Chapter 302

The Cordis 5th Legion had exceptionally many troops belonging to it.

A typical Imperial Legion consists of about 6,000 to 8,000 soldiers.

On the other hand, the 5th Legion’s total personnel is about 12,000, amounting to the personnel of two small legions.

There are several reasons for this.

Because the region assigned to the 5th Legion is large, because they play the role of providing additional troops to surrounding legions, because the military’s largest training center belongs to them, and so on.

“How many have gathered?”

“About three thousand.”

“That’s not even a quarter.”

“Because it’s not a matter of going that far.”

The Chief of Staff had an attitude as if he couldn’t understand.

He dared to take a rebellious attitude toward the Five-Rot General Queronimo.

If the Chief of Staff were not Queronimo’s eldest son, he would have had nothing to say even if he were slapped immediately.

“The opponents are only three, General.”

“The opponent is the Two-Flame Grand General Sen Hostanio.”

“…….”

At Queronimo’s firm tone, the Chief of Staff shut his mouth.

He was inwardly dissatisfied.

No matter if it was the Two-Flame Grand General, the fact that they were gathering three thousand elite soldiers against only three people touched his pride.

“Do not worry. It is all just for show.”

The Five-Rot General spoke affectionately to his Chief of Staff and eldest son.

“Because there won’t be any occasion for the Two-Flame Grand General to fight seriously.”

“Then why?”

“Do you still not understand? This is a kind of protest toward His Majesty the Emperor.”

“A protest?”

Watching his son widen his eyes, the Five-Rot General smiled.

He was a son with outstanding military talent.

Even without much help, he had climbed to the position of Chief of Staff of the 5th Legion on his own at a young age.

But it seemed his political sense was still lacking.

No matter how talented, experience comes with age, after all.

“Originally, this isn’t something to be discussed anywhere, but is there anything I cannot say to my son?”

“You earnestly requested not to call your Father usually, General.”

“Be quiet and listen. With the mindset of learning.”

The Chief of Staff nodded.

It was as Queronimo said.

He was the Chief of Staff’s father, but also the 5th Seat of the Ten Great Generals, the Five-Rot General, a general who was not just excellent but outstanding.

If it was his teaching, he could not miss it.

“This series of disturbances is all the Two-Flame Grand General’s appeal. Notifying His Majesty that he is offended.”

“…Why?”

“Commonly, what power would His Highness Zionis have? Did you not hear how he came to return to the Empire?”

“…The bastards of the West sold him out. I have heard. That when Shion of the West came over, he was in a very wretched state….”

“Right. I remember that too.”

Despicable people.

The Five-Rot General made a ‘hmph’ sound with his nose.

He was a martial artist with high pride.

He could not tolerate the Western things that sold out Shion, who had fought on the front lines for their sake.

He continued speaking, declaring that if he had been on the Western front, he would absolutely not have left those bastards alone.

“Then how could His Highness Zionis, who was in a wretched state, have escaped Kosavagarobira? He wouldn’t have been imprisoned in the first place. The Two-Flame Grand General must have spirited him away just before imprisonment!”

“…Then what about the prison break disturbance?”

“Who was the general manager of suppressing the disturbance?”

“The Two-Flame Grand General… Ah!”

“Do you understand the whole picture now?”

Queronimo giggled while looking at the Chief of Staff.

However, the Chief of Staff tilted his head.

There was one part that did not fit well.

“But the person named Shion was imprisoned several months ago.”

“That means the Two-Flame Grand General has no intention of fighting.”

The Five-Rot General said excitedly.

“He is truly a good person! He must have been very offended, but didn’t he wait for several months? Until the war ended and the situation was sorted out….”

Queronimo even teared up out of respect for Sen Hostanio.

In his heart, Sen Hostanio was changing into a kind of saint.

A true soldier who suppressed his personal feelings despite being hurt by the death of his cherished granddaughter, a gentle old man protesting indirectly using His Highness Zionis….

Of course, it was all barking up the wrong tree.

Every single word of the Five-Rot General Queronimo was far too different from the truth.

Still, the logic was solid and plausible in its own way.

It was enough for his son, the Chief of Staff, to be deceived and impressed.

“…I see. My insight is truly narrow. It has been a great lesson.”

“Do not be impatient, my son. Time is on your side. Instead, learn properly, and grow properly. Until you rise to this position.”

“…Father, no, General…!”

“Today, you may comfortably call me Father.”

“Father…!”

They shared a touching moment that only they could understand.

If someone who knew the facts saw it, it would be quite laughable.

Still, there were only the father and son here, so what did it matter?

“By the way, was there a need to gather as many as three thousand?”

“Since I noticed the Grand General’s intent, I am playing along. Since he’s protesting anyway, wouldn’t it be fine for him to do it a little more splendidly?”

“I see. I have learned again.”

“And since we won’t fight anyway, wouldn’t it be good for the young fellows to see the Grand General’s face at least once?”

“You are wise.”

The Chief of Staff bowed his head deeply.

Queronimo replied with a benevolent smile.

“There probably wasn’t a need to send scouts.”

“Did you send scouts?”

“I followed the regulations.”

“Thorough. Indeed, that is correct.”

“The Intelligence Bureau pestered us so much too.”

The Five-Rot General stroked his beard.

“How many did you send?”

“The amount isn’t much. Including the Intelligence Bureau, it is seventeen.

However, there are two Commanders of a Thousand and eight Commanders of a Hundred, and the Intelligence Bureau also sent seven carefully selected individuals.”

“Hmm. If I had known beforehand, I would have told them to escort him well.”

The Five-Rot General raised his head.

He looked toward the other side of the mountain range, the direction from which the Two-Flame Grand General was coming.

There was a slight concern.

“He must be upset over losing his granddaughter, what if they offend him?”

“Everyone will likely do well.”

“Indeed, he is a gentle person. It was a needless worry.”

He laughed loudly.

“If they had offended him, the bright yellow flame that is like the symbol of the Two-Flame Grand General would have already…….”

A flame flared up.

It bloomed on the other side of the mountain range, and it was a bright yellow color.

It burned so fiercely that one might wonder if a whoosh sound was heard.

“…….”

“…….”

The Chief of Staff looked up at his father blankly.

The flame extinguished quickly, but it was engraved very deeply in their minds and did not disappear.

“…What did you say the bright yellow flame was, General?”

“…I told you.”

The Five-Rot General continued speaking, trying to be calm.

“A protest. A protest! He intends to do it splendidly. Hah. Since he is normally such a simple person, I never thought he would go this far. Indeed, that’s right. Even the Two-Flame Grand General is human, so it’s understandable he’d want to come out splendidly at least once.”

“…….”

“Uh. Why are they looking at me like that? Do you think my words are wrong? Is this father funny to you?”

“……I didn’t say anything.”

“You rascal! Don’t worry! That level of flame is not even a prank to the Two-Flame Grand General!”

The Five-Rot General abruptly lifted a finger and pointed at the other side of the mountain range.

“If the Two-Flame Grand General were serious, a hill like that would melt in a single brea…….”

Another flame bloomed.

It was so bright yellow that it was transparent.

It bloomed for just a moment, yet a hill melted down in streams.

“…….”

“…….”

Queronimo and his son, the Chief of Staff, lost their words.

They could only open their mouths again after catching their breath a few times.

“…Please continue speaking, General.”

“…Assemble the entire army.”

“…Yes, understood.”

The Chief of Staff, who was about to leave the barracks, stopped.

He turned around and asked.

“…Siege weapons… are not needed, right?”

“Should we take them just in case…?”

***

“Two-Flame Grand General.”

I said.

I was wearing the ‘Crown of Paradox’, and was walking in the lead.

“There was no need for that.”

“The way to go is far, but they were interfering.”

Sen Hostanio sheathed his sword.

He had just melted a hill with his Ars ‘Old Fire’.

Seventeen people who came claiming to be scouts were engaging in language that was not just arrogant but insulting, so it was to teach them a lesson.

“Do not worry, Your Highness. I did not kill them.”

I nodded as if I knew.

Seventeen scouts, two Commanders of a Thousand and eight Commanders of a Hundred, and seven elites of the Intelligence Bureau.

However, when Sen Hostanio displayed ‘Old Fire’, nine fainted and five wet themselves.

The remaining five had lost their wits with all the hair on their bodies and clothes crumbled away.

Velgil couldn’t help but admire Sen Hostanio.

While handling enough flame to melt a hill, he did not inflict a wound on anyone.

The more he chewed on this fact, the more the man named Sen Hostanio appeared colossal.

It wasn’t simply talking about skill.

The Two-Flame Grand General’s character, slightly glimpsed, came across impressively to Velgil.

Sen Hostanio read the admiration in Velgil’s eyes, and so he said with a bitter smile mixed with self-mockery.

“Did you say Velgil. Do not look at an old man like this with such eyes.”

“…What eyes am I making?”

“You seem to be harboring very great expectations.”

It is only embarrassing.

Sen Hostanio is in a state of being crushed.

If asked what he was crushed by, he was crushed by life.

Because it was a life lived holding a sword, the blood shed was plentiful.

Blood mixed together without knowing whose blood it was piled up on his shoulders like the Great Sea.

The people he had killed.

Men and women, the old and children.

Lives he had killed without distinguishing anything.

Each and every one was bound to be equal to him, yet he has only one life.

Because it was a price of sin that he could not possibly be responsible for with his own life, his breath was blocked.

To see such a state as a hero is an embarrassing thing.

Since he admires an old man who only has a talent for killing people, he feels like shouting please don’t do that.

However, since he couldn’t do that either, he was following me.

He felt like he had to follow me.

Without even knowing where we were heading.

“His Highness Zionis.”

Sen Hostanio spoke quietly.

I do not stop him from calling me Zionis now.

Because I really am Zionis.

I was still a regressor prince and had many secrets, but I was in the middle of emptying them out.

“If you permit, I will chase away the 5th Legion. Since their numbers are many, they might be bothersome….”

“If you really want to, do so. I won’t stop you.”

“…What does that mean?”

“Because to me, it looks like you are also expecting something.”

“…This old man is? What, from whom….”

The Two-Flame Grand General soon realized that my words were true.

He was expecting.

I am Shion, who passed through his sword as if it were nothing.

Then what kind of appearance will Shion display toward the 5th Legion?

What can this man do?

Curiosity just like a child’s was in the middle of his heart.

“…Oh….”

Sen Hostanio let out a groan.

“…It is embarrassing. Being excited like a child despite being so old….”

“Why is that embarrassing, Two-Flame Grand General? You were originally a child, weren’t you.”

“…I am not now.”

“But at one time, you definitely were.”

“…….”

Sen Hostanio suddenly felt choked up and almost shed tears.

Words he hadn’t thought of passed the calluses of his heart and touched him deeply.

He lifted his old eyes and looked at me.

I was still just Shion.

“…I am curious. Why do Your Highness’s words become a comfort to me? I didn’t even know I wanted to hear such words.”

“Because these words are true.”

I grinned.

I felt joy.

Because Sen Hostanio came to not be embarrassed.

Embarrassment is painful.

So Sen Hostanio shed one pain.

This was something that could only be joyful to me.

Because he is reconciling with himself.

“The name of my crown is Paradox.”

I pointed to my forehead.

“So although I am one who has nothing to show, if you want to see, it is something I can show.”

“…It is difficult, Your Highness.”

“I also don’t know well what I am saying.”

“But is it true?”

“It probably is. At least for now.”

Sen Hostanio smacked his lips.

“…Then please show me, His Highness Zionis. I am curious about what you will show in front of them.”

“Good.”

I moved my steps.

“It will be so.”

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