Beyond the Throne: The Monarch's Return

The centurion felt awful.

Although there were two knights, he was the chief of the party. The Duke even appointed him himself.

However.

'You lowly serf. So bothersome.'

It was none other than Ian.

Even though Ian was a prince, he did not like Ian, who was wearing shabby serf clothes.

The mission he was entrusted to, however best described, was no different from a chore.

And as if it wasn't enough for him to take on such a chore.

"Yes? Buy new clothes?"

"Yes. As you can see, it's all torn."

The centurion's mood could not get any worse as he received the clothes Nathan handed him.

And when complained if he could order him around like a servant, Nathan giggled.

"When it comes to choosing the prince's clothes, we can't just trust the eyes of the soldiers. I must have made a mistake with the prince's clothes."

"What? Mistake?"

"Yes. How is it possible for a person like the centurion to have such a rustic taste and didn't prepare proper clothes?"

"...!"

"Since you are a centurion, you should be able to pick out clothes that would make the prince stand out, right? You must have great eyesight."

At Nathan's smirk, the centurion grinded his teeth.

He was positive that this guy was harassing himself on purpose.

'He noticed that I messed with the bag.'

And this was a threat. 

While speaking nicely, choose a decent outfit. 

'I just did what they asked me to do.'

He thought it would be fun. 

Anyway, thanks to him, the centurion was now pissed off. 

"Wow. What's this?"

"Ah. This is the herb we use. It is effective for bruises and sword slashes."

"Oh? These herbs have different colors."

"Huh? What? You notice that? Oh my gosh, you're amazing. Even veteran ginseng diggers also find it difficult to discern the colors. Anyway, we're going to use that color to distinguish medicinal herbs from poisonous herbs."

"Then this purple one must be the poisonous herb, right?"

"No! It looks like it, but it's actually a medicinal herb! Rather, the one with the bright red color is poisonous. If you eat it, you will vomit blood and collapse."

"Oh. What's the name of this herb?"

"It's Lorelin's tears, Prince."

As if from a lowly origin, he was mingling with lowly mercenaries without hesitation.

It was natural for the centurion's face to crumple.

'Really, you're being the worst!'

Moreover, Nathan didn't admonish the prince right away and was only sleeping on a board with his face covered with a hat. 

Eventually, the centurion couldn't stand it anymore and approached him.

"Sir Nathan. It seems like the break is too long. If you want to stop by Yonte Castle, you need to hurry up a little more."

"Yonte Castle? Why are we going there?"

"You told me to pick the clothes that fit the prince…! There are good things if we go there."

"Ah, if that's the case, then you can go alone. We'll be sleeping, so go ahead."

"Sir Nathan!"

At the look of the centurion, Nathan curled up his lips.

'You must have been anxious for some time.'

In fact, Nathan was thinking a little bit about that, too.

Because he didn't like the blood of the royal family being close with the lowly people like mercenaries.

So he gently nodded his head.

"The mercenaries can manage on their own."

"Thank you, Sir Nathan."

"You buy the clothes by yourself."

The centurion groaned and looked at Nathan.

But he headed to the place where the aforementioned mercenaries were. Even if he went to the castle by himself, he did not intend to treat the mercenaries comfortably.

The savvy Galon was a problem, but Nathan would take care of that.

"Break is over! Start moving right now! Hurry up, everyone!"

"What? Now? I haven't finished eating yet."

"It's an order!"

Not only the mercenaries but also the soldiers looked flustered.

However, the person in charge of the schedule was the centurion. Even the knights had to respect his words. 

They had no choice but to get up from their seats with a helpless expression.

***

'Oh, look at this?'

Ian was making an absurd expression on his face.

It was only natural.

"Everyone, hurry up! A little more to go! We must hurry to the Duke's castle!"

It was because of what the centurion was doing.

It was strange for him to forcibly end the break earlier.

'Are you determined to get rid of the break time?'

Instead of resting, they were moving fiercely.

Ian and his knights were riding horses, but others were forced to walk on two legs.

Even if the soldiers were armed simply, the mercenaries carrying their luggage and armor must be exhausted.

"Uhhhhh…"

"Until when are we going to move? Let us get some rest!"

"Leader! Are you going to stay still? Say something to him."

The mercenary captain, unable to bear it any longer, asked the centurion.

"Centurion, how about taking a little break? Everyone is on the verge of collapsing."

"Don't you know we don't have time now? The schedule has been delayed already."

"But Centurion…"

"Well then, will you be responsible for the delayed schedule? Then go ahead and let's take a break!"

"That, that…"

The mercenary captain couldn't plead any more.

This mission also guaranteed a fairly large sum of money for them. But no compensation for the increasing schedule.

If he made a slip of the tongue, the mercenaries might go bankrupt.

"Okay, I understand."

The mercenary captain had no choice but to turn around with his teeth gritted. All he could do was take off the helmet he was wearing and throw it on the ground.

But it was just that moment.

'Huh? That person?'

Only then did Ian get to see the face of the mercenary captain for the first time.

It was a familiar face.

'If you cover it like this…'

Ian stretched out his finger to slightly cover the face of the mercenary captain.

He looked exactly as if he covered one of his eyes.

"That's right! One-Eyed Gerard!"

"What is it, Prince?"

When Galon approached because of his startled voice, Ian shook his hand, saying it was nothing.

He was flustered for a moment. 

'I almost got in trouble. Without realizing it, it came out of my mouth.'

But that wasn't the point.

The true identity of the mercenary captain.

'You're the One-Eyed Gerard who used to be the mercenary king!'

The man, undoubtedly one of the legendary mercenaries who would later consolidate the mercenary world and be promoted to the seat of mercenary king, was right in front of him.

'Your nickname was definitely the One-Eyed Gerard.'

The mercenary king had only one eye. That's why he was called One-Eyed Gerard. But now both of his eyes were fine. 

'Is this before you lose your eye?'

He was also famous for making wild facial expressions.

But for those who knew the future mercenary king, he was so different now that Ian was surprised. Ian couldn't believe that he had such a friendly personality.

'Come to think of it, Gerard's personality changed completely ever since he lost his eye. After that, he began to stand out as a mercenary.'

Until then, it was known that he led an insignificant mercenary group. But Ian didn't know he was in charge of his escort.

Ian thought the Duke's ability to recognize talent was quite impressive. 

'Then maybe that person is here too?'

The left arm of the One-Eyed Gerard, who was called a genius tactician.

There was a strategist standing next to him who was considered the best in all kinds of strategic tactics including war tactics.

And Ian was able to find him right away.

"Hey! Line! Hurry up! I'm starving!"

"So-sorry, Senior! I'm going now."

A blonde young man with a weak impression doing chores while sweating profusely. Obviously, it was consistent with what he remembered.

'Line, who was called 'The Devil's Strategist', said that when he was young, he was working under the mercenary king. It was only later that his talents were revealed.'

He had never been taught any strategy. However, he was said to have mastered the art of forbearance and strategic tactics due to his genius talent.

The two men were the ones who would later establish a country of mercenaries with their great mercenary skills.

Ian couldn't believe such people to be found in this secluded place.

'What if I could make them mine?'

Galon, the Duke's foremost knight.

The knight who brought defeat to the Duke for the first time, Nathan.

As if that was not enough, even the mercenary king Gerard, who founded a kingdom as a mere mercenary, and the legendary strategist Line who made him the mercenary king.

Just imagining it was thrilling. Their power would certainly be a great help in dealing with the Duke.

'Before that, let's deal with the centurion first.'

Ian laughed in mirth. 

***

"Everyone, stop! Let's take a break here."

With the soldier's cry, the carriage stopped. 

And when Ian's carriage stopped, the struggling mercenaries rejoiced, and the soldiers willingly dispersed. 

Of course, the centurion burst into anger.

"Prince!"

The centurion came to Ian as he could no longer tolerate it. 

"No. From before until now, how many times do you think you took a break? If you hadn't told me to rest earlier, we would have already arrived at the castle!"

Ian smiled without sticking his head out of the carriage. 

In fact, they had been going a little and resting, moving a bit and then a break again, and kept repeating it since earlier. 

There were various reasons for it.

"You need to pee. You are dizzy from riding the carriage. What is it this time?"

At his roar, Ian peeked his face out the window of the carriage.

The centurion begged Ian if this was the last time.

"Please. Let's just go. Yes? We might end up homeless otherwise."

It was natural for the centurion to cry.

'It's annoying that the lowly mercenaries overjoyed with the breaks. Why does this kid keep getting in the way?'

But whether Ian knew his feelings or not.

"My butt hurts. Let's rest for a while."

"This… This!"

At Ian's bright expression, the centurion's patience looked like it was about to crumble like a broken vase.

However, he could not blatantly say that Ian, a royal family, was a pain in the ass. If the prince, Ian, said so, he couldn't disobey as per the hierarchy.

Nathan shrugged as if he couldn't help it.

"It's the solemn command of the noble prince. Do what you should do."

As the centurion shook and trembled, the mercenaries burst into laughter among themselves.

"It's refreshing to see the centurion, who used to scold us and act mighty for having a knight, couldn't say anything."

"That's right. Even if we complain that it's hard, they say it's okay, so let's move. Whereas the prince is quite gracious."

Mercenaries were originally not treated well anywhere they went.

This was all the more so when together with two knights like now.

The nobility naturally treated them this way, but the centurion was even ruder to the fact that there were knights with him.

But after Ian stepped in himself, everything was different.

"Aren't you tired?"

"Do you need anything?"

Ian often got off the carriage and chatted with the mercenaries.

Not only did he distribute water to drink, but he also handed out snacks originally exclusive to soldiers.

And no matter the serf background he came from, a royalty was still a royalty.

Ian came out and moved himself, but nobody dared tell him to go in without offending him.

Because of this, the centurion could only bury his seething rage, and the mercenaries naturally got a rest. 

Thanks to this, the mercenaries favored Ian. 

"I hope we can keep moving like this!"

"That's right! It's been so long since I've been treated like this. I want to get closer to that prince."

Gerard the mercenary captain also agreed with them.

He seemed to like Ian quite a bit.

"Everyone, thank the prince for his grace."

"Haha, after this mission is over, I'm going to retire. I have to go home and confess to Jaina and give birth to a son who resembles that prince."

"You punk, if a child who looks like you resembles a prince, that's…"

The mercenaries were idly chatting like that.

Meanwhile, Nathan looked at Ian in bewilderment.

"I don't know why the prince is doing this."

"Didn't he say his butt hurt?"

"Hooh. What kind of candy is the prince's ass made of?"

Nathan looked at Ian suspiciously. 

"Is he taking too much rest for the sake of the mercenaries? At this point, he is ignoring the stamina of the mercenaries too much."

"Haha, it must be because he's a little kid. Let's be understanding."

The soldiers laughed secretly among themselves.

Galon and Nathan thought that was the only thing mattered. 

At the same time, Ian was looking at the mercenaries with a serious expression inside the carriage.

'It's important to win their hearts, but…'

Ian's eyes staring at the moon hanging in the sky turned serious.

'Second night after leaving the village.'

It was obvious. 

'It will happen tonight.'

On this day, all mercenaries would die. Except for two people. Of course, the future could have changed as the past had changed.

But at that very moment, Ian smelled the familiar fruity scent in the forest. He immediately shouted.

"Everyone, watch out for your surroundings!"

Everyone stood up surprised by Ian's shout.

The mercenaries and soldiers also tensed up.

"Prince?"

"What, why all of a sudden…"

Nathan tilted his head in confusion for a moment, too. 

But it was then.

Nathan, startled by something, had his eyes instantly changed, and Ian shouted again.

"You idiots! Raise your shield right now!"

Others might not know anything, but Ian could not ignore it once he had said it.

As the surprised mercenaries lifted their shields.

Hook!

The lights suddenly went out.

Whooshh!

The moment numerous arrows were raining down from the sky.

Ian's eyes gleamed in the dark.