well with thick skin.”

Crew formed a smile himself and grabbed their hands.

‘Good.’

Inwardly, Roan let out a deep sigh.

In fact, the most worrisome plan that worried him the most out of countless plans was the persuasion of the Lucia and the Estia Empire. The two empires had an immense national force that allowed them to oppose several kingdoms and because there were lots of believers of the Devesis Church, they were locations where the Church’s words reached with ease.

‘If we couldn’t persuade the two empires…’

The worst-case scenario he considered was giving up on the western half of the continent.

‘Thanks to Prince Moyce and Count Hail, it turned out to be easier than I expected.’

It was fortunate that they were both knowledgeable, rational and logical people. If they were like Simon Rinse, Tommy Rinse, Kalum Rinse or Reitas Persion, filled with ambition, then it would’ve been impossible to persuade them.

‘I wouldn’t have chosen them as targets to persuade if they were people like that in the first place but…’

Heaving out a short sigh, Roan shook his head. From deep within his heart, a small hot lump rose up till it stuck at his throat as his heart palpitated.

‘Now, we’re finally approaching the end.’

With a deep breath in, he gently held Moyce and Crew’s hands through which his burning heart was conveyed.

“Then are we going to attack the Church straight away?”

Moyce asked in a low voice and when he did, the gazes of everyone present gathered on Roan’s mouth. In response, Roan shook his head and faintly smiled.

“We can’t attack head-on without any backup.”

With a calm voice, he continued.

“With one mistake, we might end up missing the body and grabbing only the tail. And besides…”

His eyes flickered a light of sadness for an instant.

“There’s someone I must rescue.”

“Ah…”

Hearing that, Moyce and Crew immediately nodded because they knew who he was talking about without even needing to ask.

‘Io Lancephil.’

‘Grandfather of His Majesty Lancephil…’

The crucial reason for the Church and the Estia Imperial family’s relationship turning sour was none other than Io Lancephil.

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

After noticing the circumstances, Crew asked carefully to which Roan responded by looking first at Moyce.

“Imperial Prince Moyce, please go to the imperial palace for now.”

Naturally, Roan didn’t mean for him to just visit the palace and wanted him to do something different. Realising his inner thought, Moyce replied with a slightly rigid expression.

“Although the elites of the empire have left for the Amaranth, there are still many knights and mages present in the palace. Unfortunately, it is impossible for the forces under me to take control of the imperial palace with just us.”

Without any worthless pride and baseless confidence, Moyce honestly conveyed his circumstances and Roan nodded with an all-knowing expression.

“Do not worry. By the time you go to the imperial capital of Regium, your reinforcements would’ve arrived already.”

“Ah…”

Moyce let out a short murmur because he knew that Roan wasn’t a person who would talk nonsense.

‘Did he spread his reach to the imperial capital already…’

He had no choice but to let out a sigh of admiration. While he did, Roan continued after turning towards Crew.

“Count Hail, please visit the Church.”

“Since you probably won’t be telling us to attack with just our forces, are you telling us to make preparations?”

Quickly, Crew read through the situation and asked back as Roan gave a slow nod back.

“Yes. If you say you couldn’t dare pass by the Church on your way to the Amaranth, they won’t be too suspicious. The people of the Lucia Empire are known to be devout believers after all.”

“We should ask for them to bless our army or something.”

Crew formed a bitter smile.

“After entering the Church…”

For some time, Roan continued explaining carefully about one plan. After hearing it to the end, Crew nodded with a smile.

“Good. Leave it to me. Then what are you planning to do yourself, Your Majesty?”

He threw a glance at the surroundings before whispering in a soft voice.

“Will you disguise yourself and head to the Church with us?”

Roan made a bitter smile in response.

“No. There’s a place I must visit before that.”

As soon as those words left his mouth,

“A place to visit? Don’t tell me there’s still something left undone?”

Moyce and Crew both made surprised expressions as Roan nodded while wearing a faint smile.

“I need to find the body.”

It was an incomprehensible sentence as they frowned in response.

“Sorry? Find what?”

In the end, Crew asked with an odd expression because he couldn’t hold back his curiosity. That was how weird Roan’s words were but the same strange sentence once again dug into their ears.

“I need to find the body.”

The smile hanging on Roan’s lips deepened ever so slightly.

<The Great Warring Period (2)> End.

Translator: Lunargrasp

Proofreader: Deathwing