Chapter 103: Omniscient Henry Albert's Perspective (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 103: Omniscient Henry Albert's Perspective (3)
Inside the grand mansion of the Benedict Family.
The vassals, gathered in the conference room following a sudden summons, rose from their seats the moment Marquis Benedict arrived.
"How did your visit to the royal palace go?"
"That is exactly why I called you all here. Sit."
Thud.
He immediately took the seat of honor.
Once the vassals settled back into their chairs, Marquis Benedict spoke.
"Negotiations with the Hector Kingdom have broken down."
"...Are we truly going to war?"
"Yes. The Central Government has officially declared war on Hector. However, the situation isn't as grim as you might think. Just a moment ago, a message arrived from the Southern Front under the name 'Roman Dmitry.' A battle broke out with the Hector Kingdom overnight, and according to the report, Roman Dmitry's forces dealt the enemy a crushing defeat."
"Good lord."
"Is that true?"
Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
A single victory.
Its significance was profound. It meant a new variable had been introduced to the Southern Front. As long as the defensive lines hadn't completely collapsed, there was a solid chance for a turnaround.
Unable to hide his excitement, one of the vassals spoke up.
"What a relief! Honestly, if negotiations with Hector had dragged on, I thought the Cairo royal family would have had no choice but to dip into the nobles' coffers. Count Gregory and Count Denver's factions might not care if the Cairo Kingdom falls, but we certainly do."
"You are right. But that isn't what matters right now."
Marquis Benedict had felt compelled to summon his vassals the very second the palace meeting ended. It wasn't to discuss the safety of the Cairo Kingdom. It was entirely because of a single individual: Roman Dmitry.
"Even if we lose the Southern Front in this war, it isn't necessarily a bad thing for us. We can use that failure as a pretext to criticize the current royal family's incompetence, which will directly strengthen the Central Government's power. No, the real issue is the existence of Roman Dmitry. The achievements he just made are by no means simple. In the midst of a sudden crisis, he headed to the 5th Defense Line, crushed the enemy, and secured our first victory. He quickly deduced that the Warp Gate was in danger and responded swiftly. And then, the battle in the mountains. The Hector Kingdom attacked Roman Dmitry with everything they had—even pulling back their frontline forces to do so—but he turned the tables and wiped them out instead."
This series of events...
His palms had sweat just listening to the report. He had always known Roman Dmitry was no ordinary man, but this battle gave him absolute certainty.
"What do you think these results mean? Roman Dmitry is not just a simple 3-Star Swordsman. He is a born commander capable of leading a war to victory. And fortunately, such a talented individual has shown his patriotism to the Cairo Kingdom. He had plenty of time to escape. Yet, the fact that he stayed and fought to the bitter end means he hasn't yet been swayed by the Kronos or Valhalla Empires. Therefore, we must win over Roman Dmitry's heart by any means necessary."
He felt a deep sense of urgency.
He had intended to recruit the young man from the very beginning. However, the moment he saw the expressions on the other nobles' faces during the meeting, he realized a fire had been lit under his feet.
He was the man everyone wanted.
Roman Dmitry was simply too brilliant a talent.
Looking at the eyes of his vassals, which now gleamed with matching greed, Marquis Benedict spoke in a firm tone.
"Our original plan was to recruit Roman Dmitry after he completed his military service. But the situation has changed. Contact him immediately and devise a way to win him over. Use any means necessary. You may spend as much of the Benedict Family's wealth as you need. Whoever secures Roman Dmitry's loyalty will be handsomely rewarded."
"We obey your command."
In this time of national peril, they didn't even try to hide their greed.
And the other nobles were no different.
* * *
Count Denver.
Having returned from the meeting, he couldn't hide his bewilderment while communicating with the Valhalla Empire.
"...And that is how things turned out."
[An unexpected result indeed. Informing Roman Dmitry of the 'signal of war' through Mackin of the Intelligence Bureau was intended as a favor to help him avoid danger. But for him to turn that into a victory in war... He is certainly an extraordinary individual.]
"His abilities are even greater than expected, which has actually created a problem. I hoped to use this opportunity to test his capabilities, but by producing the absurd result of defeating the Hector Kingdom, he has completely captivated the nobles of the Central Government. Right now, Marquis Benedict and Count Gregory are probably racking their brains to find a way to recruit him. What should we do? We originally planned to recruit him over the long term, but it seems we are running out of time."
Things were taking an interesting turn.
Immediately after the Great Warrior Battle, the Valhalla Empire had expressed its desire to recruit Roman Dmitry through Mackin. Even back then, it had seemed like an unprecedented offer, but Roman's explosive growth had now lit a fire under their feet as well.
[According to the Valhalla Intelligence Bureau, the one leading this war for Hector is Edwin Hector. Known as Hector's Star, he is not an easy opponent who would retreat simply because a single individual possesses great martial strength. Roman Dmitry... He is exactly the kind of talent the Valhalla Empire desires. Therefore, we cannot just stand by and watch other factions take him.]
An upgrade in status.
They had completely re-evaluated Roman.
He had shown enough talent to make even the mighty Valhalla Empire thirst for him.
[Count Denver. I grant you full authority to recruit Roman Dmitry. Waiting until the war is over will be too late. Start looking for ways to recruit him right now, and make sure you win him over. The Kronos Empire is failing to hide its ambitions day by day. To prepare for a future war with them, we need talents like Roman Dmitry.]
"Understood."
He bowed his head.
First Marquis Benedict, now Count Denver. Count Gregory was surely no different.
Although the war with the Hector Kingdom was far from over, a fierce off-field battle was already raging within the Cairo Kingdom.
* * *
While this storm was brewing, Henry Albert had no idea what kind of stage he had just set.
Although his report had thrown the Central Government into chaos, Henry had other, more important things on his mind.
'My communication with the Central Government made it clear. If I can survive as one of Roman Dmitry's men, I can strike it big too.'
He couldn't forget the expressions of the nobles on the screen—their faces had been painted with sheer shock. Henry Albert didn't have much life experience, but he wasn't so foolish that he couldn't understand what those reactions meant.
'Once this war is over, Roman Dmitry will definitely enter the Central Government.'
A triumphant return in glory.
He had to stick close to Roman to share in the kingdom's grand welcome.
The problem was that Roman Dmitry's people despised him. Since he had made such a terrible first impression, they naturally had no reason to like him.
'For some reason, Roman Dmitry is spending time alone right now. In that case, who should I try to please in his absence? Conveniently, I know just the person who fits the bill. A loyal vassal of Roman Dmitry who holds significant sway. And a comrade (?) who has crossed the threshold of life and death with me.'
He smirked.
Wearing the warmest smile he could muster, he approached a certain man.
"Chris. You must be hungry. Have some of this."
He offered a piece of jerky. It was high-quality meat he had brought himself, but Chris merely glanced at Henry's face before immediately turning his gaze away.
"No, thank you."
"Oh, come on, just take it. It's really delicious."
"Do you think I don't know what you're up to?" Chris sighed. "We have achieved significant merit in this war. If you can prove you were part of it, you'll surely receive a reward. That's why you've been hovering around us like a dog that needs to relieve itself. No thanks. If you truly want to receive a proper reward, stop trying to flatter us and become a comrade we can actually trust to watch our backs in battle."
"..."
Henry's mouth clamped shut.
It was a miscalculation. Since he had already shown his materialistic, cowardly side to Chris, a petty bribe like this wasn't going to win the swordsman over.
Henry Albert laughed awkwardly. Unable to snap back at Chris like he used to, he quietly turned away.
Then, a familiar face caught his eye.
'Was his name Kevin?'
Kevin. A boy who still retained a youthful face.
At first, Henry had wondered why such a young kid was serving under Roman Dmitry, but after seeing him fight, his opinion had completely changed. The boy was a literal demon on the battlefield. Setting aside his level of martial power, he knew exactly how to slaughter his opponents, and his relentless charge across the battlefield had left a deep impression.
If Chris was the second-in-command, Kevin seemed to be third.
His calculations were quick.
Henry Albert approached Kevin with a bright smile.
"Hey, is your name Kevin? Would you like some of this?"
The second son of the Albert Family.
The typical spoiled brat who had once kicked open the tavern door with arrogant bravado was now nowhere to be found.
* * *
Peace was short-lived.
After resting for a single day, the Hector Kingdom immediately launched simultaneous attacks on the frontline defense positions of the Southern Front.
At the 3rd Defense Line, Baron Vasily, the commander of the position, watched the Hector forces swarming in from the distance and spoke.
"Adjutant."
"Yes, sir."
"According to the message from the royal family, the Hector Kingdom suffered a crushing defeat when they pursued Roman Dmitry's forces. What do you think about that? Roman Dmitry has fewer than two hundred troops. If Hector was defeated by such a small force, doesn't that mean their military strength is far weaker than we thought?"
A day ago, they had received a message from the royal family.
It stated that since Roman Dmitry had achieved the incredible feat of defeating the enemy, they should assist him and buy time. The Cairo Kingdom had officially decided on war with Hector. In about ten days, Cairo's main army would arrive in the south.
However, seeing the royal family praise Roman Dmitry's achievements made a foolish greed stir within Baron Vasily's heart.
The adjutant spoke up.
"I agree, sir. Isn't Hector a country where people are starving due to the recent great famine? They might have the numbers, but they don't seem as strong as we thought."
"Right?"
"Yes, sir."
The two were in perfect agreement.
They completely ignored the fact that they had been utterly routed by the Hector Kingdom just a short while ago. Although Baron Vasily had been completely overwhelmed back then, his mind—now fueled by wishful thinking—rationalized that it was only because their magic defenses hadn't been properly prepared against the Flares. Roman Dmitry had supposedly defeated the enemy with a mere two hundred troops. Rather than making Roman Dmitry look impressive, it somehow made the enemy look weak.
'I've been rotting in this backwater for three years already. Perhaps this is a heaven-sent opportunity.'
Hector had split their forces to attack three different defense lines. If these were just defeated remnants who had lost their morale in the previous battle, he felt he had a solid chance of winning.
"Gather the troops immediately. I, too, will teach the Hector Kingdom a lesson with a guerrilla operation."
At that moment, Baron Vasily truly believed that he was no different from Roman Dmitry.