Chapter 186: Counterattack (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186: Counterattack (1)
The commanders could scarcely believe their ears.
With the war drawing to a close, the very idea of opening the gates to launch an offensive had never even crossed their minds.
Baron Noel was the first to speak.
"...That is impossible. We only managed to repel the enemy by utilizing our geographical advantage; the sheer difference in our military strength remains clear. The moment we step outside these gates, Cairo risks suffering an irreparable blow. And even if we pursue and eliminate this detachment of the Kronos Empire, what benefit does Cairo truly stand to gain? The kingdom is already in turmoil from the civil war. I believe now is the time to consolidate our internal affairs."
The leaders of the Western Front acknowledged Roman Dmitry’s capabilities.
Seeing him arrive at the Western Front in a mere three days—a feat deemed absolutely impossible—they finally understood why he was hailed as the hero of Cairo. He was a man who simply could not be judged by conventional standards. They had fully opened their hearts to him, yet even so, they could not agree to this suicidal plan.
Flora Lawrence, who had originally intended to hold her tongue, also lent her support to Baron Noel’s opinion.
"For the past few days, the soldiers on the Western Front have endured a grueling schedule. Their fatigue from keeping watch for the enemy night after night is immense. Opening the gates now is nothing short of suicide."
She looked at Roman—the man who had brought a great tempest into her life.
Knowing he was not one to make empty boasts, she firmly emphasized the peril of this undertaking.
"The Western Front is a strategic stronghold. Our priority here is not to kill as many Kronos Empire soldiers as possible, but to protect the safety of Cairo. Roman Dmitry, your proposal does not align with that priority. Now that Marquis Benedict’s Noble Faction—the very people who colluded with the Kronos Empire—has been completely wiped out, the imperial forces have no reason to remain here. It is a threat that will disappear on its own. Why should we poke a hornet’s nest and escalate the conflict for no reason?"
It was a valid argument.
The war was over. As had always been the case, it was now time to focus on cleaning up the aftermath.
However...
"Is that really what you all believe is best?"
Roman Dmitry could not accept such a conventional choice.
*
The leaders of the Western Front.
Their words.
Their reactions.
They were exactly the same as the King’s.
On his way to the Western Front, during a magical communication with Daniel Cairo, the King had shown a similarly worried reaction.
[...You plan to attack the Kronos Empire as soon as you arrive at the Western Front?]
"Yes."
[That is a reckless decision. Even if the Kronos Empire attacked us, that does not give us the right to attack them in return. It is a completely different matter from repelling them through a siege defense. If we strike first at the Kronos Empire, which has always coveted Cairo’s territory, they will surely use this incident as a pretext to instigate an international conflict. At that point, the truth will not matter. Regardless of who was in the wrong first, the moment a full-scale war begins, the safety of the Cairo Kingdom cannot be guaranteed.]
Such was the reality of the weak.
Even for the exact same action, the outcome differed based entirely on the logic of power. Despite facing international condemnation, the Kronos Empire had constantly violated Cairo’s borders, yet Cairo had never once been able to respond aggressively. It wasn’t that they lacked the desire for revenge. Rage flared every time their citizens were slaughtered, but maintaining silence had been Cairo’s only strategy for survival.
Roman understood.
It was a reality that a weak nation had no choice but to accept. But from now on, things were going to be different.
"Your Majesty. The Cairo Kingdom has experienced the agonizing pain of carving out its own flesh due to this civil war. Although the Kingdom Army executed the traitors for a righteous cause, the slaughter that occurred in the process cannot help but appear cruel in the eyes of the common people. We have much work left to do to unify our power. Once we completely clear away the remnants of the Noble Faction, we will have to decide how to deal with the Empire’s lackeys. At that time, what justification will Your Majesty present to the people? Can you draw your sword to purge those lackeys while turning a blind eye to the Kronos Empire, which directly crossed our borders to attack us? Slaughter devoid of a righteous cause cannot win the support of the people."
It was a delicate matter.
The Kronos Empire had openly participated in the rebellion. They had crossed the border to aid Marquis Benedict, yet the Cairo Kingdom did not dare to touch them.
If so, what was to be done with the Empire’s lackeys?
Marquis Benedict’s Noble Faction had declared a rebellion, providing a clear justification for a purge. But did it make any sense to execute their lackeys while failing to touch the Empire that had practically orchestrated the war? If the internal strife dragged on, the people’s discontent would inevitably grow. They would complain that the royal family, too cowardly to utter a single word of protest to the Empire, was instead leading a massacre within their own kingdom.
"Cairo stands at a crossroads. By purging the Noble Faction, we have unified our power structure, and we will not repeat the same mistakes we made on the Southern Front. Now is the perfect opportunity to win the absolute trust of the people. Attack the Kronos Empire. Show them how grave a mistake they made by participating in our civil war and violating our borders, and declare to the world that Cairo is capable of delivering a hammer blow. Even if our choice causes issues in the international community, we will rarely have another opportunity to secure such a powerful justification."
He spoke with conviction.
Right after putting down the rebellion, this was the perfect opportunity to attempt a massive transformation. Roman Dmitry knew they needed to alter the very temperament of the kingdom—not through gradual steps, but through one seismic shift.
From a weak, fragile nation into a single, strong country.
They had to show that they would no longer tolerate the atrocities of the Kronos Empire as they had in the past.
"The Cairo Kingdom cannot be swayed by the Empire forever. It only takes once. If we establish a single precedent showing that Cairo has changed, the Kronos Empire will have no choice but to think twice before crossing our borders. We must not fear that this choice will escalate into war. If war is bound to come anyway, then perhaps now—while the Kronos Empire is embroiled in conflict with the Kingdom Alliance—is our absolute best opportunity."
Beyond the magical screen, the King fell into silence.
Roman Dmitry was a difficult vassal. He constantly forced the King to stand at a crossroads of decision, thrusting burdens upon him that were difficult to bear.
A fully unified, sovereign nation. That was Daniel Cairo’s ideal.
Had he become intoxicated by Roman Dmitry's vision? After agonizing for a long time, he finally made a decision for the sake of Cairo.
[You are right. For Cairo to move forward in the right direction, we must prove to the people that the royal family’s decisions are justified. The Kronos Empire violated our borders. If we leave them be after they have openly shown complicity in our civil war, the people will think this internal conflict was merely a meaningless massacre for the sake of the royal family’s power. Roman Dmitry, I grant you full authority over this matter. Go to the West, and make the Kronos Empire pay the price for violating our borders.]
The weak king had finally shown his resolve.
Roman Dmitry looked at him and offered his deepest respects as a subject.
"I shall obey your command."
*
And now, in the present.
The leadership of the Western Front looked at Roman Dmitry. At his question of whether this was truly the best they could do, their eyes filled with complex emotions.
Roman spoke.
"Those of you who have lived on the Western Front know the truth. The claims that pursuing the Kronos Empire yields no practical benefit, that opening the gates might invite danger, and that the Western soldiers are heavily fatigued—all of those excuses are meaningless. Don’t you all know it well? Because of their conflict with the Kingdom Alliance, the Kronos Empire’s attention is focused on the south. The enemy is in no position to commit their full strength here. Furthermore, having lost a significant number of soldiers during the siege over the past few days, the Kronos Empire we face is weaker than ever before."
The truth they had tried so hard to ignore was laid bare. To those who lacked the courage to open the gates, he shoved reality right before their eyes.
"The practical benefit of this decision relies on a single fact: the Cairo Kingdom will no longer stand by and watch the atrocities of the Kronos Empire. If we exact bloody vengeance upon those who openly colluded with Marquis Benedict to instigate a civil war, the people of Cairo can live a different life than before. The belief that the Cairo royal family will protect them—we must attack the enemy, if only to give them that faith."
Roman’s words stirred the crowd.
Only then did they realize that Roman Dmitry’s thought process was entirely different from theirs. While they wished to find stability in the immediate peace before them, the hero of Cairo was thinking of the future of a new kingdom.
The courage to open the gates.
It was no ordinary choice. Since it was something never once permitted in the history of Cairo, no one dared to speak up in hasty support. Nevertheless, their eyes began to burn with desire. The words Roman Dmitry uttered had set their hearts ablaze.
A country worthy of being called a country.
How long had they yearned for such a sight? If they had been unable to unite in the past due to a power structure fractured into multiple factions, the situation from now on was different.
Just as Roman said, it was an opportunity.
The eyes of the leadership turned toward one person. From a certain point, they all waited for the command of Marquis Vandenberg.
Marquis Vandenberg smiled.
The rumors were true. Roman Dmitry was a man who carried a storm with him, and because of him, Cairo would face a monumental transformation.
He spoke.
"So, what is it you need me to do?"
*
The meeting ended.
It had gone exactly as Roman intended. At the news that a pursuit squad would be dispatched as soon as dawn broke tomorrow, Flora stepped outside and looked up at the dark night sky.
'…Roman Dmitry.'
Truly, he was a consistent man. Just as he had chosen a method no one could have conceived during the war with the Barco family, he showed the exact same side of himself this time. Despite having studied tactics until her books were worn thin, Flora had not dared to even dream of attempting a counterattack like Roman.
Thump, thump.
Her heart pounded. It was not a romantic flutter. As a fellow human being, and as a student of tactics, she truly acknowledged how incredible Roman Dmitry was.
'I have made so much progress. I thought I was a bit different from my immature self back then, but Roman Dmitry has advanced to a height I can barely even look up to. How can anyone live like that? Whenever I hear rumors of Roman Dmitry, I find myself marveling at his choices and his ability to execute them every single time.'
She respected Roman Dmitry.
Had it not been for her encounter with him, she would still be living like a flower in a greenhouse. But now, she was living an independent life, shaping her own destiny as Flora Lawrence. People no longer called her the "Flower of Lawrence." In a world where she was remembered simply as Flora Lawrence, she was more than satisfied with her reality.
Her past mistakes... She still regretted her immaturity back then. However, because those choices had made her who she was today, she had no intention of denying her past actions.
Yet, there was a slight tinge of disappointment. She had hoped that Roman Dmitry, whom she was meeting after a long time, would notice her growth.
'Tomorrow, we will face the Kronos Empire on the plains for the first time. No matter how weakened the enemy’s forces are, the Kronos Empire is by no means an opponent to be taken lightly. Things might not go as we expect, and in the worst-case scenario, we could be repelled and lose the third defensive line. For tonight, let’s calculate the variables that could unfold on the battlefield. Just because we are following Roman Dmitry’s lead doesn’t mean we should blindly rely on his words alone.'
Tonight, she had a lot of work to do. Flora Lawrence intended to participate directly in the battle, and she needed to be fully prepared.
A single mistake could be fatal. While she might have made choices based on her emotions in the past, the Flora of today was thorough enough to be called a perfectionist.
It was then.
"...Huh?"
In the distance, under the night sky, she saw two men conversing.
One was Roman Dmitry.
And the other was none other than Rodwell Dmitry.