Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 281

281

New heroes are always welcome!

“We will arrive at Klausen County’s castle soon.”

“What about the battle?”

“It is said to be over.

After hearing the news that Nudia’s First Army, which engaged first, was annihilated, and seeing the significant damage during the siege, the main force seems to have judged that they could no longer fight and are hastily retreating.”

A rough report came from the scouts who had gone ahead.

Marquis Volko, who had already heard the general situation from Margrave Lichten via magical communication, nodded in understanding. However, the scout who delivered the report seemed to have something more to say.

“But…”

“Is there anything else?”

“Well, it is said that Klausen County was staking everything on defending the castle, but after surveying the battlefield, it looked as if Klausen had crushed Nudia’s main force in a frontal battle.”

“Ah.”

At that, Marquis Volko nodded as if he understood and ordered the scout to rest.

“It seems to be a report about Kim Yu-hyun, right?”

“I didn’t expect that man to show such monstrous power.

When I first saw him at the royal palace, I thought he looked like he could use a sword, but I never imagined he would do such a crazy thing against the regular army.”

“Did you think I would send that friend to Klausen for no reason?”

“It’s not just you, but the people around you are also quite peculiar.

A mage who is said to be the daughter of Lord Rido, a high-ranking knight who defected from Nudia, an apprentice knight who was an ordinary territory resident, a beastman, and an existence whose origin is uncertain but whose skills far surpass those of ten high-ranking knights.”

Marquis Volko shook his head as if he was fed up.

Even Sion alone was already in a situation where even a meritorious subject like himself could not treat him carelessly, but even those around him were skilled individuals comparable to or even surpassing most high-ranking knights.

Marquis Volko even had a slightly absurd thought, wondering if this guy might be harboring other intentions, and then continued speaking to Sion, who wore a relaxed smile.

“Was letting go of the daughter of Nudia’s Minister really the best way?”

“Didn’t I already tell you? Killing her would only invite animosity, and even if we held her as a prisoner and tried to demand something, Nudia is too ruined to even prepare to get her back right away.”

“Hmm…”

“Why keep something that doesn’t even pay for itself? It’s much better to let her go while making all sorts of gestures and, at the same time, making them fight among themselves.”

At Sion’s words, Marquis Volko pressed his temples as if he didn’t quite understand and frowned slightly.

“Really, I can’t understand you guys who try to move the world by scheming. I just thought it would be enough to write some articles, read some books, and not fall for the enemies’ tricks on the battlefield, so that’s how I lived my life.”

“That’s also very difficult, Marquis Volko. Have confidence in yourself.”

“Don’t joke around, you rascal. I’m serious right now.”

At that, Sion smiled and said, “So am I.”

After briefly looking around and subtly calming the atmosphere, Sion decided to cautiously bring up what he had wanted to ask about for a while.

“Is there any news from the royal palace?”

“Not yet. Not yet.”

“Then that means the late king is still staying by Her Majesty’s side.”

“That’s a very fortunate thing. He must be watching the punishment being inflicted on the group that dared to invade Hispania.”

Marquis Volko still growled as if he was grinding his teeth at the mention of Nudia.

‘If they hate each other too much, it will be harmful to the future,’ Sion muttered inwardly, while Volko cleared his throat as he looked at Sion.

“Ahem. It’s all thanks to you.”

“Pardon?”

“The fact that the late king can rest without worry. At the same time, the fact that the Queen can stay by his side without worrying about this place. It’s all thanks to you, Sion Klausen.”

“It wasn’t something I could do alone; it’s a merit built together by everyone.”

“Be modest in moderation. It’s okay to show off sometimes. Even if you boast about your achievements in the current situation, no one in the kingdom will be able to say anything. I know that you drove out Nudia with your ability, and all the knights and soldiers here know it, and the people of the kingdom know it, so what are you so ashamed of?”

“But…”

“Since you are called the hero of the kingdom, you must bear that weight accordingly. If you keep doing that, it will be taken as wanting to run away from bearing that weight, so do it in moderation.”

It was a sharp but caring piece of advice, so Sion nodded.

Although he didn’t show it, Marquis Volko, like others, considered Sion the best of his next generation.

‘I hope my son follows in this guy’s footsteps diligently.’

Until a few years ago, Ludwig used to boast against the young Sion Klausen.

Marquis Volko was genuinely worried that his only son seemed to be becoming more like a child rather than maturing as he got older.

In the midst of all this, Sion Klausen, who had suddenly become a different person, came to the Redenen Marquisate, where his son, Ludwig, was defeated by Sion in a swordsmanship duel that he had been so confident in.

‘At first, he was angry that he had been defeated by a cowardly trick. He gnashed his teeth even after Sion left. But as time passed, he realized it too. That such tricks are one of the normal methods that anyone can use in a real fight.’

No matter how much you shout about honor, if you lose, it becomes dishonor.

After that, Ludwig often wielded his sword silently, and whenever he heard news of Sion’s exploits, he gritted his teeth and spent all his time honing himself.

He was saving even his sleeping and eating time, striving and striving to become the great knight of the kingdom that he used to say was his habit.

Marquis Volko had no choice but to bring his only heir with him to this war.

Since he was planning to step down from the Marquis position for the responsibility if he lost the war with Nudia anyway, he wanted to show Ludwig the true war firsthand.

‘So, I brought him here disguised as my escort knight without the vassals knowing…’

Marquis Volko glanced at the escort knight who was following him and Sion from a distance, watching them.

In fact, it was Ludwig, the next Marquis of Redenen.

He was trying to show him the true face of war, what he should gain and what he should lose there, but what he actually saw was Sion Klausen, whom he had once considered far inferior to himself, literally toying with and annihilating the enemy’s large army.

‘…Father. Is that guy really the Sion Klausen of the past?’

‘What did I tell you? Didn’t I tell you that people can change at any time?’

Ludwig bit his lip at his father’s answer and stared intently at Sion, who was sitting in the wagon, examining the war situation and smiling.

Volko, who was not someone else but his father who had seen him for a long time from the time he was a baby to the present, could know quite accurately what Ludwig was feeling now.

‘That guy. He’s admiring him quite intensely, even though he doesn’t show it.’

At first, he was reacting with disbelief, then with the feeling that he could have done that too if he had been in the right place, followed by jealousy.

But from some point on, Ludwig would make an excited expression whenever he heard news of Sion, like a five-year-old child looking forward to an old story.

And that thought seemed to have taken root even more firmly through this war.

Instead of harboring foolish feelings such as inferiority or jealousy towards Sion Klausen, he should work harder and follow in his footsteps to become a great nobleman and knight who would succeed his father’s generation, a rather desirable determination.

“When we go to Klausen, Margrave Lichten will be grinning from ear to ear. What father wouldn’t welcome his son back when he’s become such a terrifying monster?”

“I think he’ll be scolded instead, though. For coming home too late.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. If a man leaves home, he can wander around for a long time before returning. What, would he scold him for such a ridiculous reason?”

“And he’ll also be scolded for leaving home again as soon as he gets back.”

Then Marquis Volko looked at Sion as if to say, ‘What are you talking about?’

Sion was supposed to return to Klausen anyway after driving out Nudia, so why was he saying he was going to leave home again?

‘This old man probably doesn’t know yet.’

The idea of switching from simply defending the territory to launching an offensive towards Nudia was only between Sion and Vanessa.

It hadn’t been long since they had won the battle against Nudia, the main force needed some reorganization, and Klausen County was just finishing the siege, so it was time to strengthen the internal affairs again.

Above all, with the news of the late king’s passing possibly arriving at any moment, it was still too early to voice the opinion of further expanding the war to everyone.

‘I shouldn’t be the one to argue first, others should show that kind of hint first. That’s how you avoid backlash. Taking the blame is only good once or twice; if you keep doing it, these guys will think it’s natural, you know?’

Anyway, the knights and nobles will secretly not want to miss this opportunity.

Whether they really have that thought only for Hispania, or whether they are aiming for something else, Sion predicted that they would eventually want a picture where they too would invade Nudia, rather than ending with defense.

“Marquis Volko. This is Klausen County.”

Finally, the main force of Hispania arrived at Klausen County’s castle, the center and defensive stronghold of Klausen County.

From Sion’s point of view, it was the first time in a long time that he had returned to a place he could call ‘home.’

“…He left home and is only coming back now.”

“The battle must have been tremendous, Master. Look over there.”

It had been about two days since the siege ended, but still, parts of the castle were slightly damaged, and although busy repair work was underway, the place where the war had swept through looked quite precarious.

It was naturally impossible for this many troops to enter Klausen.

Therefore, only the command staff who would enter the County’s castle moved, and the rest would live in barracks as usual.

Of course, now that the war was over, they wouldn’t have to sleep in tension or stand guard as if they were still in foreign territory.

“That is Sion, your home.”

“Something like that.”

“Something like that? What kind of answer is that? Doesn’t it feel quite ambiguous?”

At Zann’s remark, Sion exclaimed, “Ah.”

For a moment, he gave an answer that Sion Klausen shouldn’t have given, so he pulled himself together and opened his mouth gently as if it was nothing.

“Isn’t the whole kingdom my home? Everyone welcomes me wherever I go.”

“Huh.”

At those words, Zann smiled as if he was dumbfounded.

It was such a confident answer that he was taken aback, but it was also a reasonable answer, so he couldn’t help but smile.

“Nyaa! Sion. Over there, those humans are coming!”

“It seems to be the Margrave, Sion,” said Leah and Lucia.

Sion turned his head.

There, Margrave Lichten was approaching the command headquarters of the main force with some people from Klausen County.

Then Marquis Volko was the first to kick the horse’s flank and move forward.

It was the moment when the veterans who had played the role of Hispania’s spear and shield respectively were facing each other.

“Marquis Volko Redenen.”

“Margrave Lichten Klausen.”

“You’re very late. Are you getting slower as you get older?”

“Were you waiting for the main force? I thought you would have defeated the enemy’s main force and be leisurely drinking tea, but it seems you had quite a hard time.”

Normally, he would have to show respect to Marquis Volko, who held one of the only three Marquis titles in the kingdom, but Klausen County was a County but was treated equivalent to a Marquis title in consideration of its mission and special nature.

Therefore, Margrave Lichten was also a Count in title, but he stood in the same position as a Marquis.

Therefore, it would be right to show respect to each other in the sense of respecting each other, but like Sion and Ludwig now, these two had known each other since before, so they were treating each other comfortably without formality in such private settings.

“…You’ve worked hard, Lichten Klausen.”

“You’ve had a hard time coming here, Volko Redenen.”

Watching the two men shake hands, Sion approached them as they were talking.

“Father.”

“My son, who left home, has finally returned. He even made strange rumors spread that he had died in the middle.”

“I have something to say about that part.”

“Shut up, you rascal. When you were young, you were incompetent and made your father worry, and now you’re competent and still making me worry. Anyway, nothing has changed from then or now.”

Sion, as well as Marquis Volko, had the expression of ‘Look at this guy? He wasn’t this kind of character?’ at Margrave Lichten’s playful grumbling, which was rarely seen.

Sion chimed in with Margrave Lichten’s joking words and opened his mouth.

“Did the friend I sent arrive safely?”

“Ah… you mean that man? I came out like this because I had something to show you anyway.”

“Pardon?”

“Follow me. I wanted you to see it too.”

Sion was worried for a moment when Margrave Lichten said such a thing out of the blue.

Did Kim Yu-hyun make some kind of mistake?

Did he accidentally destroy half of the castle because he couldn’t control his power?

Amidst all sorts of speculations and worries, Sion and his party went around the moat surrounding the castle and approached the front of the castle.

And there, they were able to understand why Margrave Lichten said he had something to show them.

Kwaang!

Clang!

Chaenggang!

Tteoteong!

Kukukung!

Sounds of rocks colliding as if there was a landslide could be heard.

In between, there were occasional sounds of metal and something hard colliding.

Sion couldn’t understand at all, but in the meantime, the mana that was broken and scattered was surging and creating a vortex of chaos, so Zann, as well as Rishikida, Lucia, Leah, and Trisha, were quite embarrassed and staring at that side.

“Sion. When did you say Nudia’s main force that was attacking Klausen retreated?”

“It was two days ago.”

“Yes. It was two days ago. That’s what they’ve been doing since then.”

“…Pardon?”

“They’ve been fighting like that for two days and nights without resting or sleeping. Those two friends you sent.”

At Margrave Lichten’s words, Sion blinked his eyes for a moment and turned his head.

There, Kim Yu-hyun and Ekaterina were still having fun hitting and fighting each other.

―――――――Afterword―――――――

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