Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 155

155

If You’re a Man, You’ve Dreamed of It

Even though Viscount Taika burned for a full day before finally calming down and surrendering, Baron Basalla was the first to lock the castle gates, declaring he would resist rather than die in such a manner.

Following him, the other two barons adjacent to Baron Basalla’s territory also expressed their intent to resist.

‘Baron Dionba and Baron Kakanka as well.

All of them were eager participants in the large-scale rebellion of the northern nobles back then.’

They were rotten from the start.

I was worried about the repercussions if I cut them off preemptively, but now they’re practically begging to be beheaded, so there’s nothing to hold me back.

“It seems the three barons are counting on their proximity to each other.

They know that if they support each other, we can’t act rashly, as we would have to fight with Baron Repoem’s private soldiers and the surrendered soldiers from Viscount Zino’s territory, rather than the regular army,” Deputy Commander Schumacher said, clicking his tongue and continuing in a low voice.

“Furthermore, they’re likely hoping that the barbarian tribes of the north might take advantage of this opportunity to rise up again.

If they attack the chaotic northern part of the kingdom, then Duke Zion or the Spanish royal family won’t be able to focus solely on them.”

“They’re probably comforting each other, saying they just need to hold out a little longer,” Zion chuckled, directing his scorn towards the rebellious bastards who were likely steeling their resolve to resist at all costs.

The resurgence of the northern barbarian tribes?

Was that even possible?

No matter how barbaric they are, the will of the strong is paramount in their world.

With Zhan and Eos, the strongest warriors in the north, both agreeing to ‘wait for the kingdom’s answer’ and biding their time, what madmen would dare to attack the kingdom?

‘Oh, of course, there would be some.

No matter where you go in the world, there are always trolls [troublemakers or disruptive individuals].

But they weren’t called Khan [a title of leadership] for nothing, and those women weren’t called Daughters of Winter for nothing, right?

They’ll block everything like ghosts and take care of it cleanly on their own.

They’re not like the kingdom’s northern nobles, who are complete trolls.’

And would we just sit back and watch that happen?

Of course, we’re going to cause some trouble.

“Of course, a massive fire broke out in Baron Basalla’s territory, just like last time.”

“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

“They say the flames erupted as soon as their will to resist was conveyed, even though we didn’t even move.

There must be a group among the northern nobles who want to follow Duke Zion.”

That’s not it.

It’s just an incredibly awesome older sister and an incredibly crazy woman holding hands and setting fires together.

Zion simply played along with Deputy Commander Schumacher, who, unaware of the truth, wore a proud smile, thinking, ‘Indeed, the heavens know who is evil and who is righteous.’

‘Anyway, Basalla is out with this.

Now all that’s left is Kakanka and Dionba.’

It would be great to summon a firestorm in the remaining two places, but as the sages always say, ‘Be careful with fire, awake or asleep.’

Zion decided to suppress Trisha’s pyromaniac tendencies again.

He had just finished teaching her, ‘You mustn’t burn things recklessly!’ but all he was having her do was arson, so he absolutely couldn’t let her say, ‘Let’s just burn it down!’ if things went wrong later on.

‘And if they just fall because of firestorms, it’s no fun and there’s no impact.

Something more intense is needed.’

Zion decided to gather more information about the situation in the north and seek advice from Deputy Commander Schumacher, who was the most knowledgeable about the situation, excluding the locals.

“Deputy Commander Schumacher.

Which of the Kakanka and Dionba baronies do you think has a slightly more capable knight order?”

“Excuse me?”

It was a sudden question.

Deputy Commander Schumacher reacted as if he didn’t understand the intent of the question at all, but he trusted the young hero who was the king’s representative and was quickly resolving this regrettable situation in the north, so he thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“Well,

I think it would be the Kakanka barony’s knight order.

Their skills are similar, but the person in charge of the Kakanka barony’s knight order has quite good talent in other areas as well, so there are knights who follow him, and naturally, there is a slight difference in the number of knights.”

“Is that so?”

After hearing Deputy Commander Schumacher’s words, Zion nodded and stood up from his seat.

Then, he looked at Deputy Commander Schumacher, who was blinking his eyes as if to say, ‘What are you doing now?’ and opened his mouth.

“What are you doing?”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go, to the Kakanka barony.”

“Eh?

No, Duke Zion!

Wait a moment, wait a moment!

What’s with this sudden!”

“I’ll explain later, later.”

The knights and soldiers who would follow Zion were already prepared.

Immediately after designating the Kakanka barony as their destination, a group of soldiers began to move towards it.

And that news was also conveyed to the Kakanka barony.

“Zion Claussen has started moving again!”

“He is accompanied by Baron Repoem’s private soldiers, those who surrendered from Viscount Zino’s territory, and even Deputy Commander Schumacher of the royal knight order.

It seems…”

Jones, the only son and heir of Baron Kakanka, gritted his teeth at the flood of reports.

Baron Basalla was completely burned down and his entire territory collapsed without even being able to surrender, just one day after agreeing to fight and hold out together.

Now, only he and Baron Dionba were left.

“Knight Commander Vitri!”

“Yes, Jones-nim.”

“Can we hold out?”

“They still don’t have proper siege weapons.

And since almost half of them have surrendered, they won’t be able to move rashly for fear of being betrayed.”

“Isn’t Deputy Commander Schumacher there?

He’s a high-ranking knight, a high-ranking knight!”

“Even a high-ranking knight can be killed by a stray arrow.

Everyone knows that the moment the strongest and sharpest sword breaks, morale plummets to its worst, so he won’t recklessly show his face on the battlefield.”

Jones nodded, relieved by the knight commander’s unwavering and detailed explanation, and looked ahead.

Already, the kingdom’s forces, led by Zion Claussen, had arrived on the plains in front of the castle.

It was fortunate that they didn’t have siege weapons; if they had waged a proper siege, they would surely have all been beheaded and hung on the castle gates tonight.

‘All the heads of the families who went to Zino’s party, including my father, lost their lives.

Each territory is struggling to cope with the internal chaos.

Can we really hold out?

No, we must hold out.

That’s the only way to survive.

If the barbarian tribes move, even a war hero can’t fight with his back exposed!’

Jones believed so and sincerely prayed to the heavens that the northern barbarian tribes, whom he had so despised, would move quickly.

Of course, that kind of prayer would be caught by Zhan and snapped in half with a single crack!

It was literally a useless, foolish prayer.

At that moment, dozens of sounds of bowstrings being released and air being torn apart were heard from beyond the castle walls.

At the same time, dozens of arrows flew in, passing over the castle walls and landing everywhere.

“Wh, what is it!”

“Is it an attack?”

“No!

It seems they just shot some arrows.”

Soon after, the soldiers of the Kakanka barony realized that something was rolled up with the arrows they had shot and brought into the castle.

When they unfolded the paper, there was something written on it with simple content, and all the arrows that flew in had the same content.

When the soldiers informed Jones that there was paper with writing on the arrows, Jones opened his mouth, wondering if it was possible.

“Is it another letter recommending surrender?”

“N, no, it’s not.

It looks like a poem to us…”

“A poem?”

Jones snatched it from the soldier’s hand and began to read the contents.

And Vitri, the knight commander of the Kakanka barony, who was considered the most useful person by Deputy Commander Schumacher, also checked the poem written inside.

—Outstanding cunning has saved the territory until now—Mysterious calculation has mastered the north—Since you already have an established name—I hope you stop and cease—

“What is this nonsense?

What does this mean, Knight Commander?”

Jones shouted, waving the paper, as if he didn’t understand the contents at all.

But Vitri, who was standing next to him, was clearly deep in thought.

“…”

“Knight Commander Vitri!”

Eventually, Jones raised his voice, and Vitri finally came to his senses and shook his head.

“I think it’s just a text aimed at mocking us.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means to stop and surrender.”

“Ha!

He killed my father and now he’s going to save me?

Do you think I’m going to believe that now?”

Enraged, Jones looked down at the castle walls and spat.

There would be no surrender, even if he died; he would rather fight to the death.

“Knight Commander Vitri, you were the best knight and vassal of the barony that my father trusted.”

“…That’s right.”

“Can you give me the loyalty you gave my father?

I’m already branded as a traitor, and it’s hard for a son whose father has died to find a way to survive, and the same goes for his vassals.”

“Perhaps they will all be implicated in the same treason.”

“I can’t live like that.

I was just getting comfortable, but I can’t surrender to those who accuse me of treason just for weakening the barbarian tribes a little.

What has the kingdom ever done for us!

In the end, we all survived on our own!”

“That’s right.

You’re right.”

Jones reached out his hand to Vitri.

It was a request to help him, to hold out until the end and find a way to survive.

In response, Vitri slowly grasped the young man’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

Yes, someone had to find a way to survive.

‘That poem is definitely a poem that wants surrender.

But it doesn’t want the official surrender of the barony.

No matter how you look at it, that’s…’

It was aimed at him.

Knight Commander Vitri thought so.

If they were just going to demand surrender, there should have been a phrase that guaranteed at least their lives by opening the castle gates.

But in the poem that was written, there was nothing like that at all, and it was full of strange compliments.

‘They already know that the real person in this barony is me, Zion Claussen knows it all.’

He wasn’t just guessing.

If Baron Kakanka were alive, it would be different, but he had already been executed.

Jones, the current leader of the barony, the heir to Baron Kakanka, had never even done a proper heir job.

He was just an immature and naive boy.

Of course, there were almost no knights who followed him, and the soldiers didn’t trust him either.

What they believed in was Vitri, the knight commander who had raised Kakanka even a little among the various baronies.

‘That brat hasn’t noticed yet, but this is a message urging me to surrender.

Duke Zion Claussen’s last warning that he is willing to spare you if you follow him.’

As expected of a war hero, the kingdom’s saint, and the king’s representative, it was a clever idea.

He knows that a picture of opening the door from the inside and bowing down on his own is much more beneficial to the kingdom internally and externally than a picture of breaking in with force from the outside.

Even a knight from the north who has never seen his face will abandon the son of his former master and follow him, Zion Claussen!

And even the Spanish royal family showed the potential of the kingdom to fully embrace such Zion Claussen!

Isn’t this the highest level of play that a country can show?

‘…What should I do?’

He certainly won’t give me a long time.

No matter how generous I am, it will be all of today.

If I take it shorter, it will be before dinner time.

The moment they turn their horses and go back, it means that I no longer have a lifeline.

What comes after that is just the assembled Spanish regular army turning this small territory into a pile of ashes.

‘And that Jones guy might find out about the contents of the poem and aim for me at any time.’

The existence that you can’t help but rely on the most in a crisis is also the existence that you have to be the most wary of.

Jones also knew that, so he might just get rid of the knight commander before he got backstabbed.

After doing so, he would shout, ‘Knight Commander Vitri tried to sell us out!’ and the soldiers would add flesh to the rest.

I have to choose.

I have to choose.

In order to survive, as a way to overcome this situation.

‘Originally, it is the knight’s duty to stay in this territory and fight to the end.

But, but!’

Isn’t it too much of a waste?

This person called me.

The things I’ve done so far!

I’m not a person who will die in this remote north involved in treason.

I have to go to a bigger water and do greater things and die honorably.

Right now, Zion Claussen, who is called a war hero, is highly evaluating me!

‘What should I do?

An honorable death, or a dishonorable life!’

Knight Commander Vitri, who was worried, flashed his eyes.

Perhaps even that life that should be dishonorable could be washed away even a little if he took one thing with him.

—

‘He’ll definitely open the castle gates with Jones’ head.’

If you give a little wind to those who have some ability and ambition, they will move exactly as you think.

I am not a person who will die here.

Even the enemy outside recognizes me.

Rather, if I surrender, he might use me heavily.

There’s no need to die in vain!

I can live!

Deputy Commander Schumacher was dubious but followed Zion’s opinion for the time being, and Rishikida followed him even though he told her not to come out, and she has been sticking to Zion’s arms and sniffing him since a while ago.

She said she likes the smell of her master too much, or something.

‘Anyway.’

Zion was going to wait until late afternoon.

Originally, if you’re a man, you want to skip your boss and take his place at least once.

‘The problem is that the seat is the same seat where you’ll be hanged to death.’

Can’t a guy who betrayed once do it twice?

Zion chuckled inwardly and waited for the idiot who thought he was great to pop out.

―――――――Work Afterword―――――――

The ghostly strategy exhausted the principles of heaven [神策究天文]

The mysterious trick awakened the principles of the earth [妙算窮地理]

Since the merit of winning the battle is already high [戰勝功旣高]

I tell you to know satisfaction and stop [知足願云止]