I am the Monarch – Chapter 272: Incognito (2)

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Roan Lancephil was bewildered.

The scenery of the village was too different to what he had been expecting. Rocks, stones and logs were placed behind the fences throughout and the villagers regardless of male or female had stepped outside onto the streets with nervous expressions.

All of them had sickles and plows in their hands with some men even holding onto swords and spears. It was the appearance of a soldier in preparation for a battle.

“D, did something happen?”

Roan intentionally staggered his words and barely asked. One of the younger males replied back with a loud voice.

“We are preparing for the assault from the thieves.”
“Thieves?”

Hearing something like that for the first time, Roan widened his eyes, to which the young man nodded with a bitter smile.

“They are a bunch active in this area, calling themselves the Righteous Gave Thieves. What righteous… bunch of trash.”

A voice filled with anger. Roan made a scared face and quickly asked.

“There are still people like that? Hadn’t peace arrived after the war ended and Amaranth Kingdom was founded?”

The young man tilted his head.

“Are you really a wandering merchant? You must’ve been living under a rock.”

He continued with a short sigh.

“Those ‘righteous thieves’ appeared after the Amaranth Kingdom was founded. It’s because the kingdom’s system wasn’t fully developed yet and there are lots of things to steal now.”
“When you say lots of things to steal, you mean the…?”

Roan pretended to know what he was saying by hiding his words. The youth nodded in reply.

“Indeed, they are aiming for the war compensations.”
“Ah…”

A long sigh escaped from Roan. The young man’s words continued on.

“The king, His Majesty is very kind so he gave compensation to not only the soldiers that had participated in the war, but also the citizens that had received harm in the war, yeah? So from the thieves’ perspective, it’s like they found a golden vein”.

His lips hung a bitter smile, and it was similarly on Roan’s.

‘Never thought things like this would occur because of the compensations.’

It felt bitter. The policy that had been made for the people was now threatening their lives.

“And there are lots of cases where those soldiers that had participated in the war are now thieves.”

The young man smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“What?”

Roan made a surprised expression but the youth continued with a calm voice as if finding nothing surprise-worthy.

“There are people like that. Being unable to forget the war and craving for blood.”
“Ah…”

A sigh escaped.

Roan could immediately understand the young man’s words. Including the previous life, he had gone through countless battlefields for over several decades so he knew there were soldiers that had been soaked by the madness of war.

He looked around with exaggerated movements.

“Did you report to this land’s lord? Or did you ask for the army’s help?”

As soon as his words finished.

“Kukh, lord?”
“Army?…”

There was laughter breaking from all sides – self-deprecating laughter. Roan opened his eyes wide in confusion as the young man whisperingly replied with a bitter smile.

“Our lord wants to make connections with higher-ups so he is in the Capital City and has no regards to what’s happening in the land. The kingdom’s army still has not fully settled and is focusing mainly on border control. There seems to be a patrol group around this area but they are also super busy it seems. We’ve asked for help several times but there’s no response.”

It was literally in omnishambles.

‘To think it was this unorganised….’

Just looking at Capital Castle of Mediasis and its surroundings, it seemed that the nation was somehow stabilising. But in truth, the people’s lives were no different to how it was before the Amaranth Kingdom. In fact, during the process of Rinse Kingdom’s fall and the Amaranth Kingdom’s founding, there were several bigger problems arising.

And therefore,

“We should have a good monarch now but our lives are no different to before. Right?”

The youth gave a helpless smile and asked Roan. Roan couldn’t reply and made a bitter smile. He had no words to say.

At that time.

“Mark, since when did we receive help from the higher-ups? We just lived by ourselves.”
“Right, right! Now that it has come to this, we should destroy these Gave thieves or whatever!”
“Damn, we’re not just normal farmers either! We all contributed our bodies during the War for the Throne and the war for the Amaranth Kingdom!
“Ayyy, Mark was the only one who actually fought. We just moved supplies from the back.”
“Hmm, hmm. Did you have to be so honest, digging up the truth like that?”

A loud conversation continued. Roan who had been listening made a slightly surprised expression and looked at the villagers and Mark, the young man.

“Were you war veterans?”

War veterans.