Chapter 111: On the Edge of the Cliff (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: On the Edge of the Cliff (5)
As Roman finished explaining the first phase of his plan, the nobles of Cairo reacted with skepticism.
Although they found it hard to believe that Butler could be so easily defeated, their curiosity won out. They pressed him for more.
"Assuming such a miracle actually happens, what is the next step of the plan?"
Just what kind of plan could it be?
Facing their dubious expressions, Roman spoke.
"As you all know, I have experience fighting the Hector Kingdom in the mountains. When dawn broke, Hector decided to retreat. However, they did not simply withdraw; despite having fought all night, they gathered the corpses of their fallen comrades and carried them down the mountain. Do you believe that was a sound decision? Emotionally, it might have been the right thing to do for their dead, but at that moment, Hector was in a desperate situation. Securing even a brief rest and quickly capturing the frontline defense posts of the Southern Front was their only way to reclaim the momentum they had lost."
Emotion and reason.
These two elements always caused trouble on the battlefield.
Roman was not the type to treat his own people carelessly, but even so, a commander could not sacrifice the living for the dead. Yet, that was precisely the judgment Edwin Hector had made. He had ordered his clearly exhausted soldiers to gather the corpses, meaning they only got to rest when the sun was already high in the sky.
Was that truly the correct decision?
The soldiers might have felt it was morally right, but such sentimentality could easily become a fatal flaw.
"I watched them from afar. When Edwin Hector cremated his soldiers' bodies, his face was filled with suppressed grief. Edwin Hector is a good commander. Through bold decisions and unexpected strategies, he seized the Southern Front in an instant. However, he is not a man ruled entirely by cold reason. So, how do you think he would react if we created a situation that shattered his composure?"
"Surely you don't mean..."
"Yes. Butler is the key to shattering Edwin Hector's judgment."
Butler and Edwin Hector.
Their relationship was far from ordinary.
As a member of the Royal Knights, Butler had served the prince for a long time. His loyalty was so profound that he had personally participated in this surprise operation despite holding the esteemed title of Knight Commander.
He was the perfect catalyst.
If Butler fell, spraying blood, Edwin Hector would lose all composure at the sight.
"According to my intelligence, their bond is special. I will propose a Great Warrior Battle to Butler. Defeating him will satisfy the first phase of the plan, which will immediately trigger the second. I do not intend to kill Butler with a single blow; instead, I will strike him down just enough to render him unable to fight."
Butler falling, blood spraying into the air—it was all a calculated move.
Roman could have easily decapitated the man, but he intentionally slashed his chest as a spectacle for Edwin Hector.
Then, he put on a performance. He raised his blade, acting as if he were about to execute Butler with his next strike.
He knew the threat of an immediate follow-up attack would force Edwin Hector's hand.
"If Edwin Hector decides to save Butler..."
It was a trap.
Not a trap to defeat Butler, but one aimed squarely at Edwin Hector, who was watching from the castle walls.
"We will turn Edwin Hector's choice into our opportunity."
* * *
It went exactly as planned.
Edwin Hector made the choice he never should have made. Driven solely by the desire to save Butler, he opened the castle gates and deployed his soldiers.
"Attack!"
"We must buy time to save the Knight Commander!"
Atop the castle walls, the archers fired in unison.
Hundreds of arrows rained down upon Roman Dmitry's head. They fired desperately, pouring everything they had into forcing a single man to back away just to save one life.
That was not all. The soldiers rushing toward Butler displayed a desperate, life-or-death determination. Raising their shields to guard against friendly fire, they plunged into the jaws of death to rescue their fallen commander.
It was a scene straight out of a painting.
A touching drama of loyalty and camaraderie. The people of the Hector Kingdom showed not a shred of regret for their choice. A man like Butler was worth risking their lives for. Just as he had stepped forward to fight for the Hector Kingdom, they now stepped forward for him.
Edwin Hector. You certainly are a good commander.
Roman looked up at the castle walls. He could see Edwin Hector gathering Mana to attack him.
Smirking, Roman kicked off the ground.
Tap.
"...Damn it!"
"Block him!"
"Attack that monster!"
Chaos erupted atop the castle walls.
This was not how it was supposed to go. Under normal circumstances, Roman Dmitry should have retreated under the barrage. Instead, he charged forward, taking the downpour of arrows head-on. The expected scene of him falling, riddled with shafts, never happened. A thin barrier of Mana deflected the arrows like a shield, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of the soldiers.
Slash!
"Aaargh!"
The slaughter began.
Cleaving down the leading knight in a single blow, Roman charged aggressively into their ranks, swiftly cutting down the other soldiers. There were no prolonged exchanges. Even when Hector's knights unleashed their Aura and rushed him simultaneously, it only took a few clashes of swords before their heads inevitably flew into the air.
It was an absolute massacre.
Roman Dmitry's presence was overwhelming. Even as the soldiers of the Hector Kingdom surged toward him like a tidal wave, Roman parted the waters single-handedly.
"Save Lord Butler first!"
"Buy us some time!"
Their sole objective was rescuing Butler.
While their comrades were dying, a few soldiers reached Butler and quickly hoisted his limp body onto their shoulders. Roman deliberately let them do as they pleased. With his chest slashed open, Butler was already out of commission. Rather than overextending to kill an unconscious man, Roman left him alive to act as a burden, dragging the others down.
Because Butler was still alive, the enemies blocking Roman could not flee.
They had no choice but to stand in his way with terrified faces, only to be helplessly swept away by his blade.
"Damn it!"
"They're too tangled up with our own men! We can't attack!"
Atop the castle walls, the onlookers were utterly helpless.
When there was distance, they could safely target Roman. But now that the vanguard was completely entangled with him, any ranged attack risked slaughtering their own allies.
Edwin Hector was no exception. Magic dealt significant area-of-effect damage. Even though he had already finished casting, he couldn't unleash his spell without causing massive friendly fire.
It was a self-destructive bind.
He knew something was terribly wrong, but from the very moment they opened the castle gates and sent the troops out, they had forfeited all their choices.
* * *
Meanwhile, the nobles of Cairo watched the situation unfold from afar.
They couldn't help but marvel at how everything was playing out exactly as Roman had predicted.
"It's almost like magic."
The first phase: they had deemed it impossible to defeat Butler in the first place.
The second phase: even if Roman somehow won, they never expected Edwin Hector to actually try to save him. He was a prince. Choosing to violate the rules of the Great Warrior Battle would drag the Hector Kingdom's honor through the mud. Yet, at the sight of Roman preparing to decapitate Butler, the prince had opened the gates without a moment's hesitation.
Then there was Roman's charge.
It was incredibly bold. Even under a downpour of arrows, he threw himself into the enemy ranks and unilaterally slaughtered them.
From beginning to end, knowing the cold calculation behind his actions made it all the more shocking.
It was a realm incomprehensible to ordinary men. They finally understood why the power players of Cairo were so desperate to cling to him.
Roman Dmitry is the greatest talent Cairo has ever produced. Now I understand why Marquis Benedict told us to use any means necessary to recruit him. The moment we secure Roman Dmitry's loyalty, we can sweep away not only the weak King, but also the lackeys of the two empires who are constantly looking for an opportunity.
Count Fabius's face flushed with excitement.
But for now, it was time to focus on the present. Snapping back to his senses, he gave the order just as he had promised Roman.
"Fire the Flares!"
"Fire!"
The order echoed across the lines.
The soldiers deployed the pre-prepared Flares to the front, launching them into the sky where they radiated intense heat.
Bang! Bang!
Boom!
They exploded against the castle walls.
Aimed intentionally away from Roman's vicinity, the powerful impacts ignited blazing fires across the ramparts. Despite the repeated bombardment, the walls of the rear base showed no signs of crumbling. Ever since securing the stronghold, the Hector Kingdom had poured all their efforts into magical defense, keeping the walls sturdy even under the explosive force of the Flares.
However, Cairo never intended to bring down the walls in the first place.
The Flares were primarily meant as a distraction. Once the stage was set, Count Fabius roared like thunder.
"All forces, charge!"
"Charge!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
The soldiers of Cairo surged forward.
The Great Warrior Battle between Roman and Butler had merely been a prelude.
From this moment on, the real war began.
* * *
Crash!
Boom!
The Flares continued to explode.
Although the magical energy emanating from the walls cushioned the impacts, the sheer force and heat meant the soldiers atop the ramparts couldn't even stick their heads out to fire arrows. Meanwhile, the Cairo army was rapidly closing the distance. If they managed to breach the wide-open castle gates, the numerically disadvantaged Hector Kingdom would have no way to hold them off.
"Damn it!"
Kellan, the Hector knight in charge of defending the rear base, vented his fury at the scene unfolding before his eyes.
It was a touch-and-go situation. He wanted nothing more than to shut the gates immediately, but their soldiers were still outside, caught in Roman's deadly grasp.
If we stay like this, the gates will be breached.
It was a desperate crisis. He could not drag the entire Hector Kingdom into the abyss just to save one man. Kellan knew exactly what Butler meant to Edwin Hector, but he had been given the role of gatekeeper precisely to make the hard decisions in situations like this.
His heart burned with anxiety. Staring ahead with bloodshot eyes, he waited until the exact moment the soldier carrying Butler crossed the threshold. Then, he screamed desperately.
"Raise the drawbridge! Raise the drawbridge!"
The soldiers outside... he had abandoned them.
Hundreds would meet their deaths, but he could not afford to waste another second trying to save them.
Creak, screeeech.
The massive chains connected to the drawbridge let out an unpleasant, grinding wail. The heavy wood, which had spanned the moat, slowly began to rise.
If they could just close the gate, Kellan believed the Hector Kingdom could utilize the fortress's natural advantages to successfully repel the Cairo army.
It was then.
Whoosh!
Over the nearly fully raised drawbridge, a dark shadow vaulted inside.
In that instant, Kellan's heart plummeted.
"Roman Dmitry...!"
The Devil of Cairo.
At the sight of the monster landing before him, Kellan's mind went completely blank.