I am the Monarch

“Hm hm. Hm. Hm.”

A humming naturally flowed out.
The sunlight was nice and the wind was sweet.

‘It really is a leisure after a long time……’

There was neither the helmet pressing down on his head, nor the armor that pressed in his entire body.

“Uah.”

The young man brightly smiling and stretching was none other than the very Roan Lancephil.
He, in place of his crimson armor, wore an old and humble but a clean travel clothes.
The Travias Spear was shrunk to about a fingernail-length size and placed in his pocket.
The look of slowly moving his steps along the narrow and bumpy road was relaxed almost like taking a hike.

‘Hometown……’

He couldn’t even guess just how long since the last hometown visit it was.
He raced out of his hometown Lare Village the moment he turned eighteen and, while roaming like a beggar, entered into the Peton Training Camp.
Afterwards, he had died while wandering the battlefield for twenty years as a rank-and-file spearman and then returned to the past.
After that, a number of years passed again.
Roan who was a rank-and-file spearman had now become the king of Amaranth Kingdom.

‘Everyone wished for me to return in a glorious manner, but……’

The opinion of many officials including Austin and Ian.
However, Roan didn’t particularly want to do so.

‘Since I won’t be able to share heartfelt stories with the village people if it was a king’s visit……’

Then the chance to share drinks and chat about how each other’s life had been would disappear.

‘Since they will naturally come to know that I’ve become a king as time passes either way.’

Until then, he wished to be just Roan from a mountain village.
Although it would be a return in merely few years from other people’s positions, it was a return in nearly thirty years in Roan’s position.
The feeling he felt at this moment wasn’t something so light.
In the end, even those officials couldn’t help but give in.
As a compromise, however, the Amaranth Troop, no, Roan’s personal troop newly reformed with the name Amaranth Taemusa Troop came to accompany his homecoming trip.
Roan and the Amaranth Taemusa Troop, right after arriving at the Aps Barony’s capital Brunner Castle, received Baron Chuck Aps’s guide and again headed towards the Westend Region’s Vally Castle.
Here, Roan quietly started towards the Western Grain Mountains while accompanying only the most skilled one hundred members from the Amaranth Taemusa Troop members.
To the nine hundred Taemusa Troop members and Baron Chuck Aps, he gave an order to wait at the Vally Castle.
Thanks to that, he was able to fully enjoy the leisurely journey like now.

‘Everyone’s all following along well.’

Roan heightened his senses and felt the nearby presences.
Although only the thick grass waving in the wind were seen, in actuality the one hundred taemusas were stealthily escorting and following behind Roan.
If possible, Roan wished to also leave them at the Vally Castle, but he now wasn’t a single general but a king of a kingdom.
It was a time for himself too to care for his health.

‘I’ll have to see just the hometown people for a moment, then hurry and return after staying for a night.’

He couldn’t enjoy such leisure for a long time.
There still were far too many works to be done.
Roan very slowly hurried his steps.
The narrow and bumpy road continued and continued on deep into the Grain Mountains.
The Lare Village was a backwood among backwoods.
It was located at a place where one would question if anyone would live in such a place.
Even so, it wasn’t a poor village.
Thanks to good quality mountain herbs, animal pelts traded at high prices, and fine timber, it was a village rather well-off economically.
Only.

‘It’s so much a backwood place and located deep within the Grain Mountains that it’s slow to the news outside, and……’

Most of all.

‘It is always exposed to the assault of monsters.’

Roan formed a bitter smile.
A past he didn’t wish to think of floated up.

‘My parents too passed away because of the monsters’ assault……’

It was a horrible event that unfolded when Roan was ten years old.
After that day, Roan stayed in the village head Bas’s house.
Bas and his wife Melly looked after Roan like their own son.
The two people as well had a sad memory of losing their child during a monsters’ attack.
They wished for Roan to become a herbalist like them.
However, Roan’s dream was chosen since the day his parents had died.

‘I wished to become a great general and subjugate the monsters.’

He wished to subjugate the monsters and protect his village and the village people.
However, becoming a great general wasn’t an easy feat.
In the end, Roan met his death without having fulfilled his dream.
That was the result of his first life.

‘But in this second life……’

The moment his thoughts reached about that point, Roan’s footsteps stopped.
His body frozen like a stone statue.
His eyes sharply shook.
A small brook flowing outside the thick forest was visible.
A nameless, small, and unnoteworthy brook.
But a place where all sorts of memories brimmed and flowed.
It was the brook flowing in front of the Lare Village.

‘I’ve finally arrived.’

His hometown was before his nose.
Roan collected his breath and then slowly moved his steps.
When he neared the small brook, women gathered at the brookside drawing water or washing clothes were seen.

“He drank to stone-dead again last night and……”
“But that place is……”
“Last night my mom……”

The women each raised their voices and chatted.
Roan vacantly stood down the small brook and quietly stared at that sight.
A scene that warmed his heart.
His eyes shook even sharper.
At that moment, the middle-aged woman whose voice was the loudest noticed Roan a moment behind.

“Hm? Who is that?”

A look of creasing her forehead and tilting her head.
Roan’s appearance, from the countless wars and battles and also the training of the Flamdor Mana Technique, had a very slight difference from that of his eighteen-years old days.
He had become more manly, one might say.
Of course, it wasn’t a level where one wouldn’t recognize him, but there was no one who possibly thought that Roan, who for years hadn’t made any contact, had abruptly returned.
Roan formed a bright smile towards the middle-aged woman who tilted her head as she stared at him.

“Mrs. Melly.”

Quietly calling sound.
The middle-aged woman was, in fact, the village head’s wife Melly who looked after Roan, who had lost his parents, like her own.

“Hm?”

Melly quietly stared at Roan who abruptly called her name, then slowly stood up.
The tip of her fingers sharply shook.

Clunk.

She ultimately couldn’t help herself and dropped the pail she held.
Roundly widen eyes, slightly parted lips.
It was a greatly shocked expression, a half-dazed expression.

“Mrs. Melly. What is it?”
“What’s wrong, Melly?”

Other women looked at Melly and tilted their heads.

“Is he someone you know?”
“He also looks familiar to me, though……”

They too looked at Roan and creased their foreheads.
At that moment, Roan slightly lowered his head and shouted in a loud voice.

“I’m back.”

The instant his words finished, Melly crossed the brook and began to race.

Splash! Splash!

The water splashed out everywhere.
Her clothes became wet, but she minded them none.
Melly raised her arms wide and shouted in a teary voice.

“Roan!!!”

*****

“Hahaha. Alright. We’ve got today’s worth again.”
“This much a pelt should sell for quite an expensive price.”
“Let’s drink a round today or something.”

Five muscular built young men walked down a steep mountain path and let out a laugh.
In their hands were golden sables famous for soft and glamorous fur. 1

“For sure, Bekeil is the best in hunting.”
“I’m telling you we can easily catch three or four sables if we just listen to Bekeil.”
“You’re the best hunting of the Lare Village.”

The young men all chattered with loud voices.
The young man who among them was the most muscular and manly looking smiled widely showing off his teeth.

“I’ll pay for tonight’s so you can stop glorifying me.”

He was Bekeil, the very one known as the best hunter in the Lare Village.

“Kukuku. As expected of Bekeil. A man among man.”
“He’s a man too great to rot in a backwood village like this.”

At those words, Bekeil who was walking ahead tightly clenched his fist.

“Obviously. When I have enough money, I’m going to immediately leave this sickening village. I’m going out to the world and gonna become a great general shaking the world.”
“A great general…… it might be possible if it’s you.”
“Of course, of course. It’s easily possible. Take us with you when you leave.”
“Yeah. We can’t rot in a place like this either.”

The young men echoed his words.
At that moment, one among them formed a peculiar expression.

“Speaking of great general, remember that guy?”
“Who?”

The young men twitched their brows.
The one who spoke up raised a tip of his lips.
A sneering look was obvious.

“That Roan guy. Roan.”
“Ah! That bastard……”
“All feeble and weak, he was a brat that was just fitted to be an herbalist.”

The young men soon clicked their tongues and shook their heads.

“There hasn’t been any news since leaving the village, no?”
“Right. The village head’s worry wasn’t something to laugh at.”
“Tch tch tch. Just where and how is he doing……”

At those words, Bekeil who was walking ahead muttered in a small voice.

“He must be begging for food or something.”

As expected, sneering looks overflowed.
Everyone’s feelings towards Roan wasn’t good.
Even so, it wasn’t as if the relationship between the village’s young men including Bekeil and Roan was bad.
The problem was that their pride was very strong.
Originally, the Lare Village’s hunters had stronger pride than other herb gatherers and lumberjacks.

‘Even us the best hunters in the village can’t easily go out into the world, but……’

The color of everyone’s faces wasn’t very good.

‘That sickly Roan jumped out and left the village the moment he turned eighteen.’

Their prides were hurt.
Because of that, sneering was routine whenever Roan’s name came up.
Unless they at least did that, it felt as if they became a man that wasn’t even above Roan.

“I’m going to leave at a little more certainly prepared condi……”

The moment Bekeil’s words reached about that point.

“Bekeil!”

A young man who was pacing outside the village fences waved his hands and ran up.
An urgent expression and voice.

“Ello. What is it?”

Bekeil creased his brows.
Ello exhaled a short breath and quickly answered.

“T, that guy came back.”

At those words, the many young men tilted their heads.

“That guy?”
“Who’s “that guy”?”
“Who are you talking about?”

Bekeil too nodded his head and echoed them.
Ello spat out a long breath once more and then answered in a loud voice.

“Roan!”

Here’s a picture of sable I found. Don’t search for it on google, it only brings up fur coats: https://i.imgur.com/XfOAr75.jpg ↩

*****

He got chastised for once in a long time.
The village elder Bas and his wife Melly as well as countless adults who had watched Roan being born and growing up together chastised and chewed him out.
No, it wasn’t just the adults.
Even his peers, who have now all turned into twenties, all swarmed out to yell their piece and raised their voices.
Roan, even at the lectures pouring down, made a bright smile.
A smile naturally flowed out.
The village people were the same as always.
They were sincerely worried about Roan.

“Huff. Look at this guy. Are you smiling even when we’re scolding you? Hm?”

Bas looked at Roan’s expression and let out a natural laugh as if finding it ridiculous.

“He still hasn’t gotten yelled at enough.”
“Should we pick up the lash for once?”

The adults around them raised their voices.
At that moment, Melly stepped up and waved her hand.

“That’s enough. Roan should have understood if we talked this much. Right, Roan?”

A gently asking voice.
Roan slowly nodded his head.
Melly looked at that sight and brushed Roan’s head.

“It’s fine if you returned safely. That’s just enough. I thought that you might perhaps got hurt or……”

She couldn’t quite finish her words.
Tears welled on her creased eyes.
Seeing that look, Bas clicked his tongue.

“Tch tch tch. Don’t cry in front of the kid.”

He chided with a quiet voice, then looked straight at Roan’s face.

“Anyway, it’s fine if you are healthy without anywhere hurt.”

He pulled up a seat opposite him and sat down.

“Now, let’s hear your story, just how’ve you been. How have you been until now? What do you do these days? Did you really throw yourself into the military?”

Questions poured down.
The adults who were busy chastising him all looked at Roan.
The other people who swarmed up at the news of Roan’s return did also the same.

“That is……”

Roan carefully opened up his mouth.
At that moment.

“Just looking at you, you must’ve done odd works or something.”

A scornful voice was heard.
Few among the people circling Roan moved to the sides.
Through the slightly parted gap, young men of familiar faces showed up.
Instantly, the gentle and happy smile hanging on Roan’s mouth turned into a bitter smile.
He stood up from his seat and extended his hand towards the first young man that appeared.

“Been a while.”

A calm voice.
However, his eyes glinted with a peculiar light.

“Bekeil.”

The young man with the scornful voice, he was in fact Bekeil.
He, the instant he heard Ello’s story, furiously came to find Roan.
Bekeil shook Roan’s hand and nodded his head.

“I knew you would ultimately come back looking like this, Roan.”

An openly sneering look.
Roan let out an uncontrolled laugh at that sight.

‘Childish.’

It was childish.
Bekeil’s aim was plainly visible.

‘I, in my last life……’

Laughter kept flowing out.

‘Got done in by a guy like this?’

Bekeil.
He was the very friend, no, the traitor who betrayed Roan and stole his Travias Spear.

<Hometown (2)> End.

Translator: CSV
Proofreader: Deathwing