Chapter 170: Purge (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 170: Purge (1)
It was exactly as expected.
From the very beginning, Roman Dmitry never had any intention of swearing allegiance.
The smoldering suspicions that had lingered ever since he declared the public ranking match had finally become reality.
"Foolish bastard," Marquis Benedict sneered.
The new number one ranker.
Roman Dmitry was undeniably strong.
He possessed all the qualifications to lead Cairo's forces in the future, but drunk on his own victory, he had made a fatal mistake. The ground he currently stood on was Kairos, the capital. Had he hidden himself in Dmitry before revealing his true colors, there would have been no way to strike at him. Instead, he had opened Pandora's box in an environment where he was completely exposed to danger.
Clank, clank.
The troops of the Noble Faction surrounded the area.
The metallic rattle of steel was enough to make anyone's blood run cold.
Cutting through the heavy tension, Marquis Benedict spoke.
"From this moment on, I make this declaration in the name of Marquis Benedict, head of the Central Government. Over the past few years, the Dmitry family has shown a pattern of recklessly attacking surrounding forces, such as the Barco and Douglas families. Cairo is a nation at war. Civil war is strictly forbidden when we could face foreign invasion at any moment, yet the Dmitry family has plunged the nation's security into the abyss for their own selfish interests. Therefore, to conduct a thorough investigation into these matters, I order the arrest of Roman Dmitry."
His voice rang out with power.
Barco and Douglas.
They were the factions Roman had crushed.
In truth, there had been nothing wrong with that process. Barco had picked a fight with Lawrence, and Roman Dmitry, entangled in a political marriage issue, had every justification to intervene. It was no different with Douglas. When Douglas dragged the northern families into the fray, it had escalated into a regional conflict. As the true powerhouse of the northeast, the Dmitry family couldn't simply sit back and watch.
It was a classic case of twisting any excuse to fit a narrative.
Even though there was no real issue, Marquis Benedict was using these past events as a flimsy pretext for an arrest.
"The Central Government is an organization that upholds the commands of His Majesty the King. Defiance will be deemed as disobeying His Majesty's will, and the Dmitry family will be punished for treason. Therefore, submit to your arrest quietly. If you cooperate actively, you may be able to prove during the investigation that the Dmitry family's guilt is not so severe."
Marquis Benedict's lips twitched into a smirk.
The Central Government.
The living authority of the kingdom.
He was suppressing Roman Dmitry with the heavy accusation of 'treason.'
No matter how monstrous Roman Dmitry's personal martial prowess was, there was nothing he could do this time. If he quietly submitted to the arrest, Marquis Benedict would completely sever the tendons in his limbs so he could never run wild again. But if he refused to comply, the pretext of treason would frame the conflict not as a political struggle between the Noble Faction and Dmitry, but as a war between the Cairo Kingdom and Dmitry.
It was a cunning move.
Marquis Benedict was utilizing his authority to trap Roman Dmitry in an inescapable reality.
You should have listened to me. If you had taken my hand, you could have lived in luxury as one of Cairo's rulers for the rest of your life. But from the moment you showed that pathetic hostility, there was no longer any place for you in this world. Roman Dmitry will always be a massive threat. Before he can return to Dmitry and build an untouchable force, I will completely destroy the source of his power so he can never oppose me again.
It was checkmate.
Right after the battle with Count Nicholas, he had targeted the exact moment when Roman Dmitry was bound to be at his weakest.
In truth, even if Roman had sworn allegiance, Marquis Benedict would have arrested him anyway to test his resolve.
The leader of the Noble Faction.
This was the true face of Marquis Benedict.
Without such ruthless and decisive execution, the Noble Faction would never have seized power in Cairo.
He glanced sideways, giving a subtle signal.
The troops of the Noble Faction advanced toward Roman.
Having bound his hands and feet with the chains of royal authority, they were certain Roman Dmitry had no choice but to submit.
However—
Slash!
"Gasp."
"You bastard...!"
Blood splattered across the pavement.
A knight stumbled and collapsed.
Roman Dmitry had cut down Marquis Benedict's knight right before their eyes.
* * *
Marquis Benedict's expression stiffened.
He had never imagined Roman would actually choose to defy him.
Treason was a path that would lead Dmitry to absolute ruin. Above all, while completely surrounded by the forces of the Noble Faction, Roman Dmitry had chosen the worst possible option.
"...Are you saying you intend to rebel?"
"No, let's get our terms straight. This is not defiance against His Majesty, Marquis Benedict. It is defiance against you."
Roman sneered.
Flicking the blood off his sword, he casually looked around.
"Kairos is the land of the royal family. Unless the nation is on the brink of collapse, no noble family is permitted to bring private soldiers exceeding a certain limit into Kairos, regardless of the pretext. Yet, from what I can see, you have far exceeded that limit. Marquis Benedict, could it be that you are the one planning a rebellion?"
"You arrogant bastard!"
Marquis Benedict's face flushed bright red.
How dare he.
He never expected his opponent to turn the accusation of rebellion back on him.
The informal, disrespectful tone—treating him as an outright enemy—only fueled Marquis Benedict's explosive rage. Even the bare minimum of courtesy had been trampled into the dirt. No matter who won today, one of them had to meet their end.
Marquis Benedict roared.
"The Central Government is the heart of Cairo! That is why it is called the Central Government, and all our decisions reflect the will of His Majesty, the King of Cairo! And yet, what did you say? Am I planning a rebellion? Hahaha! You have truly gone mad trying to deny your own treason. You have just cut down a vassal executing the King's orders. That is the very definition of rebellion, and because of your foolish choice, Dmitry will be destroyed!"
"He is right!"
"Execute the heinous traitor!"
The members of the Noble Faction fiercely raised their voices.
The situation was highly volatile.
They were confident of victory.
Since the battle was taking place in Kairos, Roman Dmitry was bound to be at a severe numerical disadvantage.
However, Roman had already expected this.
From the moment Marquis Benedict blocked his path, he knew a clash was unavoidable.
"Marquis Benedict. It is for His Majesty the King to decide whose words are correct. Therefore, from this moment on, I intend to dispose of the trash of Cairo who have plotted rebellion. Once everything is settled, I will receive judgment directly from His Majesty, rather than from a wretch like you who mocks the royal family's will."
If the opponent was going to be extreme, he would meet them with equal extremity.
Looking at Marquis Benedict, whose eyes were wide with fury, Roman spoke.
"Chris, Kevin. Clear the path."
At those words, the two swordsmen, who had been eagerly waiting for the command, charged forward without a single moment of hesitation.
* * *
At a glance, there were easily over several hundred soldiers.
Though the enemy force was large enough to fill the entire street, Chris and Kevin lunged at them like hounds unleashed from their chains.
"Attack!"
"Stop those bastards— cough! "
Slash!
Kevin was the first to draw blood.
Throwing himself into the space teeming with enemies, Kevin slit the throat of the leading knight. As the knight fell to his knees, foaming blood from his mouth, the sight of Kevin slaughtering his allies filled his fading vision.
Whoosh!
The knights of the Noble Faction flared their Aura.
They attacked Kevin simultaneously, but moving like a swift beast, Kevin dodged every single blow while continuing his relentless forward charge.
And then—
Thud!
Stab!
He ended their lives.
Every strike was followed by the agonizing screams of his enemies. Kevin moved with blinding speed, completely unfazed by the blood splattering across his face as he brutally butchered them. It was an overwhelming sight. While Kevin tore through the enemy ranks like an evil ghost drenched in blood, Chris, who arrived right behind him, acted as an immovable wall.
Crack!
"Argh!"
An enemy was cleaved in half along with his sword.
Chris did not rush.
There were more than enough enemies to deal with anyway.
The troops of the Noble Faction were still under the illusion that they held the advantage. Simply by dealing with the enemies rushing at him, a pile of corpses rapidly began to accumulate at Chris's feet. Whether they were ordinary soldiers or Aura Swordsmen, anyone who faced Chris collapsed, spraying blood in an instant. Even though he didn't display any particularly flashy movements, his heavy, solid swordsmanship left his opponents' faces painted with shock and horror after just a few exchanges.
Slash!
A knight of the Noble Faction collapsed.
Despite being someone who had made a name for himself as an Aura Swordsman, he couldn't last even three exchanges against Chris.
And then—
"Support Chris and Kevin!"
"Charge!"
The rest of Roman's subordinates began their assault.
For this trip to the capital, Roman had not brought a large force.
Including Chris and Kevin, there were only twenty men. But just like the two swordsmen who had charged first, the rest of his subordinates showed zero hesitation in attacking the enemy. As Puki and Volkan struck, the limbs of their enemies were torn apart, while Henderson and McBurney calmly brought down their foes one by one. There was no specific strategy on how to handle the mob. They simply crashed into them, yet Roman's subordinates moved in perfect harmony, seamlessly covering each other's blind spots.
Over the past year, Roman had bided his time.
While he focused on growing stronger himself, he also used that time to prepare his people for the coming chaos.
The result of that preparation was the spectacle unfolding before their eyes.
With a mere twenty men, Roman's subordinates were slaughtering hundreds of enemies.
A path opened.
The troops of the Noble Faction desperately tried to block them, but as the corpses piled higher, a gap inevitably formed.
Through that crimson gap, Roman walked forward.
Up ahead stood Marquis Benedict.
Stepping over corpses and treading through pools of blood, Roman Dmitry slowly approached his target.
* * *
"...Y-You crazy bastards."
Marquis Benedict's face turned pale.
His head spun.
His mind simply could not comprehend the terrifying reality his eyes were taking in.
To dare attack the Noble Faction in Kairos...
Roman Dmitry was utterly insane.
Attacking the Noble Faction was no different from outright rebellion, yet he had drawn his sword knowing full well what it meant.
"What should we do now?!"
"Marquis Benedict!"
The nobles cried out, their faces pale with terror.
The atmosphere was bizarre.
Hundreds of troops should have easily overwhelmed the Dmitry forces with sheer numbers, yet a one-sided slaughter was taking place—and Roman Dmitry hadn't even lifted a finger. Time was supposed to be on the Noble Faction's side. If they could just hold out, Cairo's capital guards would arrive to suppress the traitors. The problem was that they didn't seem capable of surviving until then.
Through the wide-open path of carnage, Roman could be seen slowly walking toward them.
Feeling a suffocating terror squeeze his heart, Marquis Benedict finally faced reality.
My judgment was wrong. If I cannot suppress Roman Dmitry with the threat of treason, then retreating for now is the best course of action.
His opponent was Roman Dmitry.
The monster who had defeated Count Nicholas.
There was no way to win in a small-scale street skirmish.
Furthermore, the true strength of the Noble Faction lay in their immense political power.
Once he took a step back and fully mobilized the Central Government, crushing Roman Dmitry would not be difficult. No matter how great his martial prowess was, how could a single family withstand the onslaught of an entire kingdom?
One step back to take two steps forward.
Marquis Benedict began to retreat.
Even so, as if to deny the fact that he was terrified, he bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"Roman Dmitry is a heinous traitor! Everyone, risk your lives and attack the rebel! Regardless of status, to anyone who brings me the head of this traitor, I will personally guarantee your future!"
"Attack! Everyone, attack!" the nobles screamed.
And then, they fled.
Pushing their soldiers into the jaws of death, the nobles bolted in the opposite direction like frightened colts.
The soldiers were left behind to face the grim reaper.
They, too, knew just how dangerous this monster was.
Yet, bound by orders, they had no choice but to block the path, even knowing it meant certain death.
"S-Stop!"
"This is Kairos! Do you think you will get away with this?!"
The troops of the Noble Faction stood in Roman's way, their weapons trembling violently.
Their faces looked as though they would crumble at the slightest breeze.
Perhaps they still believed that following the Noble Faction was the right path, spitting out futile threats in a desperate attempt to halt Roman's steps. Disobeying orders meant summary execution anyway. Since they were destined to die either way, they believed it was better to fight to the end rather than die as deserters.
Roman did not stop walking.
Nor did he rush.
Allowing the fleeing nobles to run, he looked at the terrified soldiers blocking his path.
"Do what you must do. I, too, shall do what I must."
He raised his sword.
From this moment on, it was time for the purge.