The stench was so overwhelming that I had to use magic several times while transporting the manure to the farmlands.The residents kept asking me different questions along the way as if they were interested in learning everything there was to know about me.Questions like, "How does magic work?" or "What magic did I use to block the smell?"They were interested in learning the magic I employed to conceal the stench since they found it useful.I just offered them straightforward responses; I wasn't irritated by them. It's been a pleasure talking with them. I haven't had a conversation like this in a long time.An hour later, we arrived in the farmlands. My tools had already been laid on the ground.I was confident that the tools I made would make it possible to begin ploughing even if the farmlands were still heavily covered in snow.I divided the farmers into two groups. One would be in charge of ploughing the land with the tools, while the other would be in charge of spreading the ma
Alfred was certainly confident for a reason. There weren't many organizations or noble houses that could insult the Red Tower unless it was one of the Dukes or the Imperial family."Alfred, come," the eighth elder said as she walked away, and Alfred hurriedly followed her.When they both left, the first elder stood up and said, "Grand Elder, aren't we moving too quickly? Even though he is only an ordinary baron, the fact that he vanquished the Count proved that he had skills.""I had no idea you could be so wary of a mere baron, First Elder," the Second Elder mocked with a smirk.The first elder didn't even look at the second older, disregarding him completely."Grand elder, I believe we should investigate this issue further."The Grand Elder gave a nod."I know the baron is not ordinary, but that is all there is to it. I only want to use this opportunity to remind the empire that the empire will soon have more than five persons at the s-rank!"The Grand Elder's comments reverberated
Unaware of it, five days had already passed.Time does not wait for anyone, and I do not always keep track of it. The city had been under construction, and so much was happening at the time that it felt like time was flying by.It could be regarded to be fate.I had asked Solan to accompany me to Vermillion City. We were intended to travel through the dungeon at first, but an unanticipated complication had arisen.A Monster Wave.I took part in and witnessed a monster wave firsthand. And there was one thing I wanted to keep in mind. When a monster wave was approaching, no one could enter the dungeon and no creature could leave.No matter how strong I was, I couldn't do anything to change this."Solan put on a heavy coat and a veil."Solan scowled, hunched her neck, and asked, "Master, why?" while looking at me in a perplexed manner."I don't want any unnecessary complications. You should be well aware of what that face is capable of. The number of men who perished while attempting to
Solan furrowed as he stared at Rui.Something didn't feel right to her."Are you the Cloudmantle family's young Miss? I'm not sure who you're trying to fool. Despite its small size, the Cloudmantle family is a respected Viscount family governing Cloud City and Heartmantle City.Solan questioned."You don't even have an A-rank guard and only one old man at B-rank." "Otherwise how could thieves rob the carriage of a viscount family?"Solan realized that having an A-ranked guard in a Viscount family would be uncommon, but it was still possible. There were still a few of rogue mercenaries eager to leave the mercenary life and serve a noble family when the time came.Even the Baron of the city that had taken over her master's city had an A-rank guard who she had to assassinate.When questioned, Rui maintained his cool and just sighed."My mother is a regular woman from a little town. Her encounter with my father happened by chance." Rui remained silent for a brief moment before respondi
"I said, 'Who are you?'"Solan inquired once again. Due to the fact that she was with me, I could already see that she was being quite patient.If it had been one of those days when she was on her own, I'm sure she'd already flipped this tavern upside down.The scarred man laughed. He slapped his palm on the table in front of him as an aura flowed through his right hand.Baam!Instantaneously, the table was shattered, and the food was all thrown to the floor.There was silence throughout the tavern."Who is he? How come he is so haughty?" A confused diner muttered something in whispers."You're probably new here. His name is Ian Creek, and he is the leader of the Red Skull Mercenary band. Don't make any noise. He is a wicked individual. He doesn't need an excuse to murder people... " Someone seated next to him advised."What? In the town, how could a mercenary do such a thing? Wait... " The guest appeared to have realized something and stopped speaking.The Red River village was a par
Revry and the elders paused for a while before the servant darted in again.Panting, the servant struggled to speak. He had rushed from the gate to the inner hall without stopping. And because he was simply an ordinary person, it was a challenging task."Relax and talk properly," one of the elders said."T-The person who arrived claimed to be from a noble family.""Tch, a mere noble, and he has the guts to wreck havoc at our gates?"One of the seniors made a sly grin.But Revry wasn't as arrogant as the elders. If a nobleman had the audacity to cause trouble while knowing the other person was a viscount, it meant the nobleman was up to something."Did you inquire about his name?""He claimed to be from the Alheim family." The servant spoke fearfully."Alheim?" Revry recognized this as a difficult situation right away. Who hadn't heard of the powerful Alheims by this point?Only a month after receiving the title of baron, Riel Alheim defeated Count Forser and slaughtered all of his num
Rage scratched his head.This was a rather routine task for him. All the summons had, at one time or another, carried out the master's commands to kill.What was perplexing was that the master had brought Solan with him yet assigned the assignment to him while he was miles away accompanying a carriage with the master's family.Rage grew unexpectedly.His IQ has already surpassed that of any human. If it had been a few months before, he would have taken the task without hesitation.Rage bowed after a little pause and said, "Master, please give me your orders.""Viscount Revry Cloudmantle," I muttered, my gaze fixed on the horizon.Revry was undoubtedly Rui Cloudmantle's father. I could even discern similarities between them. I was basically telling Rage to murder Rui's father, but I didn't care. I don't suppose Rui cares for her father, whom she just met for the first time.It doesn't matter whether she does. My plans cannot be thwarted."Consider it accomplished, Master. Rage nodded a
"I will do all in my power to repay this favour!" Rui bowed her head.She pleaded because the man in front of her was the only way she could avenge her father. Only her father smiled at her, while the rest of the Cloudmantle clan mocked her.They would bite her off and kick her out of the family if it weren't for her father's protection."It's not that I don't want to, but your Cloudmantle family needs to handle this internally. As an outsider, I can easily cause difficulties," I explained hesitantly.For a brief while, Rui remained silent. She was at a loss for words."Let's have your father's burial arranged as quickly as feasible. Although I am unable to personally engage in the investigation, I will keep a close eye out for the murderer on your behalf. " I consoled her briefly before departing with Solan."Do you wish to take over the Cloudmantle family, Master?" Solan inquired attentively on the way back."Can you tell?" With a smile, I inquired."I'm not certain. I just think y
"Hey! Why should we listen to a brat like you?" The interjection came from the back of the crowd, a young soldier, his face flushed with anger, his eyes blazing with defiance. The rest of the soldiers turned to stare, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.A genuine smile spread across my face. Finally, someone had the audacity to speak up. A flicker of satisfaction ignited within me. This was exactly what I had been hoping for, wasn't it? Didn't this feel like the natural order of things?I had anticipated this moment from the very beginning. There was no way these esteemed scions of nobility and battle-hardened knights would meekly submit to the commands of a mere child. The moment I was elected commander of one of the three mighty armies, I knew this tension would inevitably arise. After all, who among these talented warriors would willingly follow a teenager with little to boast of in terms of accomplishments? And let's not forget the shadow of my less-than-st
Ladia couldn't help but castigate herself for her lapse in judgment. How had she not seen it before? If the involvement of the magic towers would significantly aid the Empire, then the impact of the very person who had defeated the magicians of the tower participating would be monumental.The princess's heart thrummed with the realization, chiding herself for taking so long to come to this epiphany. Was Ethan's proposal the correct course of action or not? She no longer dwelled on the question.With a steely gaze, Ladia announced, "I have reached a verdict."The room fell silent as all eyes turned to the princess. The final decision lay in her hands, and she was ready to reveal it. The anticipation hung heavy in the air, and Ladia took a deep breath before continuing. "I have decided to accept Ethan's proposal."A murmur of surprise rippled through the room, but Ladia held up her hand for silence. "I believe that Ethan's plan, with a few modifications, is the best course of action for
My suggestion ignited a firestorm of debate among the upper echelons of the capital. The princess convened her officials in the grand throne room, where the air was thick with tension and uncertainty as they deliberated their next course of action. Ultimately, the march toward the City of Aran was postponed by a full day, a delay that weighed heavily on everyone present. The officials found themselves divided, caught between two stark choices: should they attempt to reclaim the nearby City of Aran from the Beast Kingdom, or should they focus their efforts on retaking the more strategically significant City of Northfall?"But, Your Majesty," one of the officials interjected, his voice rising above the murmurs of the assembly, "as we stand now, we cannot afford to risk an attack on the Northfall Fortress! I have heard reports that the beastmen have fortified their walls and laid even more traps to ensnare us! If we allow this farce to continue, we will be nothing more than lambs led to
A chill snaked down Ryle's spine. Ethan's suggestion hung in the air, heavy and suffocating, like a shroud woven from despair. To attack City of Aran, a fortress city now bristling with tens of thousands of Beast Kingdom soldiers, felt like a declaration of utter annihilation. Even Lance, their most valiant commander, had fallen captive within its walls.Ryle's brow creased into a deep furrow. He, too, was a commander of the Initiation Army, a man who had tasted the bitterness of defeat and the sting of loss. He couldn't fathom how Ethan, this newly appointed leader, could so blithely propose a course of action that reeked of self-destruction."I cannot, in good conscience, agree with your plan," Ryle stated, his voice laced with a mixture of disbelief and frustration. "As we stand now, attacking Northfall City is a fool's errand, a suicide mission. We are scattered, depleted, and outmatched. We must first rally our remaining forces, regroup along the borders, and then, and only then,
"Ryle Green, step forward!" the Royal advisor said, seeing Ryle was in a daze.Ryle coughed and stepped forward, his heart pounding with excitement as he knelt before the Princess."Ryle Green, you are hereby granted authority over fifty thousand soldiers," the Princess said, her voice like a melody that soothed the soul. "You shall be the commander of the Vanguard Army!"With a snap of her fingers, the Princess bestowed an insignia upon Ryle's shoulder, its glow of light like a beacon of hope in the face of the looming threat of the Beast Kingdom."I will crush those beastmen for you, Your Highness!" Ryle said, his voice filled with determination and resolve.The Princess smiled, her eyes filled with pride and hope. "We have faith in you, Ryle," she said. "Together, we will defeat the Beast Kingdom and restore peace to our lands."Princess Ladia nodded, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "I expect a lot from the younger generation, Ryle," she said, her voice laced with both encou
The Dwarven Kingdom, a land renowned for its glittering wealth, held its breath. The Brightwing Empire’s meager offer, a desperate plea for aid, was all they had to entice the notoriously hard-drinking mercenaries. Even if their weapons were outdated, their reputation for unmatched effectiveness in battle preceded them. Surely, that would be enough.“Your Majesty,” a guard murmured, his voice barely a tremor in the air. “They have arrived.”Princess Ladia, lost in a labyrinth of thought, startled slightly. She had wrestled with the decision for what felt like an eternity, but finally, a solution had emerged. All that remained was to face them, to meet their gaze and offer her hand in this desperate alliance.Viscount Lamiel, a man whose arrogance was only surpassed by his thirst for gold, strode into the royal garden, flanked by a legion of equally boisterous mercenaries. Princess Ladia recognized most of them – the nobles summoned by the crown, their faces etched with a mixture of g
The scene unfolded with brutal efficiency. Several soldiers, their faces grim and resolute, descended upon Drew and the other soldier, their movements swift and decisive. There was no struggle, no desperate pleas for mercy. They walked away with heads bowed, accepting their fate with a stoic silence that spoke volumes of their resignation.Ryle, his expression a mixture of weariness and amusement, ran a hand through his hair, a sigh escaping his lips. "What a waste of a perfectly good sleep," he muttered, his voice laced with a hint of exasperation. "Young men like myself need our rest, yet everyone seems determined to disrupt my slumber over such trivial matters."His gaze shifted to me, and a playful smile curved his lips. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said, extending a hand towards me. "Ryle Green, third son of Count Green, and as you might be able to tell, the future commander of this very army." He spoke with an air of unwavering confidence, his words carrying the weight of
Two soldiers from a rival camp, their boots crunching on the gravel path, happened upon the conversation. One soldier, his face contorting with barely suppressed mirth, clamped a hand over his mouth, desperately trying to stifle a chuckle. His companion, sensing the impending eruption, jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow, a silent plea for decorum. But the laughter, like a trapped spring, was too powerful to contain. Tears welled in the soldier's eyes, threatening to spill over as his shoulders shook with silent mirth. Finally, with a strangled cry, he burst into a full-blown guffaw. "Hahahaha! If it's the Young Master leading us! Hahaha! We'll be able to… Pft! Hahaha!"The sound of his uncontrolled laughter echoed through the camp, drawing curious glances from nearby soldiers. Gaston, his face a mask of confusion and irritation, turned to the source of the amusement. "Excuse me, but what's so funny?" he demanded, his voice laced with displeasure.The soldier, still gasping for br
The unyielding army of the Ice Demon City had been journeying for a considerable number of weeks, traversing a multitude of cities and towns along the way. During our sojourns, we would occasionally restock our supplies, find respite in taverns, and often in the great outdoors, before resuming our arduous trek.Given the unfortunate circumstances, we were informed that the Ice Demon City was the most distant of all cities from the capital. This reality meant that we were among the last to receive the urgent message, compelling us to join the ranks of the other nobles and their armies in the capital.It was in the fourth week of our relentless march that we finally arrived in the grand and magnificent Capital city. The journey had been long and arduous, but our determination never wavered, as we knew our presence was required in these critical times. I had already surmised that the majority of the other nobles and their forces would have already amassed in the capital, readying themse