Offer a Tribute and Become an Archmage - Chapter 164



Only Noblemtl

Offering Tribute to the Archmage Chapter 164

County of Aolor [3]

Episode 164.

After bathing, Ronobe brought the soldiers over and bathed them.

“Know that it is your honor. Keep it a secret from the others.”

“yep!”

“If you go in and come out, your body will feel better.”

We have been marching outside for almost a month now.

The human body wants rest.

The Ronobe Totem Hot Springs provide physical relaxation, mental stability, and healing, making it the perfect resting place for soldiers who have been fighting and fighting.

‘Even if I hate them, they are still my children.’

Private soldiers including Liam.

Private soldiers are also Ronobe’s property.

It was his job to take care of them, and he had to make sure that they grew up diligently so that Ronobe could trust them and sleep soundly. He didn’t care much about them, except for Liam, but a private is a private.

“Is it good?”

“My body is slowly melting…”

As soon as five men entered, the bath water was already filled with urine.

“I’m dying from embarrassment…”

Ronobe snickered as he watched the soldier fall down after being kicked by him.

The bath water was so good that all the muscles in my face were relaxed.

I think your name was Ron.

He’s a skinny anchovy guy, so he has an innocent side. He looks so innocent that you can tell at a glance that he’s a farmer’s child.

“You guys are a team now. So take care of each other. Even so, you still have to bend your arms inward, right? If you need anything, just let me know.”

Then Ron raised his hand.

“Uh, why? Do you need anything?”

“That bed is so uncomfortable. Do you have anything like wool?”

“…”

Ronobe tilted his head.

Any feelings of wanting to be nice to him because I felt bad for kicking him have completely disappeared.

“… What should I do with this damn bastard?”

“yes?”

“Liam, handle it.”

“yes.”

“Ahhhhhh! Waaah! Aaaah!”

Liam grabbed Ron by the head and threw him into the bathroom. There was a few splashing sounds like washing clothes, and then he seemed to come to his senses.

“I, I think I misspoke! I don’t need anything!! Right now is the best!”

“Right? Yeah, that’s what happened. I thought I misheard again! Hahahaha! Then wrap things up well and tidy up.”

“yep!”

When I returned to the barracks, laughing and carrying my luggage on my back, Tommy and Bennold were spreading out a map and discussing supply routes.

Of course, Benny was there too.

“You’ve arrived! Our Lord Hopper!”

“You came. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Benny tapped the seat next to me.

Tommy’s expression softened as he sat down next to Benny. The way Benald looked at him also looked a little different.

Why is that?

“No, you are a lifesaver! Of course not.”

You are my savior.

Ronobe was somewhat embarrassed.

“I was just doing what was expected. Aren’t we all vassals of Gradas?”

I just helped you because we’re on the same side.

Anyway, it would be a headache if the key figures leading the army were killed or injured. But Tommy didn’t seem to think so.

“Huh, heh heh. Is that so? But that’s what a benefactor and a comrade is.”

“Is that so?”

“Ahem. That…”

Then Benald coughed in vain. Why was that?

“Thanks to your efforts, I was able to save my own. This is nothing special… Ahem. It really is nothing special.”

He gave wine as a gift.

It was wine in a wooden coffin, and when the wine was taken out, there was a pile of silver coins inside the coffin.

The corners of Ronobe’s mouth naturally relaxed.

“Ugh, uhm! Hmm! Something like this. Ugh!”

He hurriedly put the wine back and handed it to Benny.

Benald had a grudge and was considering killing him, but Ronobe just forgot everything.

How can I not forget the hole made by murder and filled with silver coins?

It’s not just because I received silver coins.

Because he showed a sign of reconciliation. It’s not like they’re alone, but there are other people around, so he said this, so rather than trying to save his pride, he wanted to clearly show that he had reconciled.

But how can I not forget?

“This is just a way to express my gratitude, so don’t feel too burdened.”

“Ahem, I understand. I will use it gratefully. No, I will drink it gratefully! Ahem!”

Satisfied lips and eyes moved between Benald and Ronnove. Tommy didn’t know what was going on, but it was good.

“So, Sir Hopper, what do you think?”

“What are you talking about?”

“They are the ones who are watching us closely enough to make a surprise attack, so they probably won’t come again. We were the ones who were surprised, but they were the ones who got beat up.”

“hmm.”

They may have only intended to cut off supplies, but in the end they failed to complete their mission. There was a high probability that they would come again, or at least cause disruption.

“The fact that they came out like that shows that the Count’s defenses are quite strong. We could end up being targeted and receive concentrated attacks.”

It’s not a wrong statement. It’s like saying that a shrimp’s back can get broken in a fight between whales.

“Your Majesty would have preferred that our army not attack us anyway.”

“The best thing is to give the Earldom a favor and we’ll be fine…”

“It’s difficult in the current situation.”

That’s right. For some reason, our information has been leaked to the enemy. Now that the enemy’s attention is focused on this side, it won’t be an easy fight.

“Even so, we cannot retreat from here. An order is an order.”

It is a paragon of the knight’s words.

Tommy was stubborn and Bennold licked his lips in regret.

If so, there is only one problem.

“We need to move the supplies safely, but how do we do that… that’s the problem.”

“Yes. There is still a long way to the Baekjak Ridge, so it cannot be considered that dangerous. However, the closer we get, the easier it will be for them to target us rather than the Baekjak who is only defending the area.”

It is very difficult to fight a castle that has its gates locked and is only defending itself.

The most basic thing is to cut off the supply.

There is no other way than to kill them.

‘The Count isn’t a fool, after all.’

So what are the methods?

If you ask Yonterion, it’s a straight line.

‘I think Vivian knows something too.’

Doesn’t magic itself feel like something that has lived with the battlefield?

It seemed like he was also good at strategy.

“How many enemies are there?”

“I’m not sure, but I think it’s over a thousand. I don’t think the number of knights and wizards will exceed five, though…”

“I don’t think that’s accurate.”

“That’s right.”

There was a lack of information.

In the first place, I thought that the war had not yet started in Gradas, so this situation unfolded. I thought it was in the preparation stage, but upon closer inspection, it turned out that the war was already underway.

Since I sent the letter through Aekku, it would be better to just sit still and wait for the situation to develop.

‘You never know when you might be attacked.’

The situation was quite ambiguous.

“I’ll think about it for a moment and come back.”

“Oh, I see.”

After leaving the command barracks, Ronobe went into his own barracks living quarters and sat on his bed.

The reason was simple.

“Vivian.”

To hear God’s advice.

I closed my eyes and called out to her in my mind. A girl with a milky complexion appeared before me, accompanied by a cool breeze.

[It’s too early to call me. Why did you call me?]

Perhaps a previously granted opportunity for grace.

I’m talking about the quest. I haven’t completed the quest to fill the magic count three hundred times using the intestines and arms yet.

Honestly, he’s not a murderer, and if he already did it, that would be stranger.

“I have a question.”

[What is it?]

Ronobe explained the whole story.

Vivian listened quietly and then answered.

[You too, surprise me.]

“What are you talking about…”

[If you’re afraid of a surprise attack from the enemy, just launch a surprise attack first. Then you won’t be afraid.]

It was a cool thing to say, but to Ronobe, who had to put words into action, it sounded like nonsense.

‘Wait a minute, I think this happened once…’

When Ronobe made a face, an incident from several years ago came to mind.

It was during the Sist bandit uproar.

I remember barely being able to stop Venom from storming into the bandits’ den, causing a ruckus by just barging in.

‘With my ability, it is possible.’

Finding the enemy’s camp isn’t difficult, and making the first attack isn’t that difficult either. You could probably use Yuhwa right after you find them, and you could destroy them all at once. But that’s only when things go well, and if there are knights or magicians on the enemy side that are difficult to handle, it’s actually Ronobe who’s in danger.

[Every strategy carries risk. It’s up to the commander to take that risk.]

Vivian seemed to have read Ronnobe’s mind and gave him some advice.

“Isn’t there any other way?”

[War is one of two things. Attack or retreat.]

Attack or retreat.

It was simple, but it was also true.

‘There is no surrender.’

There was no surrender in it.

I think I have a rough idea of ​​how he lived.

“There might be a strong enemy. What if they attack and they’re stronger than us… and we take more damage?”

Then Vivian replied with an annoyed expression.

[If the enemy is strong, will you just die?]

“…”

[There is no need to lose without even fighting. There is always a way to win, whether the enemy is strong or weak.]

“but…”

[No matter how strong you are, you are not strong when you sleep. The strong are just strong, not gods. They are mortals who shiver with hunger, dry their throats in the heat, and feel pain in the cold. There is no reason why they should not win.]

Vivian came closer and poked Ronnobe’s stomach with her finger.

[What is my miracle?]

“I, with the enemy general’s guts, will secure a firm victory…”

[If the enemy is strong, use the enemy. War is a picture you create.]

The ending of that picture is always drawn by someone who is ready to fight fiercely.

[You prepare to fight.]

Vivian chuckled.

[If you’re prepared, you’ve won half the battle.]

Phew.

Ronobe, who was watching Vivian disappear like smoke, suddenly stood up and clenched his fists.

“If you’re prepared, you’re halfway there…”

Ronobe knew that those words meant a state of mind.

As Vivian said, Ronobe is not ready for war yet.

I didn’t have the heart to risk my life.

It was natural.

Because it wasn’t his war.

That’s why I was just worried.

This is why it won’t work, and that is why it won’t work.

I don’t want to get hurt, I don’t want to lose my life, and I want to defeat my enemies easily.

But that wasn’t possible.

The enemies risked their lives.

The resolve to go to war was strong.

But if you are not prepared to fight against those people, aren’t you going in with a losing streak from the start?

In order to kill a person, you must be prepared to die yourself.

They are desperate.

To win, to live.

Then Ronobe should do the same.

“Hoo!”

Now it’s starting to feel real.

So my hands were shaking.

Crack!

Ronobe hit the ball with both hands and only then did his shaking stop a little.

“Even if the enemy is strong, we must win.”

Ronobe took a step forward.

“If you want to kill the enemy, you must be prepared to die yourself.”

One more step.

“No matter how strong you are, you are still human.”

After taking another step forward, we found ourselves outside the barracks.

“There is no reason why I, with the gods as my teachers, should not win.”

Kwak.

There was determination in his clenched fist.

You can’t do anything with a half-hearted mind.

Only those who always try hard and are desperately determined will survive and seize it.

An obvious fact that I have experienced since I was young.

Ronobe realized it again.

“Ronobe? Have you thought about it?”

It was Benny.

Ronobe spoke to Benny.

“Benny.”

“huh?”

“I like Benny.”

“huh…?”

“Elicia is good, Gradas is good, my family is good, and my village is good. Perhaps I will have more things I like than I do now.”

It was a sound I didn’t understand.

But Benny didn’t ask again.

My husband’s eyes were clear for once.

The face was extremely serious.

She couldn’t stop the man’s shining back.

“I’ll be back.”

Beni, who was trying to catch Ronobe who had transformed into a crow and was flying away, quickly grabbed the handle of the sword on her waist. It has always been said that a woman should push a man’s back, but… sometimes, the back of her man who would walk away alone felt too far away.

Benny ran straight to the command barracks.

“I have to do something. I have to help.”

To keep up with the man who was always ahead, I had to constantly work hard.