Chapter 178: For a Definitive End (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 178: For a Definitive End (4)
His head spun.
Was this reality, or was he dreaming?
Marquis Benedict, who had enjoyed absolute power just a fortnight ago, stared blankly ahead.
"Give us a solution!"
"A solution? What solution could there possibly be? It's already over! Baron Winston's army has been completely crushed, and Benedict Castle could fall at any moment. Didn't the Imperial Faction cut off all contact the second they heard the news? If we want to live, our only option is to open the gates and surrender right now!"
"Surrender?! Have you lost your mind?!"
Chaos erupted.
Nobles who had never dared to raise their voices in Marquis Benedict's presence were now red in the face, screaming without a care for appearances. It was a truly wretched sight. Once, they had believed the Noble Faction was the future of Cairo. But now, staring down an actual crisis, they realized their faction was a sandcastle—even flimsier than the Cairo royal family.
It was then.
Slam!
"Everyone, stop! This is no time for bickering."
It was Viscount Owen.
As he slammed his fist onto the table, the nobles of the Noble Faction huffed but swallowed their words.
"As you all said, we are backed into a corner. However, surrender is absolutely out of the question. Though it hasn't been officially confirmed, intelligence leaking from the northeast suggests that Roman Dmitry was directly involved in the downfall of the Barco family. Not only that, but looking at his track record, Roman Dmitry has thoroughly eradicated every single force that opposed him. He is nothing like our weak, soft King. If we open the gates to him, what do you think will happen? The common soldiers might be spared, but the leadership in this room will undoubtedly lose their heads."
"...Then what do you propose we do? We are almost out of mana stones to maintain the magic defense formation."
"Indeed. We have two or three days at most. Within that time, we must turn the tide."
Viscount Owen turned to Marquis Benedict.
Seeing that the Marquis was still struggling to find his bearings, Owen spoke with unwavering firmness.
"Marquis Benedict. The Imperial Faction is not the only force capable of solving our problem. Why don't we bypass them entirely and join hands directly with the Empire?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"This battle is already lost. Rather than waiting here to die, surviving is what matters—even if it means becoming a vassal state. The Kronos Empire will never reject our offer. They have always wanted to use Cairo as a bridgehead for continental conquest; they will unconditionally accept an offer where we volunteer to sacrifice ourselves. Now that the leaders of the Imperial Faction have all been dragged away, this is our last chance to persuade the Empire."
Marquis Benedict's eyes flickered back to life.
Not yet.
The war was not over yet.
As long as Benedict Castle still stood, they had one final opportunity to sell their hand at a premium.
His hesitation was brief.
Selling out his country was a decision that required very little thought.
"Contact Kronos immediately. I will conduct the negotiations myself."
* * *
The magic communication was established immediately.
As Baron Charlton of the Kronos Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared on the screen, Marquis Benedict got straight to the point.
"I believe you are already aware of our situation. Save the Noble Faction. If you help us overthrow the Cairo royal family, we will willingly become a vassal state and swear our absolute loyalty to Kronos."
There was no pretense.
He displayed zero useless pride as he bowed his head.
[Hmm. I am sorry, but there is already a faction within the Cairo Kingdom that follows the Kronos Empire. Is it not an open secret that Count Gregory is our man? If we were to choose a puppet to control the Cairo royal family, we would choose Count Gregory in consideration of his past efforts, not you, Marquis Benedict.]
"Yes, I know. But the situation is different now."
He spoke with desperate conviction.
If he failed to persuade the Baron, there would be no way to stop the Devil of Cairo from descending upon them.
"The Cairo royal family has begun a purge with Roman Dmitry at the forefront. For a start, they have already arrested Count Gregory and Count Denver, the very men who follow the Empire. Do you really think they will be released safely? The moment the Noble Faction under my command falls, their lives are forfeit. Roman Dmitry will undoubtedly use this momentum to seize complete control of Cairo, and when that happens, the Empire will be left with absolutely no room to infiltrate. That is why I am proposing a mutually beneficial arrangement. If Kronos shows a little mercy now, the Noble Faction will act as the Empire's pawn and bring the Cairo royal family to its knees. When you declare continental conquest in the future, the Cairo Kingdom will willingly bleed for the Kronos Empire."
Continental conquest.
A path that demanded sacrifice.
But as long as Kronos emerged as the victor, only the common soldiers would die, while the leadership maintained their power.
In the end, he was putting up the kingdom as collateral.
For his own survival, Marquis Benedict didn't hesitate in the slightest to become a traitor.
"For the Kronos Empire, this choice changes very little. You merely swap Gregory for Benedict. Only the people sacrificing themselves for the Kronos Empire will change; the Empire itself only needs to sit back and reap the fruits of our labor."
[You speak quite amusingly.]
Baron Charlton smirked.
Marquis Benedict had pierced straight through to the essence of the matter.
In truth, to the Kronos Empire, it hardly mattered who ruled a kingdom that was nothing more than a bridgehead. They just needed someone to play the required role when the time came. It didn't matter if that someone was Benedict instead of Gregory.
[Actually, we were also greatly disappointed that Count Gregory was so helplessly arrested. Despite all the support we provided, they failed to utilize their advantages at all. Tell me. What exactly do you want Kronos to do?]
"Attack the Western Front."
[Keke, are you asking us to attack your own country right now?]
"Yes. Do not just attack the first defense line as you always have. Push beyond it and send a clear warning to the Cairo royal family. Prove that the Kronos Empire and the Noble Faction have joined forces. If you display aggressive movements on the Western Front, I will handle the rest."
He wasn't asking for much.
The mere fact that the Kronos Empire had sided with the Noble Faction would give Marquis Benedict the breathing room he desperately needed. First, it would provide a pretext to drag the Imperial Faction—who had turned a blind eye to their plight—back to his side. Second, if he threatened the Cairo royal family with this new alliance, they wouldn't dare continue their siege on Benedict Castle.
If the royal family just stood by, they would be paralyzed by the fear that the forces pushing through the Western Front might overthrow them entirely.
It was a reasonable proposal.
Even though they were currently in conflict with the Kingdom Alliance, launching a localized attack on the Western Front was child's play for Kronos.
[Very well. I accept your proposal.]
Such was the authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It was a matter so trivial it didn't even require the Emperor's permission.
With a single word from Baron Charlton, Cairo—nothing more than a weak, fractured nation—was plunged into absolute chaos.
* * *
A mere twelve hours.
That was all it took. Immediately after Kronos accepted the proposal, the Imperial army descended upon the Western Front, unleashing a screaming hell.
Out of the three defense lines, two were instantly breached.
And unlike their usual skirmishes, the Imperial army showed clear signs of preparing to strike the third line. The Cairo royal family was thrown into a state of extreme panic.
Simon spoke.
"...Currently, the Kronos Empire is reorganizing its ranks and preparing to attack the third defense line. If that falls, the Kronos Imperial army will flood directly into Cairo's inner territory. Your Majesty, please give the order. We must stop the Imperial army pushing through the Western Front at all costs."
This attack was a sudden, unprovoked disaster.
They could condemn it through the international community later, but that wouldn't stop the bloody tragedy unfolding right before their eyes.
It was then.
"A communication request has come in from Marquis Benedict."
It could not be refused.
Knowing this sudden invasion was highly likely tied to the Noble Faction, Daniel Cairo accepted the connection with a freezing expression.
Across the screen, Marquis Benedict's face materialized.
[It has been a while, Your Majesty.]
"What on earth is the meaning of this?! No matter how disadvantageous your position is, how dare you drag the Empire into the kingdom's internal affairs!"
[We had no choice. When you pressure us to the point of suffocation with Roman Dmitry at the forefront, shouldn't we do whatever it takes to survive? Listen carefully. The Noble Faction has joined hands with the Kronos Empire. That is why the Kronos Empire has attacked the Western Front. While the royal army wastes its time in front of Benedict Castle, the Empire will lay waste to Cairo's territory.]
His voice was fierce.
The subservient man who used to bow his head was nowhere to be seen; instead, he bared his fangs with an arrogant sneer.
[The Kronos Empire has always coveted Cairo. We have given them the perfect pretext to intervene in our civil war, and now it is only a matter of time before Cairo falls. Do you really think anything will change just because Roman Dmitry captures Benedict Castle? I will give you one last choice. If you promise to be satisfied playing the role of a puppet, just as you always have, I will conclude this matter by merely purging Your Majesty's loyal supporters. Well, I will at least spare the Royal Knights. If you abandon your greed, Your Majesty can live a long, long life as the King of Cairo. That is my final act of mercy, out of respect for our past relationship.]
The throne?
It didn't matter.
No matter who wore the crown, the world would know that Marquis Benedict was the true ruler of Cairo.
That was exactly why he offered a way out.
Rather than pushing his opponent to the brink and forcing a desperate, bloody resistance, the offer to spare the King of Cairo was a calculated move to incite internal division between the royal family and Dmitry. That was enough. While the indecisive King was paralyzed by confusion, Marquis Benedict was confident he could flip the board entirely.
[Now that the Kronos Empire has stepped in, this matter is settled. Your Majesty, this is your last chance. Think carefully and make a wise decision.]
Click.
The communication cut off.
Marquis Benedict's face vanished from the screen.
Faced with such an incredibly one-sided ultimatum, Daniel Cairo could not hide his wretched expression.
* * *
The palace conference room fell into a heavy silence.
No one dared to speak out of turn.
If they chose to fight to the death, the royal family would be destroyed by the Empire. If they chose to submit, the loyalists who followed the royal family—like Dmitry—would be wiped out. It was a devil's bargain. Cruelly, Marquis Benedict had planted the seeds of internal division by offering the false hope of survival.
Benedict.
This was a man the King had once called his maternal uncle.
A man sharing his own bloodline was now gleefully pushing him off a cliff.
'My plight is truly miserable.'
The throne.
Daniel Cairo had never wanted it, not even once.
It was simply a reality he had to accept because he was born into royalty, and the supposed power he held from a young age meant absolutely nothing.
A puppet king.
That was his reality.
He had tried to lead Cairo in the right direction with the help of Roman Dmitry, but now Marquis Benedict had dragged in an uncontrollable monster. What if Benedict had just threatened to kill him without giving him a choice? Even if his head were to be cut off by Kronos, Daniel Cairo would have calmly accepted that reality.
'If I abandon Dmitry, I can survive.'
But...
What meaning would there be in that?
Even if he preserved his pathetic life, he would have to live as a puppet, dancing only when others pulled the strings.
'Even if I help Dmitry defeat the Noble Faction, my power is not guaranteed. Dmitry will build a force rivaling the royal family, and perhaps I will remain as just another puppet. I, Daniel Cairo, was born with the fate of living as a puppet. But if that is an inescapable reality, then no matter what happens to my life, I want to make a choice for the sake of the kingdom.'
Benedict was a traitor who had sold out his country.
Rather than surviving as his puppet, Daniel wanted to at least support Dmitry, a man who actually fought for the kingdom's future.
A tragic life.
He accepted his reality.
Though he lacked the ability to turn his weak nation into a powerful one, he could still stand by his own convictions within the choices given to him.
"Simon."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He had made his choice.
The Cairo royal family...
"Contact Roman Dmitry immediately."
Even if he were destined to remain a weak and incompetent king, he would never let history record him as a traitor.