Chapter 106: The Unfinished War (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 106: The Unfinished War (3)
The magic communication link flared to life.
Roman Dmitry's face appeared on the makeshift screen.
[This is Roman Dmitry of the Southern Front.]
On the other side of the transmission, the leadership of the Cairo Kingdom, including King Daniel Cairo, had gathered. The moment they saw Roman's face, they could not hide the greed gleaming in their eyes.
"We received reports that all the frontline defense posts on the Southern Front have fallen. What have you been doing all this time?"
The speaker was Daniel Cairo. A week of radio silence was bound to be frustrating.
Roman Dmitry was the only commander who had won a battle, yet he had shown zero response even as the tide of war shifted. It wasn't that they wanted to downplay his achievements, but his unilaterally severed communication and the subsequent fall of the front naturally raised questions for those watching from the capital.
Roman spoke.
[I have spent the past week reorganizing our forces.]
"...Reorganizing your forces. I do not wish to fault your decision, especially after you achieved such brilliant exploits against the Hector Kingdom. However, during that time, the three defense lines on the Southern Front fell into enemy hands. War is never perfect, but could you not have regrouped a little faster to aid them?"
[I will be frank with you. Our victory against the Hector Kingdom was only possible because fortune favored us. They possess a force that completely overwhelms the Southern Front. Fortunately, we were able to counter their attacks by utilizing the mountainous terrain and the darkness, but if we faced them on the plains, we would be annihilated. Therefore, I decided to preserve our strength. From the moment the commanders of the Southern Front locked the castle gates against my advice, there was nothing I could do to help them.]
His voice was calm. Even when interrogated about his motives, Roman remained completely unperturbed.
It was easy for those watching the battlefield from afar to flap their lips, but the reality on the ground was entirely different from their boardroom fantasies. And Roman knew exactly how to make them understand his choice in an instant.
[The Hector Kingdom has staked its very survival on this war. Butler, the second-ranked warrior of the Hector Kingdom, has joined the battle, and we have confirmed that the enemy commander, Prince Edwin Hector, is a mage. As you all well know, mages wield absolute power on the plains. That is why I did not descend from the mountains. I determined that the stage for our battle is not now, but when Cairo's main army arrives.]
"...What?!"
Daniel Cairo's eyes widened.
Butler and Edwin Hector. They were terrifyingly familiar names. Butler was renowned as the representative swordsman of the Hector Kingdom, while Edwin Hector was widely rumored to be a naturally gifted leader with the qualities of a true king—unlike Daniel Cairo himself. But for that same Edwin Hector to turn out to be a mage...
It was a shocking revelation. The leadership of Cairo erupted into bewildered murmurs at the truth Roman had unveiled.
'Roman's judgment was spot on. If the Hector Kingdom deployed a 5-Star Swordsman and a mage, the current forces on the Southern Front stood no chance.'
'To think Butler joined the war.'
'The Hector Kingdom has truly staked everything on this.'
The realization struck them like a thunderbolt—just how incredible Roman truly was. Even against Butler and a mage, Roman had achieved a resounding victory through guerrilla tactics.
It was an undeniable fact. Roman Dmitry was a monster.
As they gazed upon a talent destined to shake the entire continent, the eyes of the nobles gleamed with naked greed.
"Your Majesty. There is no need to question the hero of this war any further."
"I agree. Roman Dmitry is the only person who has defeated the Hector Kingdom on the Southern Front. If he judged that reorganizing his forces was the correct course of action, we must trust the judgment of the commander on the field."
The nobles chimed in one after another. It was a blatant disregard for Daniel Cairo's authority. Sadly, it was a familiar disrespect. Daniel Cairo suppressed his anger, maintaining as calm a facade as possible.
"Very well. I shall not press the matter further. Roman Dmitry, Cairo's main army will arrive soon. However, since the Hector Kingdom has likely already completed its preparations for a siege defense at the rear base, we will only attack the enemy once we are fully prepared. When that time comes, join the main army and assist them."
[I am sorry, but time is not on our side.]
"What do you mean by that?"
Roman's statement drew questioning glances from the assembly. The moment the Hector Kingdom had holed up in the rear base, Roman had deduced a terrifying possibility.
[We will have three days at most after Cairo's main army arrives. If we cannot breach the rear base within that time, the Hector Kingdom will undoubtedly draw in an external power—such as the Kronos Empire.]
Those words were more than enough to throw the entire room into absolute shock.
* * *
Meanwhile, the Hector Kingdom was pushed to the edge of a cliff.
Even so, they had not given up on this war. They had chosen to rapidly overrun the defense positions of the Southern Front and make a desperate last stand at the rear base.
'What are the best and worst-case scenarios the enemy can choose?'
Roman had put himself in their shoes, analyzing the board from the opponent's perspective.
For the Hector Kingdom, the most ideal scenario would be for Cairo to meekly agree to negotiations, but because of Roman's presence, that was practically impossible. Roman had already exposed Hector's true intentions through the magic communication. The Hector Kingdom would have no choice but to prepare for the worst, and they needed a solution for when the negotiations fell through.
The threat Edwin Hector had made—to unleash a Necromancer's poison and reduce the southern lands to ruins—was not a viable solution. There was only one way for the Hector Kingdom to survive.
[The Hector Kingdom planned this war to resolve their internal national crises. They hold no grudge against the Cairo Kingdom, nor do they wish to occupy the southern lands. In fact, having more territory to manage would only increase their national burden. The Hector Kingdom is cornered. Yet, if they have chosen to make a desperate stand here, it means they intend to leverage their current position to secure a concrete result.]
The Star of Hector was not a man to act without a plan. If he remained on the Southern Front even while risking his life, it was because that choice was worth the gamble.
[The rear base is equipped with a Warp Gate capable of teleporting large numbers of troops. While Warp Gates are highly convenient magical marvels, they carry the risk of being exploited in war, which is why protocol dictates they must be destroyed in times of emergency. However, the Southern Front lost its Warp Gate entirely intact during the surprise attack. What do you think will happen if the Hector Kingdom trades that Warp Gate to the Kronos Empire? The Hector Kingdom will receive the compensation they originally sought from us, and the Kronos Empire will secure another foothold to pressure the Cairo Kingdom, using the Southern Front as their base.]
"...My god."
Daniel Cairo's face turned deathly pale.
He had never imagined they would resort to such an extreme measure. The Cairo leadership had believed this was a war they were now clearly winning, but this unexpected variable suddenly had them by the throat.
"Then, what must we do?"
All eyes focused on the screen. While everyone else had been blindly certain of victory, Roman Dmitry was the only one who had anticipated this fatal variable. With this war acting as a turning point, the leadership fully acknowledged Roman's brilliance, hanging onto his every word.
Roman spoke.
[There is only one way.]
War was simple, in the end.
[A frontal assault. We must capture the rear base within three days.]
The moment the enemy was crushed, all problems would be resolved.
* * *
Roman's prediction was dead on.
Edwin Hector, having seized control of the Southern Front, immediately contacted the Kronos Empire.
"I will get straight to the point. We wish to sell the Cairo Kingdom's Southern Front to the Kronos Empire. As you know, the core of the Southern Front is the Warp Gate located at the rear base. We have captured it fully intact, and we are willing to hand it over if we receive the appropriate price."
The Warp Gate. It was the very essence of magical engineering.
While the Warp Gate Edwin Hector had established for his surprise attack was a low-grade model capable of transporting only a small number of people, the one at the Southern Front was a high-grade Warp Gate that required astronomical time and expense to install. If they secured it, just as Roman had deduced, the Kronos Empire could pressure the Cairo Kingdom by establishing a foothold on the Southern Front to complement their presence on the Western Front.
[...That is a highly attractive proposal.]
Across the screen, Count Hadid of the Kronos Empire smiled faintly.
[However, we cannot accept the Hector Kingdom's proposal immediately. The Cairo Kingdom will desperately try to reclaim the Southern Front. Securing the Southern Front is well and good, but there is no reason for us to bear the brunt of their wrath, is there? If you wish to trade with us, prove that you can completely hold the rear base for a month. If the rear base does not fall within that time, we will agree to the transaction and provide the Hector Kingdom with a fitting reward.]
The Kronos Empire was cunning. Even though accepting the offer right away would benefit them, they deliberately took control of the situation to maximize their gains.
Even knowing this, the Hector Kingdom had no other choice.
"...I accept your terms. I will contact you again in a month."
Click.
He cut the communication. It was an expected outcome. He had never expected a giant like the Kronos Empire to meekly dance to the Hector Kingdom's tune.
Edwin Hector turned. "Jackson."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Contact the Hector royal family immediately. With our current forces, we cannot hold out for a month. We must link the Hector Kingdom's Warp Gate with the one at the rear base to secure the manpower and supplies needed to survive."
"Understood."
The Cairo Kingdom would undoubtedly attack the rear base with everything they had. Although Hector had prepared countermeasures against siege weapons like Flares, it wouldn't be enough to hold out for an entire month unaided.
The greater the physical distance, the more difficult a Warp Gate link became. It would take at least three days. If they could just buy enough time to link with Hector's Warp Gate, they would be able to step back from the edge of the cliff.
'This war... It is a battle we cannot afford to lose. I will surely return to the Hector Kingdom bearing hope.'
The destiny of the royal family. Edwin Hector calmly accepted that crushing burden.
* * *
Exactly ten days later.
The scheduled time had arrived. Cairo's main army finally reached the Southern Front. Upon seeing the Hector flag fluttering in the distance, the soldiers could not hide their fury.
"Damn bastards."
"How dare they plant the Hector flag on Cairo's territory? I'll tear them to shreds."
The commander of the main army was Count Fabius. He established a base within sight of the rear base and immediately summoned the leadership to the commander's tent.
The leaders arrived one after another. However, they did not show much courtesy, even upon seeing Count Fabius.
'For powerful figures from the Central Government to personally grace a war on the mere Southern Front—a region with little practical benefit—means their greed for Roman Dmitry is immense. This war is no longer just about crushing the Hector Kingdom. Securing Roman Dmitry's favor is now of paramount importance.'
Count Fabius himself was a man of Marquis Benedict. Baron Thales, sitting to his right, was aligned with the Kronos Empire, while Baron Brahim, sitting to his left, was aligned with the Valhalla Empire.
It was a political battle outside the battlefield. Each of them had been entrusted with a special mission: to persuade Roman Dmitry and win him over to their respective factions at all costs.
Count Fabius spoke up.
"His Majesty King Daniel has ordered us to consult with Roman Dmitry once he joins us, and only then move to crush the Hector Kingdom. Please wait a moment. We will begin the war council after he arrives."
"Understood."
An awkward, heavy silence hung in the air. After some time had passed, a soldier's voice echoed from outside.
"Lord Roman Dmitry has arrived!"
Flap.
The tent flap opened. The hero of the Southern Front. Roman Dmitry, the true protagonist of this gathering, instantly captured everyone's attention.