Chapter 200

Chapter 200

***

From boy to man, from man to father. Summarizing my life up to now was like this.

Born in the countryside and grew up in the countryside, left the countryside and became an adventurer, and at the end of adventures became a King.

Even so there was nothing special. Because all things that look special were merely shells.

The only special thing was that I made friends, have loved, and gained a son. No, wouldn't it be more accurate to say I met him rather than gained him.

Yes, I have finally met my son after a long journey.

While my mind and soul became fulfilled on one hand my own self felt small. Were all fathers like this? Father, how were you? I ask even if only inwardly now.

Even if others call me an unprecedented hero I have never once lent an ear to it. I have never been arrogant even more, and rather it would be more correct to say I inwardly rejected it.

I did not have a distinct goal. But because I have a past life I know there was a distinct difference. That everything was branches splitting from having family or not having it.

How strong a person who grew up receiving love was. Conversely how self-destructive a person who did not receive love was. I know that difference.

Therefore, unconsciously everything I have done was to protect so that not even one family was destroyed, and reaching out hands to boys and girls tossed aside from destroyed families.

As long as humans live together conflicts cannot not exist, and fought cannot not exist, and therefore wars will never disappear either I know.

Thus I struggle in that bloody fight. That was all, and I did not wish to be called a hero.

To someone I am also an unparalleled villain surely. Because choosing one thing and giving up another was the logic of the world.

Yes, that was all......

At the tip of the cavalry charge Rickart fell into sentimentality unfitting the situation. All senses merely felt deafening.

Suddenly facing the surprised and fearful eyes of the enemy soldiers, the shaking on the horse, the tensed muscles, the vibrations shaking the earth's axis, and the sound sweeping like a tsunami from afar were conveyed in an instant.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

KWANG! KWAJIK! PEOK! KWAJIJIK! PEOK! PEOBEOK!

The sound of warhorses trampling people was heard dizzily. The enemies crushed helplessly were nothing but a lump of meat. The spear rolled up firmly fixed under his armpit eventually pierced through people like skewers.

However actually stabbing and ramming them Rickart couldn't even tell what was what. This short moment was the most dangerous.

Arrows flew in. Originally they wouldn't even shoot arrows considering ally damage, but the will to somehow dismount Rickart was felt.

Rickart turned the horse's head, and lifted his shoulder to block the arrows. Two or so arrows brushed past his face, and one hit his shoulder armor and bounced off.

Ultimately the arrow rain falling thick and fast like a drizzle ended up killing more allies.

"Aaaaaaagh!"

"Mother!"

From up close, and from afar enemies screamed. It seemed certain their will to fight was broken, and Rickart felt it with his skin.

So leading the knights Rickart, strongly kicked the belly of the Crimson Comet and pierced through the camp exactly like that and ran to the rear of the enemies.

A part of the knights slightly stepped back and reorganized, and the Royal Guards including Raimund followed Rickart to the end. Because protecting the flanks and rear of the King was the single duty they risked their lives for.

As Rickart pierced through the front of the enemies and struck out to the flank and dashed, the enemy reserves being urgently thrown in couldn't catch their bearings. Should they follow Rickart, or reinforce the disorganized front?

That brief hesitation became a single chance confirming victory for the pushing infantry of Adelorn.

Stretching out to the flank Rickart changed direction again and ran to the place the enemies' command, the Duke of Frederia was.

The burning like bright red horse and the flaming sword fluttering like a flag seemed to overwhelm the battlefield alone.

Actually the battle seemed finished, but Rickart wanted war results beyond that. He saw the Duke alarmed and fleeing on a horse in a flurry.

Rickart cut down the enemy escort knights blocking him like passing arrows, and without the speed slowing down even a bit rushed to the Duke of Frederia.

DUGUDUK! DUGUDUK! DUGUDUK! DUGUDUK!

How fast the horse was the Duke of Frederia continuously looking back, felt almost as if Rickart getting closer whoosh whoosh every time he looked back was using magic.

Should I change direction and flee? Or should I turn back and fight even now? Before he could even make such a resolution, when he looked back for the last time he ended up seeing Rickart with his flaming sword raised high above his head brightly.

"W, wait!"

HWIK! PEOK!

Flop! Thwack!

The Duke of Frederia shut his eyes tight and couldn't know what had happened. He didn't even know whether he himself died or lived.

He fell from the horse and rolled roughly on the ground, and whether he died on the spot exactly like that or was heavily injured he couldn't know but for now drooped limply like he was dead.

The escort knights urgently ran to save their lord, but as Rickart looked back at them with blazing eyes they dared not approach.

"Throw away your weapons and dismount!"

As he shouted pointing the tip of the sword, they lost the will to resist and followed the directive. They had no choice but to follow. Because the huge and mysterious red horse Rickart rode was stomping its feet exactly as if it would crush the fallen Duke any moment.

As the knights knelt disgracefully and put both hands behind their heads, the Royal Guards following Rickart tied them up.

With this the battle was over, and Rickart immediately seized the territory of the Duke of Frederia.

The methodology called tactics on top of the board called strategy, a battle was an extension of those, and Rickart created a single perfect masterpiece by actively fighting as a chess piece himself.

The captured prisoners alone were a whopping 4 thousand people, and the casualties of the enemies reached 1 thousand people, and ally damage was almost non-existent.

A battle was a single dynamic and an art of controlling chaos. And Rickart, was the most outstanding artist in that field.

Rickart decided to clean up the Duke of Frederia first to make a bridgehead going to the Imperial Capital Nibelungen, and right now was the moment that conclusion was made.

The dizzying battlefield was in the middle of being cleaned up as soldiers roamed around. Recovering casualties, salvaging what could be salvaged, robbing what could be robbed. It was good to finish before rain came.

Broken flags and spear shafts, corpses buried in mud, people who will die soon now, and people only groaning with their arms and legs broken and bones exposed.

Clouds flowed quickly in the ashen sky. Not knowing where the wind blew from it was cool enough to cool the summer down briefly. Far away from the dizzying battlefield flags fluttered.

Even having grasped victory the elite soldiers of Adelorn didn't show any particular signs of rejoicing. They merely watched the prisoners indifferently.

The Duke of Frederia and Lords, and knights who became prisoners their appearances were not words. Torn and worn-out armament, and disheveled hair and scratched and soot-stained faces.

The Duke of Frederia seemed to have miraculously survived even though he fell from a running horse. Merely, even though signs of tension were evident whoever looked right now lifting his chin and trying to pretend nothing was wrong was all seen.

The person he faced standing was the young King sitting on a low rock eating a fruit he saw for the first time in his life.

Rickart made a cut with his knife on an orange sent from Valensha and took off the peel and took a bite each time. Even on a day the sun didn't rise he could at least feel the sun through taste and scent.

The refreshing and sweet flavor spread fully in his mouth, and to his nose but there was no particular change in expression. And the Duke of Frederia staring at him also didn't seem to be in his eyes.

Wasn't he thinking about something else entirely now? Even such thoughts were made.

So the Duke of Frederia spoke first. Despite being defeated it was such a complexion exactly as if trying to keep his principles.

"I haven't done any act. Even when the King crossed the boundary and seized the gold mine as he pleased, even when the Queen dug behind my back and spread bad rumors, I haven't done any act. If you asked me to open the path I would have opened it. Today's matter was a matter a robber would do."

Whether he heard that story or couldn't hear it Rickart, merely ate the orange with his head slightly bowed. Then after eating it all, tossing the peel thud on the floor he finally stared at the Duke of Frederia.

"If wishing to only be safe crouching in chaotic times is a sin it's a sin, Duke. The most powerful strength God granted us humans is the strength capable of making a choice. However Duke abandoned that strength. Let us not weigh right and wrong in this seat. Me striking Duke is because I do not trust Duke. We do not have personal affection between us do we? Even if you said you would open the path, I hate my back feeling uncomfortable you see."

Rickart wanted to hold the Fifth Prince Bellator accountable for going to the Imperial Capital Nibelungen currently and attacking Marie. Since the Duke of Frederia was midway on the path going, he struck him.

Thus the Duke of Frederia who didn't did anything holding only troops for a long time, truly couldn't accomplish anything and ended up broken by Rickart.

There were types of incompetence too but this person also was truly exceptionally incompetent. Feeding and sleeping soldiers doesn't cost ordinary money, yet doing nothing for 4, 5 years.

"Then what are you thinking of doing with me now? I request that the King directly strike my neck with that holy sword. Take my life and spare my vassals."

Whether he repented at the end while recklessly plundering the territories of his vassals behind his back, or whether he was putting on a cool act at least since he couldn't avoid death was an unknown matter.

And Rickart had little interest in such things.

"No, Duke. I am not going to kill you. You Duke just enter your castle and live. And do not leave the territory of you Duke. If you only keep that I will guarantee the title and rights of you Duke, and the other nobles are also the same. Of course the army will be disbanded, and I will take about 2 thousand."

As Rickart took an unexpectedly generous measure, the Duke of Frederia and his vassals while relieved made bewildered expressions and looked back at each other.

The reason Rickart spared them was none other than because they were incompetent people who knew how to did nothing even left alone.

Killing them and taking their land was merely taking on troublesome work, and the judgement was that making them live as they originally lived would be the most beneficial.

He was just taking away their power and putting them under his influence. Since Marie decided to become the Emperor anyway, there was no need to make everyone mortal enemies or foes.

"Didn't you wish to be safe? Since I will guarantee that safety I hope Duke doesn't needlessly start matters. Step back."

Rickart brushed off his hands and stood up from his seat. And walking into his subordinates, mounted the red horse. Leaving the surrounding cleanup to his underlings he himself bringing only a small number of escorts, ran somewhere.

The Duke of Frederia and retainers blankly stared at Rickart growing distant cutting across the field.

Guaranteeing safety, that meant differently saying you were below me. If this battle had a meaning in definitely making that clear it did.

Even so a war was a war, all this time Rickart didn't not did it because he couldn't but wanted a proper excuse.

Whoever hears might laugh, but Rickart didn't particularly like war. Even though he was the most outstanding at it.

Going from the territory of the Duke of Frederia to Stormhearts riding a horse didn't even take a day, but around the time Rickart arrived rain began to fall.

The place where the Federation's headquarters used to be was destroyed and was in the middle of being rebuilt. They defeated the enemies but cleaning up the aftermath also had to be done by the Federation and Stormhearts people.

Still because they earned not a small amount of wealth by disturbing the rear of the Fifth Prince's army and plundering supplies, food or money wasn't a problem.

As Rickart appeared the people just like welcoming the sun they had been waiting for, knelt.

Even though he didn't did anything in the Stormhearts defense battle, because just the existence Rickart itself could make them completely relieved now.

"Ricky."

A familiar voice was heard from up close. Turning his head and looking it was Ice working with laborers rolling up his sleeves.

Whenever facing family and friends Rickart unmounted his horse. This time too getting off his horse grabbing the reins he walked to him.

"Ice."

"To prevent the wood from rotting you have to put a tarp over it on time. Tar is a bit lacking though, leaving fires going next to them makes it at least better."

"Yeah......"

Ice spoke exactly like treating a friend he met yesterday.

"Sadly his eyes seem to resemble Marie though."

"Really? But what does that mean? Why would I be sad?"

"Your eyes are the prettiest Ricky. Like harboring some unknown mystery. You were like that since young right."

"No. There is nothing like that."

Rickart laughed snicker and shook his head.

"Is Marie in the castle?"

"No, there. In the headquarters."

The headquarters wasn't completely rebuilt yet, but it was a place where people could stay tolerably.

"The castle would be safe though?"

"Marie is always together in places where people suffer. Female Ricky, you know you said that."

"Not me. Bori said it."

"Really?"

"What about the other guys?"

"Bolka and Kali are incredibly busy. Since the Federation won against the Prince it seems it got promoted properly. They have to keep selecting people too, and to approve joining the Federation they have to look around the region too. Bori is currently taking turns with me protecting Marie and the Crown Prince and."

"......What Crown Prince."

"Ultimately it was Marie who decided the route. Not you. If you wanted to become Emperor you could have done it as much as you wanted."

"I merely do what I can do. I do not wish for more than that."

"Yeah, because you were originally like that, you."

While the two were conversing the rain streaks became thicker. So Rickart without interfering with work anymore held the horse reins and walked to the headquarters. Since they could talk again later.

Many people watched Rickart. Although he didn't want to become the Emperor himself, Rickart was already an existence beyond the Emperor.

Dunkel asked Rickart whether he was a Demon King protecting the world, or merely a hero no different from a slaughterer, but however it may be. He didn't care much.

Entrusting his horse to the stable keeper and entering the headquarters, silence lingered. No feelings of incompatibility or unease at all, it was a silence full of only concern for the baby.

A moderate warmth wrapped Rickart who was rained on. Walking step step and climbing up to the 2nd floor, he reached the bedroom slightly messy being not quite perfectly organized.

There Marie and Bori, Roy and Becca were. His son Vilter too.

"Ricky."

"Master."

"King."

What each called him was different. Whatever it may be, Rickart walked quietly and met the baby embraced in Marie's bosom.

Unexpectedly he wasn't sleeping. An exactly tiny human, chewing munching his mouth and wriggling wriggling his very tiny fingers.

And finally Rickart and the baby's eyes met. One was hazel-colored irises, and one was blue.

Whether recognizing his father or seeing something else, Vilter who probably hadn't even learned all emotions yet smiled brightly. Exactly like a shining star.

Rickart too making a subtle smile said. Outside the sound of rain falling splat splat was heard.

"His eyes indeed resemble Marie."