Chapter 179: For a Definitive End (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 179: For a Definitive End (5)
Roman Dmitry appeared on the screen.
The moment the connection stabilized, Daniel Cairo began explaining the dire situation.
"Marquis Benedict's Noble Faction has joined hands with the Kronos Empire. The Western Front's second defense line has already collapsed. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before the third falls as well. You know what that means. The moment Kronos breaches Cairo's territory, the chaos here will multiply, compounding the civil war. What should we do? Wiping out the Noble Faction is important, but we cannot leave the Kronos Empire's forces unchecked."
Western Cairo.
The people there were in grave danger. There was no telling what atrocities the Kronos Empire would commit while the kingdom dragged its feet trying to settle the civil war.
[If a civil war is not settled once and for all, it will inevitably leave behind future troubles. Marquis Benedict brought in the Kronos Empire because he knows this. If we retreat our forces now, we will only be playing into his hands.]
"I am well aware of that. However, Marquis Benedict has abandoned the Cairo Kingdom. He might not care about the kingdom's safety, but as the King of Cairo, I cannot make the same choice. By dragging Kronos into this, they are trying to prolong the war as much as possible. And as the days pass, the terror starting in the west will encroach upon all of Cairo."
It was a bitter dilemma.
The King and the Noble Faction held entirely different positions. If the royal family decided to abandon the kingdom's people, they would lose their very reason to rule.
"Marquis Benedict urged me to surrender. He said that if I abandoned the forces participating in this purge, my life and throne would be preserved. I rejected his offer. Not out of a greedy desire to maintain my meager power, but because if Cairo becomes a vassal state of the Empire, the sacrifice of our people will be unavoidable. So, let me ask you: what is most important for the people right now? The lives of those in the west carry the same weight. Is it right to tell them to bear the sacrifice until the civil war is settled? Or is it more important to wrap up the civil war at a reasonable point and repel the Kronos Empire?"
The Noble Faction had already been broken once.
If the royal family settled for this and redirected their forces, they could repel Kronos and secure the people's safety. Of course, leaving Marquis Benedict alive would plant the seeds for future trouble. Even if his influence was crippled, he would undoubtedly look for another opportunity to sell out the country.
But from the moment he rejected Benedict's offer, Daniel Cairo no longer prioritized completely settling the civil war to restore the royal family's authority. While he hadn't abandoned Roman Dmitry for the sake of the kingdom's future, when faced with the choice between Dmitry and his citizens, he chose the people.
That was Daniel Cairo.
Even as a mere puppet king, he wished to choose the best possible path for his kingdom within his limited options.
[I understand what you mean.]
Roman's response was calm. He wasn't agreeing; he merely understood. Roman Dmitry was a man who, once he drew his sword, had to see things through to the bitter end.
[Your Majesty. From the very moment we decided on this purge, we anticipated that the Kronos Empire might cross the border. Whether it is because of Count Gregory or Marquis Benedict, the reason does not matter. Kronos looks down on us. They had the audacity to launch an attack using only the forces already stationed on the Western Front, without even bothering to mass their troops. What would happen if we left enemies alive inside our borders who collude with them? You might think we are only taking one step back now, but taking that one step forward later will require the sacrifice of countless lives.]
Had he been born in an era of peace, Daniel Cairo might have been a great king. But to navigate through an era of chaos, he still failed to face the cruelty of reality.
[Unlike the first two lines, the third defense line on the Western Front has a substantial force deployed. And it is clear that Kronos has not mobilized its full strength for this attack. Trust Cairo's commanders. If they can just buy us enough time...]
A king who still clung to his romanticism.
Roman Dmitry didn't think that was a bad thing. Since he himself was far too jaded by reality, he hoped that the king, at least, would prioritize his people.
[Within three days, I will completely wipe out Marquis Benedict's Noble Faction. Then, I will head to the Western Front to stop the Kronos Empire.]
Roman's declaration left Daniel Cairo speechless.
He had thought it impossible to achieve both, yet Roman Dmitry confidently asserted that he would do exactly that. And one thing was certain about Roman Dmitry: he kept his word.
"...Very well. Three days. Within that time, you must execute the traitors."
It was the best choice the Cairo royal family could make.
* * *
The Noble Faction's final struggle.
It was entirely expected. If pushed to the edge, Marquis Benedict's desperate gamble to drag in the Kronos Empire had already been factored into Roman's calculations.
‘For the past week, we have slowly cornered the Noble Faction. If we had half-heartedly tried to cut off their breath, the civil war would have inevitably dragged on. By severing the enemy's limbs one by one, we set the stage for them to struggle desperately until the very end.’
On the first day of the siege, Roman Dmitry had launched an immediate assault. But contrary to that fierce momentum—which made it seem like he would march his troops right over the walls—he opted for long-range bombardments while allowing his forces plenty of rest.
Why? To minimize casualties?
No.
Roman Dmitry moved his troops under the cover of night. He systematically blocked off every possible escape route from Castle Benedict and waited for the castle's magic defenses to reach their breaking point. For a definitive end, he took his time. The moment the enemy's walls lost their function, he formed a perfect encirclement. Not even an ant would be able to slip away.
One week. It was a necessary investment for a perfect purge.
Now, while the enemy still foolishly believed they could hold out, the D-day Roman Dmitry had planned from the very beginning finally arrived. Tomorrow, as scheduled, a full-scale assault on Castle Benedict would begin.
But that evening, an unexpected person sought out Roman Dmitry.
"Commander. Please place me at the vanguard."
A booming voice. It was none other than Count Fabius.
* * *
Having betrayed the Noble Faction, Count Fabius had joined the Royal Army. However, after realizing he was being excluded from all important meetings, he knew he couldn't just sit idly by.
‘From what I've gathered, Roman Dmitry is a man who is absolutely clear-cut with his rewards and punishments. That means if I achieve distinguished merit as his subordinate, he is not someone who would ever ignore it.’
On the seventh day, Roman Dmitry finally announced the full-scale assault. Upon hearing the news, Count Fabius bided his time before seeking an audience.
And then, he spoke with that booming voice.
"Commander. Please place me at the vanguard."
The vanguard. It was a notoriously dangerous role.
Even knowing his life would be at severe risk, Count Fabius looked up at Roman Dmitry with unwavering eyes. Their relationship had begun with him as a betrayer. To instantly bridge the gap between himself and Roman's trusted retainers, he needed to demonstrate blind loyalty—even if it meant volunteering to act as a meat shield for arrows.
"I was once a member of the Noble Faction. However, believing their cause to be unjust, I rejected their mobilization order and chose to follow Lord Roman Dmitry instead. Please give me a chance to prove my loyalty. Even if it costs me my life, I will bring glory to your name at the vanguard."
His voice was brimming with desperate sincerity.
In that moment, Roman let out a soft chuckle. He was an amusing fellow. Though the Count clung to whichever side was advantageous like a bat, Roman didn't view him in an entirely negative light.
‘The Strange Demon, who occupied a seat among the Four Heavenly Kings, was exactly this kind of man.’
The Strange Demon. He was a peculiar old man.
While the Mad Demon represented fanatical loyalty and the Blood Demon represented an insatiable desire to grow stronger, the Strange Demon had changed masters no fewer than three times during Baek Joong-hyuk's bloody path to the absolute peak. Under normal circumstances, such a fickle man would have lost his head long ago, but he survived until the very end, remaining by the side of the ultimate victor: Baek Joong-hyuk.
The Heavenly Demon preferred mutually beneficial relationships. When the Strange Demon abandoned his third master and crawled to him, Baek Joong-hyuk readily accepted the turncoat's oath of loyalty.
"There is no need to show me a false smile. Prove your worth through your abilities. If you prove that you are useful to me, I will not care in the least what thoughts you harbor in your heart."
Betrayal. It was an option available to anyone.
Baek Joong-hyuk believed in his own absolute capability. Rather than wishing for blind loyalty from his followers, he held them in his grasp with such overwhelming power that they wouldn't dare entertain the thought of betraying him.
The same applied to the Strange Demon. If he betrayed him even after witnessing that godlike power, he would pay the ultimate price. But Baek Joong-hyuk never assumed he would inevitably betray him just because of his past.
As a result, the Strange Demon claimed a seat among the Four Heavenly Kings. He commanded battlefields in Baek Joong-hyuk's absence, orchestrating countless victories until the members of the Righteous Faction trembled at the mere mention of his name. And until the day Baek Joong-hyuk died, the Strange Demon never betrayed him. They had conversed once, and the Strange Demon had casually remarked that his mind simply couldn't compute the math required to betray the Heavenly Demon. It was a guaranteed loss.
‘Count Fabius.’
A turncoat of the Noble Faction. In a situation where anyone else would be reading the room and keeping a low profile, he had boldly stepped forward to bow his head. His judgment was correct. Just as he had accepted Viscount Conrad, Roman Dmitry did not judge a person based solely on their past.
"It is a highly dangerous task. Are you sure you can do it?"
"I can! I, Fabius, will dedicate my very life to this!"
His expression brightened instantly. Count Fabius bowed deeply, pressing his forehead against the cold floor. Despite the clear difference in status between the heir of a mere barony and a high-ranking Count, not a single shred of shame could be found on his face.
"Very well. The vanguard of this battle will be you, Fabius."
Fabius. He had finally seized his thread of opportunity.
* * *
Dawn broke.
For the Noble Faction, the morning seemed no different from any other. In fact, backed by the promise of the Kronos Empire, the defenders atop the walls appeared even more triumphant than the day before.
It was then.
Step, step.
A lone figure walked toward the castle walls. It was a man with his robe pulled low over his face. At this highly unusual development, the soldiers atop the walls watched him with questioning eyes.
Tap.
He stopped in his tracks and looked up at the towering walls.
‘It is time to repay my lord's trust.’
It was Felix.
For the past week, Felix hadn't cast a single spell. He had merely commanded the mages channeling power into the Flares, conserving his own mana as much as possible. From the very beginning, the timing for him to unleash his power had been set in stone. Once the frontline mages had sufficiently worn down the durability of the magic defense formation through a week of relentless bombardment, Felix was tasked with putting a definitive end to this war.
Whoosh.
The wind howled. As Felix stirred his mana, intense flames flared up around him.
"Summon Salamander."
Fwoosh! Crackle!
Flames erupted violently. They coiled around each other, rapidly transforming into a roaring beast made of pure fire. Spirit magic. It was the ultimate secret technique of the Phoenix Magic Tower.
And then...
"Burning."
Fwoosh! Roar!
With the full release of his Circles, Felix swallowed the Salamander. His entire body blazed with fire, and even his hair was dyed a vivid, glowing crimson. Felix's master had always emphasized the innate ability to accept fire. If someone without that capacity attempted to use Burning, they would instantly be incinerated by the intense heat of the Salamander.
"What on earth..."
"Look at that!"
Chaos erupted atop the walls. The defenders couldn't comprehend the sight before them. It clearly wasn't self-immolation, yet they could only stare blankly at the lone man entirely engulfed in roaring flames.
At that moment.
"Fire Rain."
Rumble!
He shattered the boundaries of his Circles. Felix, who was fundamentally a 5th Circle Mage, forcibly stepped into the realm of the 6th Circle with the aid of the Salamander's power.
Fwoosh! Roar!
Flames rained down from the heavens. What began as a scattering of small embers quickly turned into burning dark clouds, followed by a torrential, apocalyptic downpour of fist-sized fireballs.
Boom! Crash!
"Argh!"
"Raise your shields!"
It was the beginning of a one-sided massacre. Caught completely off guard, the soldiers who had been staring blankly were instantly engulfed in searing flames. Agonized screams erupted in all directions. The defenders tried desperately to find cover, but the fire rained down over such a vast area that there was nowhere left to run.
Nor could the magic defense formation on the walls block the onslaught. As the Flares launched their artillery strikes simultaneously, the combined impact completely shattered the threshold of what the magic defense could withstand.
Bang! Boom! Crash!
The Flares combined with 6th Circle magic. It was a literal natural disaster.
Phoenix. People called it the absolute pinnacle when it came to sheer, destructive firepower. However, because the innate ability to accept fire was such a restrictive condition, the tower had never been able to produce more than two mages capable of using Burning at any given time in its history. This fatal flaw was why the Phoenix Magic Tower had always been evaluated as the weakest among the thirteen magic towers. Yet Felix, the new master of that very tower, had successfully manifested Burning through the Flame Divine Art.
Rumble!
It was a fiery hell on earth. Orchestrated by a single mage and the Flares launched from five firing devices, the walls of Castle Benedict—once deemed an impenetrable iron fortress—were entirely engulfed in flames. Charred soldiers began plummeting from the ramparts one after another.
One week. Roman had bided his time. He had used the Flares to systematically wear down the magic defenses so that Felix's firepower could be unleashed to its absolute maximum potential. And today, he would put an end to it.
Finally.
Crash!
"The wall has collapsed!"
The magic defense formation completely lost its power. Though the defenders had desperately poured mana stones into the core, the accumulated damage combined with the 6th Circle magic had pushed the barrier far past its absolute limit.
A gaping hole was torn open in the stone. From this moment on, the walls of Castle Benedict were no longer a fortress.
Into that wide-open breach that practically welcomed the invaders, a figure from the Royal Army charged forward with ferocious vigor.
"Soldiers! Follow me!"
The Raccoon of Cairo. It was Count Fabius. Instead of cowering in the rear and merely issuing orders, he took to his horse and charged directly into the front line.
"Risk your lives to execute these heinous traitors!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
His roaring shout acted as a catalyst. The Royal Army charged forward simultaneously, swarming the breach. The battlefield was set ablaze with war cries and fire.
This was a scene that unfolded in just a single day out of the three Roman had promised.