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“Good. Fine then.”
Aaron unexpectedly seemed to consent to it.
He turned back and walked towards his table and then he stopped and turned to look at Roan again.
“You really are returning, right?”
The same question.
Roan just nodded instead of replying.
Aaron let out a long sigh and went towards his table.
He spread the vacation petition and raised pen.
‘If I sign it now Roan will leave.’
Aaron bit his lower lip.
He wasn’t a staff officer nor a troop commander.
A mere class 5 adjutant was asking for a vacation.
And the reason for it was also clear.
‘A relative that is south of the kingdom passed away…..’
On top of that, it was a normal case where soldiers that were above the class of adjutant asked for a vacation.
It was different in each cases, but a spearman could at most take 1 year off.
Even so, it didn’t matter much for the corps as they wouldn’t be getting their salary.
Even so, he couldn’t sign it easily.
He could change his mind and decide to retire right away, and most of all what he hated to think the most was that Roan got transferred to another corps.
But of course, it wasn’t that common.
As they had their own relationships within the troops, they couldn’t just take a member of another troop as they wished.
‘But if it’s a troop that’s on a higher class than us, it will be different.’
An upper class troop would even be able to blackmail Roan. No, even in a middle class or a lower class troop, they could utilize a method to newly recruit a retired one.
Whatever it was, Aaron was worried about Roan disappearing from him.
‘Most of all, the western region is noisy because of rumours about Roan.’
Half a month had already passed since Slen battle had ended.
After the battlefield got cleaned up, the soldiers that returned from blackbird troop and rose troop kept talking about Roan’s prowesses.
And even if they didn’t do so, it seemed like a rumour about a soldier that used an amazing strategy and at the same time slew Violin spread through travellers.
Meanwhile, the rumours that were vaguely roaming spread properly through the confirmation of the soldiers.
‘He got out of my pocket quicker than I thought.’
He didn’t think that he would be able to hide a fang in his pocket forever.
But at least, he wanted to take him to his side even a little more certainly, before it got out.
‘I couldn’t even get the reply of viscount Reil Baker…….’
Aaron took in a deep breath.
‘Right. If he only returns, it may be better to be out of this region.’
Now that it turned out like this, it wouldn’t be bad to create some distance with the people interested in him.
Scribble.
The tip of the pen moved over the paper.
Aaron finished the signing and let out a long sigh.
And then looked at Roan’s two eyes fixedly.
“Are you reall…… No. How long do you think it will take until you return?”
The southern part was far.
It was almost the exact opposite of this place to Ipen castle.
There was no way it would be short.
At those words Roan replied without hesitation.
“If i’m quick one month, and if I get delayed three months.”
Aaron nodded.
“Don’t forget that a promise for a soldier is more important than their own lives.”
“Yes. I will remember it.”
Roan smiled brightly and bowed.
Aaron moved his feet and stood in front of Roan.
He lent him the retirement permission and hit his shoulder.
“Have a safe trip. And certainly return.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Roan bowed.
Aaron returned once more to his seat.
“Ah! And I have some more presents to give you.”
“Presents?”
As Roan asked back Aaron nodded.
“Yes. But the preparations still aren’t finished. If you come back later, I will give it to you then.”
“Understood.”
Roan didn’t ask further on and bowed.
Aaron looked at the scroll in Roan’s hand and shook his hand.
“You can get out.”
Even if he tried not to show it, he put on a rather unwilling expression.
Gale and Roan saluted shortly and got out of the office.
Aaron, who got left alone, looked a bit more at the pieces of paper and pushed them to the side of the table.
“Whew.”
He let out a long sigh.
‘I did send him away for now…….’
Now he only had to wait for Roan to return.
He was a man worth the wait.
‘Because even the eldest son of the Owell’s family got amazed.’
Mary and Walter who arrived for his birthday.
The two people, and especially Walter, praised Roan nonstop while they were staying at Ipen castle.
‘If I make Roan mine and Mary grabs Walter……’
A smile appeared on Aaron’s mouth.
‘Just imagining it is fun.’
He buried his body in the chair and closed his eyes.
He wanted to enjoy this happy imagination a little bit longer.
*****
“I told you there’s no need to send me off.”
“No. Until the entrance of the castle. We will escort you until there.”
Many men walked down the street in a pack.
The people that came and went recognized him and waved their arms.
No, precisely speaking, their interest was pouring on the youth walking at the front of them all.
“Huh! Mister Roan! Where are you going?”
“Slen battle was really the best!”
“Take one fruit!”
The youth that receives all of the people’s interest.
He was Roan who was starting the long journey towards the south.
And of course, the 12th squad that followed him.
“Now really go back.”
Roan stood outside of the entrance and waved his arm.
Austin and the other members saluted.
“We will wait here from when the first month starts.”
“If you didn’t return, we will just stay here and become rocks.”
“Have a safe trip!”
Everyone’s eyes were hot and fierce.
‘Don’t worry. I will certainly return. No, I can only do so.’
Roan looked at every faces of the members and moved his feet.
‘If my future is in Potter region, this place has a spring of a foothold.’
He had to return here to Beno castle for various reasons.
Strength started to be put in Roan’s steps.
‘I’m finally going to Potter region.’
One of the first plans that could be picked in one hand after he realized that he returned to the past.
‘But before that……’
He had a place to go.
In the first place, his destination was a bit to the southwest.
As he walked for almost a quarter of a day he saw a small village.
Roan passed the entrance of the village and went to a house located under a big tree.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Who are you?”
After he knocked a shabby wooden door, a really slim middle aged woman appeared after a while.
Roan bowed.
“I’m class 5 adjutant of rose troop. I was the commander of your son.”
“Ah….”
The woman let out a low exclamation.
Roan couldn’t even raise his head.
“I couldn’t rescue your son because I lack a lot. I’m really sorry.”
A visit that wasn’t related to his travelling.
The place he came to was Lander’s hometown.
“Sob.”
The woman cried without making any sound and then wiped off the tears with the back of her hand.
“I’m the mother of Lander.”
The end of the sentence trembled.
“Don’t bow like that.”
She covered Roan’s face with both of her hands and raised his head.
“On the last vacation, Lander talked a lot about you. That you were a really amazing man. I was really curious as to who you were, but we get to meet like this.”
Roan couldn’t say anything.
He looked at the woman’s face for a moment and then took out a small bag.
“There’s no way this will comfort you……”
“I don’t need money. I already received a lot.”
The woman turned back the back to Roan and shook her head.
There were tears on her eyes.
“Even so it seems like Lander has been with some really good people. Quite a lot of people came and went from Beno castle.”
“From rose troop?”
“Yes. The troop commander came, and the soldiers of the 12th squad also came saying that they were Lander’s friends. Especially the soldiers of the 12th squad came every time they had the leisure to do so and helped with the farming. They are really thankful people.”
At those words Roan shut his mouth.
‘The reason they nowadays cut off the one night of free day was because of that? They really are nice people.’
He felt thankful towards Gale and the 12th squad.
‘If it’s these people I can be together for life.’
It was good to have good abilities and talent, but he also needed good people and well mannered ones.
Roan grabbed the hands of the woman.
“Lander was a really great soldier and ally. You raised a truly amazing child.”
At those words the woman forcefully smiled.
“As he was recognized by the adjutant he always admired, Lander will also like it. Sob.”
In the end she buried her face in Roan’s hands.
Roan gritted his teeth at the hot tears that were felt on the back of his hand.
‘I have to get stronger. Only then……’
Resolution formed in his eyes.
‘I can rescue at least one more person.’
The tears of the mother that lost her son hit him.
His heart that was a bit scattered at the thought that he was finally going to the south was strengthened.
Today at this moment, Roan felt once again.
That he had many things to do.
*****
Roan started his real trip after he received the really kind treatment of Lander’s mother.
For now, he went to the fishing village Pierr that was located on Poskein lake and had quite some scale.
Poskein lake.
As the biggest lake in the continent, the size of it was a bit smaller than Rinse kingdom.
Rinse, Istel, Dies, Aimas alliances were gathered around the lake as the center.
‘But now they aren’t able to utilize this lake properly.’
Roan looked at the lake that spread without end and shook his head.
‘Now, it’s only used as a place to catch fishes in a small village.’
It wasn’t only in Rinse kingdom, but even the other kingdoms that were at the boundary left it alone.
Because the lake had really big and monsters, which you didn’t know the identity of, which were abundant.
In the end, working as fishermen in the fishing village was everything.
‘But even before 10 years passed, a lot of blood will be shed by the 4 kingdoms to conquer this lake.’
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
‘The one that will conquest this lake is the pirate king Bek that’s called, Bright Shark.’
He was originally from the navy of Aimas kingdom, but he made himself independent and became a pirate.
He used outstanding navigation skills and strong fighting power as the background to conquer Poskein lake, and not satisfied with that he attacked many villages and towns and plundered.
‘The navy of the four kingdoms allied themselves later to subjugate it but it was pointless.’
Roan let out a long sigh.
‘I can’t get Poskein lake taken by that violent guy also in this life.’
He planned to dominate Poskein lake faster than anyone.
‘Poskein lake is one of the most important places for my plans.’
But there was a big problem.
‘There’s no proper person.’
Not even one person who was skilled in the navy appeared in Rinse kingdom.
Even the outstanding genius strategist Ian Philips failed to find and appoint a skilled and strong marine.
‘In this life, I will do it myself.’
Roan was planning to do something even Ian had failed.
And his first plan for that was to travel with a ship rather than on the ground.
‘Until now, it will be something no one had tried.’
Getting on a ship and traveling a long distance was something unthinkable yet.
Roan was planning on finding someone that would step up and challenge something that no one had done yet.
For now, he went to the village of Boodoo that was at the south of Pierr village.
Big and small fishing boats and big fishermen were abundant.
Roan carefully asked to the one that looked the most manly.
“Can you get me to Potter region?”
The reply came immediately.
“Don’t say crazy shtuff!” (Not a mistake)
The man turned him down and yelled.
Roan smiled bitterly and looked another person.
But all the fishermen showed the same reaction.
“You crashy?”
“If your not crazy go back to the ground. That’s the safhest place.”
“You will give me a lot of money? Kukuku. This man. If you have that much money why don’t you ride a carriage?”
“Say shit about money a bit more finely.”
Everyone talked sarcastically and shook their head.
In serious cases, there were some that cursed while punching.
“You telling me to die together!”
“You don’t know where a monshter will appear! If you want to die do it alone!”
A loud yell that made his ear numb.
Even so, Roan didn’t give up.
He roamed around Boodoo, the market and the town for 4 days looking for someone that would carry him on their ship.
But even after his persistent effort, no one stepped up.
‘Whew. In the end do I have to go by ground?’
Roan sat at the boundary of Boodoo and looked at the blue lake.
The lake was calm and silent.
Sunlight shone on the lake.
Then a small voice was heard.
“Hey.”
Roan turned his head to where the sound was heard.
The owner of the voice was a youth that seemed to be the same age as him.
Only, his body was so slim he looked really pointy. The youth smiled awkwardly and said.
“About going to Potter region. May I do that?”
At those words, Roan stood up.
“Of course.”
A really excited voice.
At Roan’s reaction, the expression of the youth became a bit dark.
He scratched the back of his head and carefully said.
“But it’s only been a month since I started to sail a ship….. Do you care?”
“Of co…..”
The moment he said that without thinking of anything, he stopped.
‘One month?’
His sight was directed to Poskein lake.
It felt that the calm lake became rough.
< To the south (3) > End
Translator’s note: Thank you donators and also readers!
Translator : Subak
Proofreader: st8_lupe.
Editor’s Note: Happy Birthday Comrade