Chapter 174: Purge (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 174: Purge (5)
A few days ago.
Following the Noble Faction's decision to attack Roman Dmitry, Count Fabius fell into deep contemplation alone.
"...Hmm."
No matter how much he calculated, the math simply didn't add up.
Roman Dmitry.
The rising star of Cairo had defeated his opponents one by one, starting from rank 99, all the way up to his showdown with the undisputed rank 1, Count Nicholas. Marquis Benedict had asserted that if Roman Dmitry rejected the Noble Faction's offer, they should eliminate him on the spot. In truth, however, that was hardly a realistic proposition.
'I experienced firsthand what kind of man Roman Dmitry is on the Southern Front. Even if the Noble Faction mobilizes an entire army, could they actually subdue him by force? Absolutely impossible. Marquis Benedict thinks the moment right after the public ranking match is their chance, but the fact that Roman defeated Count Nicholas means he has grown far stronger than he was a year ago. That monster who defeated Butler and opened the castle gates must have reached an unfathomable realm by now.'
A year ago, Count Fabius had been on the Southern Front.
While the other nobles did nothing but wag their tongues, he had taken to the field himself and witnessed the reality of the battlefield.
Roman's martial prowess had sent shivers down his spine. Defeating Butler single-handedly was impressive enough, but the sight of Roman throwing open the castle gates and slaughtering the enemy made Fabius feel as if a demon had descended upon the mortal world. That memory remained vividly etched in his mind. Count Fabius had passionately argued that they must recruit Roman Dmitry, and his opinion hadn't changed.
Roman Dmitry was someone to be won over. Antagonizing him was an option that should never even be considered.
'The problem is whether Roman Dmitry will meekly submit when threatened with rebellion. He is absolutely not the type to bend the knee so easily. People are convinced he wouldn't dare draw his sword in Kairos, but if he were a man bound by common sense, he would have chosen to flee on the Southern Front as well.'
In that case, it was time to make a choice.
On the day of the decisive battle, if he didn't send his troops, he risked being targeted by the Noble Faction. If Roman Dmitry meekly surrendered or was defeated, Count Fabius would have to bear the consequences. It wouldn't just be a matter of his hard work going to waste. Marquis Benedict was a man of clear-cut boundaries; he would completely erase Count Fabius's influence from Cairo.
He agonized over it for a long time. What was the right path?
He also considered the possibility that this wouldn't end as a one-off clash, but would eventually escalate into a full-scale war between Dmitry and the Noble Faction.
Ultimately...
'Logically, there is no way to determine which decision is correct. What is certain is that while serving Marquis Benedict, I can somewhat estimate the strength of the Noble Faction. But I cannot even begin to fathom Roman Dmitry's limits. I witnessed firsthand on the Southern Front just how terrifying it is to face him as an enemy on the battlefield. Fabius, oh Fabius. The future of your family depends on this decision.'
He made his choice.
Count Fabius did not send his troops. While the rest of the Noble Faction dispatched their forces to the capital, he remained silent, using illness as an excuse.
Seeing Count Fabius make no move even on the day of the decisive battle, his fellow faction members naturally contacted him.
[Count Fabius, do you truly believe you can survive after making such a choice?]
[There is not a single soul in this world who will believe your excuse of being ill. Once the sun sets today, Marquis Benedict will raise a victory toast and casually speak of your demise. It is not too late. Send your troops now.]
[You foolish man! You usually act so quick-wittedly, yet you make such a stupid decision at a critical moment like this!]
A barrage of warnings and concerns poured in.
He blocked them out and shut his eyes tight. And so, when Roman Dmitry and the Noble Faction finally clashed, Count Fabius, from the comfort of his mansion, left his fate to the heavens.
* * *
Marquis Benedict immediately contacted Count Fabius. He could not leave a dissenter within the Noble Faction unchecked.
Flash.
The connection was established. As Count Fabius's face appeared on the screen, Marquis Benedict unleashed his fury.
"Fabius. You have truly lost your mind. Not only did you disobey the Noble Faction's orders by failing to send troops to Kairos, but now what? You refuse to comply with the mobilization order? Look me in the eye and speak. Is this truly your choice, Fabius?"
His voice trembled with rage.
The Raccoon of Cairo. Knowing how cunning the man was, Benedict had kept him close because he appreciated his quick wits. And yet, he had dared to betray him.
The fact that this was the judgment of the "Raccoon," rather than some ordinary noble, deeply unsettled Marquis Benedict. For a man so quick to read the room to turn his back on him—did that not imply the defeat of the Noble Faction?
Count Fabius spoke.
[Marquis Benedict. Since things have come to this, let's be honest with each other. In the battle that took place in Kairos, weren't your forces slaughtered without putting up any real resistance against Roman Dmitry? That is the basis of my judgment. Roman Dmitry systematically eliminated the Noble Faction's strongest fighters during the public ranking matches, and he drew his sword without hesitation, knowing exactly what decision you would make. How on earth do you expect us to fight such a monster?]
"You insolent bastard!"
[Oh, for fuck's sake. Do you still not grasp the situation?]
Count Fabius's expression turned cold. Just as he had done with Viscount Conrad, once he turned his back on someone, he made his stance crystal clear.
[I've staked everything on Roman Dmitry. So stop looking at me like I'm still that pathetic dog who would do whatever you ordered. A person needs to have some quick wits. If I didn't send troops to Kairos and even refused the mobilization order, you should have the decency to accept that I've betrayed you. Why the hell did you contact me directly just to throw a tantrum? Are you looking to get humiliated?]
"...That choice. Are you confident you won't regret it?"
[Regret, my ass. If my choice was wrong, the worst that can happen is I die.]
"Fabius. You are a traitor to the Noble Faction. No matter what choice you make, do you think Roman Dmitry will ever place his trust in a mere traitor like you? A traitor is a traitor wherever they go. If you had kept your loyalty to the end and helped the Noble Faction secure victory, I would have surely rewarded you handsomely."
[No. Even if I had remained loyal to the end, you would have discarded me without hesitation the moment I outlived my usefulness. But Roman Dmitry is different. Just looking at how he accepted Viscount Conrad, he has the magnanimity to embrace someone like me depending on the circumstances. And surely you've heard the rumors about Roman Dmitry? How fiercely he cherishes his people. Though I may start as a traitor, I intend to do whatever it takes to win his favor from now on.]
Reflecting on past events, Count Fabius knew that first impressions were crucial.
If he had shown clear hostility and acted upon it, surviving against Roman Dmitry would be impossible. But since he had not yet crossed that line, becoming his man—just like Viscount Conrad—was not out of the question.
That was why he had withheld his troops. He had ignored the mobilization order and snubbed Marquis Benedict.
Finally, Count Fabius smirked and said,
[Marquis Benedict, the war is only just beginning. You don't seem to grasp how things are unfolding, but I doubt I'm the only one refusing your mobilization order. Go ahead and make your hostile calls to them, too. The fall of the Noble Faction is only a matter of time.]
At those words, Marquis Benedict's eyes widened. What on earth did that mean?
Click.
The communication cut off.
It did not take long for Marquis Benedict to verify the truth of Fabius's words.
* * *
The Noble Faction's mobilization order.
Count Fabius was supposed to be the sole exception; most of the others had already expressed their intent to comply. However, an entirely unexpected variable suddenly arose.
[I, Marquis Valentino, declare my support for the Dmitry family.]
Valentino. A major neutral power had made its move.
With such a giant of Cairo declaring support for Dmitry, the surrounding families found themselves unable to rashly move their troops. Recently, Valentino had spent astronomical sums to sweep up Cairo's mercenaries. At the time, he had excused it as needing manpower to run his continental trading company, but no one had imagined it would lead directly to an alliance with the Dmitry family.
Furthermore, Count Fabius also exerted his influence.
He believed that if one was going to betray, they had to do it thoroughly. Rather than simply changing sides and throwing himself at the mercy of a new power, he worked tirelessly to ensure Roman Dmitry would view his existence favorably. Thanks to his efforts, the families that had long-standing ties with Count Fabius changed their minds. They decided to betray the Noble Faction and follow Dmitry.
In just a few days, the situation had completely reversed.
Immediately after his call with Fabius ended, Marquis Benedict was bombarded with incoming messages.
[...I am truly sorry. With Marquis Valentino poised to strike our territory at any moment, we cannot dispatch a large force. Please understand that this is the absolute best we can do.]
[Marquis Benedict, what are we to do? If we move rashly, our territory might be plundered. As important as the war against the Royal Faction is, we cannot put our entire family and household at risk.]
[I apologize, but I have decided to align myself with Count Fabius.]
Dizziness washed over him.
Before he could even attempt to salvage the situation, Marquis Benedict was forced to watch the Noble Faction's power crumble before his very eyes.
* * *
The Royal Palace conference room.
It was the final meeting before the deployment of troops. Roman Dmitry stood at the forefront and spoke.
"A few days ago, Count Fabius of the Noble Faction declared his intention to follow us. He and several other families have changed their allegiance, and with Marquis Valentino supporting us, the Noble Faction is no longer in a position to commit their full strength to this war. Now is the perfect opportunity to sweep away the traitors in a single stroke."
Hearing this sequence of events, the members of the Royal Faction were filled with admiration.
Neither Count Fabius nor Marquis Valentino had acted of their own accord. Realizing that this entire board had been meticulously set up by Roman Dmitry, they looked at him with eyes full of awe.
'If the Royal Faction had not accepted Roman Dmitry's proposal... he might have successfully carried out this coup using only Dmitry's strength. In that case, the flag of Cairo would have been broken by Dmitry's hands.'
Shivers ran down their spines. Dmitry's latent power was terrifying.
With the Noble Faction cornered in an instant, Daniel Cairo asked,
"Do you mean to confront them in a head-on battle?"
"Yes. To be precise, it will likely turn into a siege. Had the Noble Faction complied with the mobilization normally, they would have marched straight to the capital. However, due to the current turn of events, they will choose to defend their strongholds to reorganize their forces. We have no reason to give them breathing room. We must march our troops immediately and wipe out the traitors. Only by crushing them with overwhelming power can we prevent our power structure from ever being torn apart like this again."
Everyone swallowed hard. It was finally total war.
At this decisive moment, everyone awaited the command of the ultimate decision-maker, Daniel Cairo.
'The force leading this war is not the Royal Faction, but Dmitry.'
Daniel Cairo saw the core of the matter. If they won this war, people would likely call Dmitry the kingmaker rather than recognizing the strength of the Royal Faction. That was how completely Roman Dmitry had set the stage from start to finish. Instead of merely cleaning up the factions that had divided Cairo, Dmitry might form a force massive enough to swallow the Cairo royal family whole.
And yet, he had absolutely no intention of pushing them away.
'Dmitry made a decision for the sake of Cairo. Even if Dmitry grows to a size we cannot handle, we must acknowledge and accept their existence. After all, this would have been impossible without Dmitry's help in the first place. Rather than those heinous rebels who would sell out the country, coexisting with Dmitry—who at least treats me as the King—is what is best for Cairo. The landscape of Cairo has shifted. If the royal family is to maintain its purpose in the future, we must actively step forward, even if it requires sacrifice. We will do our utmost to aid Dmitry so that Roman Dmitry never feels he is being treated unfairly.'
He made his decision.
Daniel Cairo looked around at the gathered crowd and spoke in a commanding voice.
"War is now unavoidable. The royal army will support Roman Dmitry with all its might. Let it be known that his commands are my own. Roman Dmitry, I entrust you with full authority over this war."
All eyes focused on him. Roman Dmitry showed the proper etiquette of a subject to his sovereign.
"I shall obey your command."
The fuse of war had been lit. From this moment on, it was time to execute every last traitor.